Easy DIY D.W.C. Aeroponic Hybrid Hydroponic Setup under $30
This Video is from the Youtube channel: “Growing Answers”.
QG LED Light Strips –
Aeroponic Watermelon – 96 watts
Aeration vs No Aeration –
Air-stone vs Aeroponics –
This video is to show a cheap alternative way make an inexpensive and simple hydroponic setup. It is by no means the best way, but it works and will cause less evaporation of the solution compared to using an airstone. This helps keep the TDS and PH of the solution more stable while keeping the water oxygenated and keeping the roots in the air, moist so that the roots do not air prune themselves
Excellent video. I love aero!! Hope your well. 😊
thats not aeroponics.. thats deep water culture.. NFT would be closer to aero then this and NFT is still not aero.. also use a plug and a drill dude , burning vinyl tubing is terrible
very creative. looks nice too (5:30). i hate airstones, so i may try something similar. thanks for sharing!
Simply brilliant.
Good show !
Hey there, how are the watermelons doing? I’m anxious to see how they turn out because I would really like to grow my own cantaloupes. The ones that I buy at the store are hit or miss. I end up throwing out half of them because they taste weird…really weird…it reminds me of the way nail polish remover smells. Thank you.
Penelope Carr videos are in process. And cantaloupes usually have that taste. It’s not from any chemical ferts or pesticides. You can grow them to be better than store bought (sweeter). But that taste you describe would still be there.
Update: I have been buying tuscan heirloom cantaloupes; the ones with the indentation lines that look like football stitching…I haven’t had any with that nail polish remover taste. I don’t know if it’s the grower or the ripeness, but I wanted to share that I’ve been enjoying these a lot more than the standard cantaloupe variety. They are a little more expensive to buy, but I’m actually eating them compared to how I was throwing out the standard variety because they tasted bad pretty consistently. So, in case you’re interested, I recommend the heirloom variety for growing or buying.
This is simply brilliant! Wow. I would not have thought of that. I’m going to try this over the weekend. Thanks.
Good video!! can you do more on nutrients for newbe’s
What do you suggest to keep the roots out of the pump?
I really enjoy watching your videos because you take a more scientific approach to making decisions. DWC or Krantky? Well, let’s test and see the difference? White or blurple LEDs? Well, let’s test and see. So after watching lots of different hydroponics channels, I came to you to decide how to set up my first system. However, I’m concerned that (unless I’ve missed a crucial video), there are certain things you don’t consider. Specifically, what materials–especially plastics–are safe to use around plants we’ll be eating? From my preliminary research, PVC piping and vinyl tubing are not things you want your food exposed to. There are other food safe plastics: HDPE (high-density polyethylene) and PP (polypropylene) are both widely available and considered safe for food. Most plastic tubs/bins/boxes sold at Walmart are made out of PP (recycle number 5). It’s pretty easy to find HDPE tubing.
What do you think on the food safe plastics front?
https://www.acplasticsinc.com/informationcenter/r/fda-approved-plastics-for-food-contact
first last food safe is mainly referencing food being in direct contact. Plastic containers used to grow plants whether hydro or soil, are not food grade or food safe. Technically you could call “earth” not food safe. Yet plants are grown in the dirt all the time. And also there is consideration for how much exposure you have to chemicals. Plenty of deadly compounds can and are processed by our bodies all the time. The only thing that makes the difference between safe and deadly is quantity and time exposed. It’s like saying eating apples will kill you because the seeds have arsenic in them. Or even cherries.
I’ve thought about your response for a while. Certainly there’s it’s got to be right: not everything that touches our plants has to be something we would ingest. Certainly worms, dirt, and even nutrient water isn’t something we would choose to take in. But as your response indicates, the crucial matter is in the details.
So I tried to learn more about the specific plastics I’m concerned about (and what the alternatives would be). Most of what I found indicated that polyethylene (PE) or (polypropylene, possibly worse) are probably ok, but it’s better to avoid pvc (which a lot of hydroponics people use for both tubing and containers (like those large pipe setups).
https://www.maximumyield.com/food-grade-vs-food-safe-what-gardeners-need-to-know/2/3444
If your main concern is with PVC, you can generally avoid it by choosing polyethylene (PE) or (polypropylene, possibly worse). Is it worth the extra trouble to avoid PVC? I think it is hard to be sure, but certainly if there are children or pregnant women involved it might be better to avoid it since they both tend to be effected by much smaller amounts. Also, research tends to show that all of us are consuming a fair amount of different plastics whether we like it or not these days. As taking in an increasing amount of plastic may be impossible to avoid, we may want to limit our exposure when we can–especially from the worst kinds (and PVC appears to be high on the list of ones to avoid). The research available indicates that it does tend to be taken up by organisms and it is harmful to people.
https://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2016/07/today-s-secret-ingredient-traces-toxic-plastic-chemicals
https://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2007/10/caution-these-seven-household-items-may-feminize-baby-boys
I think EWG is a pretty reliable organization. But here are some research journals with findings:
https://content.sciendo.com/view/journals/eces/23/2/article-p347.xml
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26090545
It also appears that some PVC is worse than others:
https://www.ecocenter.org/healthy-stuff/new-study-rates-best-and-worst-garden-hoses-lead-phthalates-hazardous-flame-retardants-garden-hoses
Anyway, most of the time, I just take ignoring these issues as standard for the youtube community or the general public. A lot of people just don’t want to accept that there are serious potential dangers, and it’s worth digging to do their own research for anything they’re going to use in the long term. I think for most people it is confusing and they don’t see a way out, so they convince themselves that it’s safe to ignore. I frequently hear people say, “Well, I’ve been using x for 5 years, and I’m fine.” But that is very bad reasoning.
I’ve been drawn to your approach more than others because you tend to fight the simple-minded acceptance of what most people think (or accept as common sense). You don’t assume blurple lights are better or that DWC is better than Kratky or RO water is better, or anything else, you want to test it. With plastics, the results are hard to track, so we can’t do a simple two plant experiment to find the answer. But what I’ve learned suggests it’s worth playing it safe. We won’t avoid all bad plastics, but we can lower our exposure to the worst. And that’s a lot like buying fewer tickets to a lottery we don’t want to win.
Might it be worth switching out your pvc for polyethylene? (And for buckets, reservoirs, etc. it is easy to find HDPE, which appears pretty safe.)
Simple but works that’s what it’s all about
This seems like such a great idea. I have watched it a number of times and bought the stuff to set one up this weekend. I have seen other videos since where you are actually using it. That is a great recommendation. Have you thought of improvements or changes you would make now that you have used it a couple years?
Awesome video man. How much would be too much pressure coming from the pump?
This would be perfect for a greenhouse/hothouse where you cant put an air pump in due to humidity or spray systems
I’d rather focus on electrical safety rather the air. Great content, as always.
This method is ingenius!!! It is so much less expensive than pvc and so much easier. Thank you, Thank you. Thank you!!!
Kinda janky, but i guess if its all you have access to. You can pick up a sprayer manifold for the pump and the nozzles for like 10 to 15 bucks. These systems are better suited for cloning rather than just a straight up up DWC grow.
This is very clever! Can a soaker hose like is used in air diffusers be used also, or are the holes too small to eject enough water?
You would need a much stronger pump
Perfect idea many thanks for sharing❤️🙏🏼
Does this method add oxygen to the water well or should I pair with an airstone?
Just want to say, “THANKS”. I made two of these in 6 gal totes and put in strawberries under lights; it’s all working great.
Have you done one of Aeration vs Wicking ??? Very informative everything that you have done. Good for you young man…