The gardening season has ended for 2014.

In this last short video, I wanted to share some of what I learned growing lettuce, pac choi, peppers and eggplant, using the Kratky method of hydroponics, outdoors, from transplanted seedlings started under lights indoors, into net cups in both bins and buckets.        

A few things I didn’t get to mention in the video,  that I learned…

Next year I WILL NOT drill a hole in the bottom side of the bucket, put in a grommet and run a clear tube through it to gauge the level of the nutrient solution.   I found it to be unnecessary, unwieldy and makes the buckets unstack-able for the winter storage.   Since I use those round tomato cages in my hydro buckets (legs through drilled holes in the bucket top/net cup),  I have just enough support of the plant, to just lift the lid a little (albeit carefully) and look to see if the nutrient solution is running low, or add some from a gallon jug.

The panda film (thick plastic bought online that’s black on one side and white on the other), worked like a dream.  It kept ALL algae from the inside of both buckets and bins.  The only other thing needed I learned, was the black bucket top/6″net cup that covers the buckets, should be painted with a good quality white spray paint.  I did that and the paint still looks brand new, and, just like the white side of the panda film, reflected the HEAT away from the nutrient solution.  

I found that it helped the loss of moisture to the net cups (rockwool cubes, roots and “grow stones” in them) to cover the cups with aluminum foil taped down over them. I believe it really helped evaporation of the nutrient solution as well, and kept anything (including sunlight) from getting to the roots.  I learned (for the bins) that if I have a dark bin and younger plants that don’t yet fill the top space- it also helps to cover the top of the bin itself with aluminum foil.  It doesn’t have to be neat and just a few pieces of packing tape will hold it down.  I found (just like soil in container plants outside) that aluminum foil reflects light back to the plant’s undersides, confuses insects and, most importantly in these hydroponics, reflects the sun’s HEAT away from the nutrient solution and the plant’s roots inside. 

5 gallon Buckets-  I have used the white ones from Walmart, Lowes and Home Depot.  After a season or 2 at the most, they are too brittle to carry, fill, move, and shatter into small sharp pieces.

Try the ORANGE paint buckets from Home Depot… less than half the price.  You don’t need the tops and they will be covered by panda film around the sides and the bucket top/6″ net cup painted white on the top, so the dark color matters not.  They appear to have more rubber and less of the cheap brittle plastic in them- so they should last many more years.

Last but not least.. I learned I love this form of gardening.  Though I will still grow my peas, basil, tomatoes, radishes, swiss chard etc. in the soil, in containers in the front yard, next year… I will grow everything I grew hydroponically this year (and probably more) on the deck again in 2015.

I think the rest of what I learned is in the short video wrap-up below. For you gardeners out there- I hope to see you back here with posts and videos of my inside seed starting in the spring of 2015.

Enjoy!             Rebecca

The five gallon Kratky method hydroponic buckets and one 10 gallon bin are still producing good produce.  Here in West Virginia, we can have frosts as early as Sept 30th.  Tomorrow night we go  down into the high 30’s at night (but in the 70’s daytime), so I I’ll have to protect the eggplants and the pepper and the cuke for each night, in the hopes of keeping them going until the weather gets warmer again in a week.

As you can see, the eggplants are of harvesting size (and went with tomatoes, basil & parsley in a tomato / eggplant  & cheese (one crust) pie last night).

The H-19 cucumber has produced cukes of  anywhere from pickling size to these huge ones- for cucumber salad.  I found the skin a tiny bit thick at this large size, so I’ve been peeling these, (unnecessary if picked smaller).  (My fingers are stained from dehydrating plums and peaches this week).

The Boris sweet peppers are doing great- large & small go into everything- eggs, chili, etc. 

I should comment again, that these 3 plants are taking additional water at least once a week (nutrient solution).  The cuke in the 10 gallon bin and the eggplants and pepper in the five gallon buckets all take the same 2 gallons of nutrient solution each week.  Unfortunately, they have all had bouts of running dry  completely down to the bottom of the container.  Obviously this has taken a toll on the plants….. but bless their hearts- they keep producing.

H-19 Little Leaf Cucumber Sept 22, 2014 still juicy & firm, even at this size.

H-19 Little Leaf Cucumber in a 10 gallon bin / tote

Hansel Eggplant Sept 22, 2014.  I believe the spotted leaves could be a result of running out of nutrient solution or the PH, which changes in the nutrient solution, might also be way off at this point- too acidic or too alkaline. Then there is the possibility of a virus, as a result of the explosion of new stink bugs and the crud they carry in their bites.

Hansel Eggplant, loaded with eggplants of all sizes

Hansel eggplant Sept 22, 2014

Gretel Eggplant Sept 22, 2014, still smaller than Hansel, but producing many eggplants

Boris pepper Sept 22, 2014.   The foam is just helping hold up the plant against the round tomato cage’s legs, that go through holes drilled in the bucket net cup rim cover.