How to Make a Cheap Hydroponics System

Overview

Hydroponic systems are a way to grow plants without the need for soil. In a hydroponic system, plants receive their food through a liquid nutrient solution that runs over their roots. Hydroponics have several advantages over traditional growing methods: less space is required, equipment can be cheap or recycled and the grower has total control over what nutrients the plant receives. A cheap hydroponic system can be built with recycled material around the home.

Building your system

Step 1

Cut off the top of the soda bottle just below where the bottle stops curving. Invert the top part of the bottle and cover the cut edges with duct tape.

Step 2

Poke a hole into the cap of the soda bottle and feed your piece of string through it.

Step 3

Fill the top portion of the bottle with perlite, twisting the string so that it lies in a spiral throughout the growing medium.

Step 4

Fill the bottom portion of the soda bottle with the nutrient solution required for your specific plant.

Step 5

Put your seed or plant into the perlite solution in the top portion of the soda bottle and wet the perlite with a small amount of nutrient solution.

Step 6

Place the inverted top of the soda bottle onto the bottom portion of the soda bottle so that the wick dips into the nutrient solution. As the plant requires sustenance, it will draw the solution up through the wick.