Last year, around this time, I decided I could use a bit of green in my life. I had contemplated building a small indoor pond, which didn't get far past the drawing board because of its size and complexity. I attempted to grow a few aquatic plants in my aquarium, which also failed due to some hungry fish damage. Growing plants outside and in pots is a bit difficult for a student that moves from apartment to apartment every year. I finally settled on building a hydroponic garden.

Hydroponic systems were the low maintenance, no mess, small space answer to growing plants that I was searching for all along. Best of all, I could build the entire thing in a few afternoons with very little cost. So far I've been very happy with the garden and I figured I should share the design with the rest of the world. I'm breaking this project into several posts, so be sure to check back over the next week or so for the whole story.


Let's start with an overview of the garden and the required parts.

Necessary Tools:

• rotary tool with side cutting bit and sander
• safety glasses
• razor blade
• pencil

Parts and Materials List:
 (I'm not promoting the purchase of these items from any particular business, links are provided for product information and convenience, do some shopping and find better deals!)

• 1 - 18 gallon plastic tote (various colors/sizes/shapes)
• 1 - 250GPH Submersible pump (higher flow rates also work)
• 1 - 1/2" hose barb to 1/2" male threaded connector
• 1- Hydroport 8 port drip manifold 
• 5 - Drip heads (experiment with different heads)
• 2.5ft - 1/2" OD vinyl tubing
• 8ft - 1/4" silicone tubing (you can find better colors)
• 5 - 5" diameter net pots
• 10 L - Hydrotron 8-16mm expanded clay
• 2 - 5500K, 27 Watt, n:vision CFL Bulbs
• 2 - 10 1/2" Clamp Lights
  
• 1 bag - Rockwool Starter Cubes (if you can find something in a smaller quantity, use that)
  
• 1 bottle - Flora Nova Grow
• 1 bottle - Flora Nova Bloom
• 1 - Timer System (I built a custom timer)
• 1 - Package of Seeds (pay attention to the growing conditions)
  

Wow that's a long list! Lets get started.


The lid of the tote is where all of the work needs to be done, so lets begin with that.  When you choose your tote, pick a size that lets you accommodate the size and number of net pots that you want to use.  The bigger the pot, the larger the plant you can accommodate.  I chose to use five 5" pots on a 18 gallon tote.  Whatever you use, be sure to space them far enough apart on the tote lid that enough plastic remains to support them.


Place the pots upside down on the tote lid and trace their outlines.  DO NOT cut on this line!  Draw another circle about 3/8" inside the outline of the pots, cut out this inner circle with your rotary tool and side cutting bit.  Test fit a pot and take a look at how far down it sits in the hole, some pots have a larger diameter rim on the top that should rest on the tote lid, otherwise leave about 3/4" of the pot above the lid.  Sand down the edges of the cuts for a clean, tight fitting finish.


Next, choose a spot on the lid for the watering manifold to sit.  I placed it behind my center pot.  Trace the 1/2" barb connector's threaded end on the lid and cut a hole just smaller than the outline.  Test fit the connector and slowly enlarge the hole with a sanding tool until the connector screws in tightly. Attach the manifold to the threaded end of the connector and the 1/2" tubing to the other.  Connect the other end of the tubing to the pump.


Assemble the garden by placing the pump in the tote, letting the cord run over the back.  Tie a loose knot in the pump cord where it touches the floor behind the garden, this will prevent water from running along the cord to an outlet in case of a leak.  Fill the pots with well rinsed expanded clay and place them in the lid.  Snap on the lid and admire.

Before you can start using the garden, you'll need a dependable timer to control the pump and lights.  Plants need a period of dark as well as light so you can't leave your lights on 24/7.  If you choose you can control the lights with a simple light timer found at Ikea or Wal-Mart.  The pump is a different beast, depending on the type of plants you are growing the pump will need to be on for a short length of time every half hour or so.  I haven't found a simple solution to this on store shelves and pump controllers for high end hydroponics are expensive for their simplicity.  I'll be going over my custom timer design in the upcoming posts.  Also stay tuned for light mounting options and accessories.