I have a beautiful eggplant and some tomatoes growing in nutrient only, Kratky style. Outside, I find it helpful to bury the bucket at least half way to moderate water temperature &, stabilize bigger plants. Also cover any area where sunlight seeps thru the bucket to grow algae. For the past several years, during the fall/winter, I also grow in a spare bedroom using inexpensive LED lights. Great hobby!
Are you able to include information on the nutrient/water and light requirements for different plants? This is a great overview of the method, however, I think a tutorial should include enough information for a person to be able to actually set up their own Kratky method hydroponics. Thanks!
I just can't rap my head around this. How dose it not rot without the air stones? And wouldn't the EC spike threw the roof once most of the water is gone?
I was able to grow 3 Thai basil plants basically for free! Ordered some take out pho Used the soup containers as the reservoir and added a second container on top. There’s about a 2” air gap Drilled holes in the one on top Covered the bottom one with aluminum foil Shaved off some of the stem and stuck it in some rock wool Bought plant food concentrate and use an old OJ bottle Fill up the reservoir every 5 days They’ve been growing strong for 6mo
I would like advice on what to do with plants that move to the cold for the winter, stop watering,....they should have their own winter biorhythm. I am in Europe where the plants are allowed to "rest" for the winter. What should I do if I convert them to hydroponics?
What I'd like to know is how you keep ph correct? I have basically same set up and ph water every time and check it 3 days later and it's up over 7 ph?
Does anyone in here use Click & Grow/Aerogarden? Would you mind if I ask if it is much easier for you to grow vegetables with these setups or it works just fine? A comparison between cost of buying these setups vs cost of setting a DIY setup? Also, does growing your plants at home really cheaper than buying the vegs in stores, including the plant pots, power for the lights and water usage? Lastly, does using Click & Grow/Aerogarden easier/less labor/less things to take care of than setting up your own hydroponics setup?
Your Amazon nutrients link isn't available. Can you please identify the exact nutrient products needed? I will go directly to General Hydroponics to order. Thank you!
excuse me, will these hydroponic fertilizer feed vegetables be poison? i tried this method and ate the lettuce grew but caused vomiting and badly sick, almost went to hospital for that. i think i got the fertilizer poisoned. makes me scare to use fertilizer any for fruit growing. but from your video and other related video, everyone is doing fine. and this method seems no problem to grow food for consumption. so how was that happened? the brand i used is called
I'm just a beginner, I want to grow organic herbs like mint, basil....the nutrients(organic?) look scary because of the colors. How do I know this is even good for me? Is there another 'organic' alternative?
So I been looking for something to do in gardening for a long time. I live in the city of chicago and have a small backyard with limited space. I was wondering about how this would work for me. Can I sit this baby out in spring / summer only.. Are there ways to do this in house during cold months? I am literally trying to do basic stuff at home.
im in a pretty similar situation, and i have tried it but from what ive gathered from other people, you should be able to bring them indoors as long as temperature stays appropriate, and id assume that there isnt ample sunlight indoors during the winter for you, so you could get a grow light for the plants!! i know they sell grow lightbulbs for decently cheap
Chase, this information should be generally available from the nutrient manufacturer for various types of plants, follow their recommendations, then start a hydroponic garden and practice careful personal observation as there is no replacement for hands on learning and experience.
I have the nutrients you recommended but I am unsure if you what you would add? Big bloom or grow etc. Please any advice on the right nutrients to make it work would be great. thanks
You need nutrient water. I use AB mix mixed with regular water (sink & etc) make sure that there's no algae already growing in the water (if it's slippy in a surface or green that means it's growing) in order to prevent groving use opaque container and check and clean regularly (check each week for algae)
Hi tyres it for the first few weeks my vegg grows well but when it starts to push flower buds the plant go's back ward's the leaves turn yellow and do not know wether short of nutriants or to much nutrients is there any thing to test for this.
My kratky jars are not as successful as growing in the IDOO system. The only difference is the light. I don’t have a suitable window, so I bought a blue/red light. Can you recommend a better light for a small setup. Is it better to use a white light along with the red and blue? I am in Australia. Thanks.
We have used the Kratky method to grow vegetables through 2 seasons and the yield is amazing compared with soil grown seedlings grown at the same time.
Check every few days, if the level has dropped add back the amount lost to evaporation and plant usage. Some Kratky containers have buoys that give you a sight indicator of when to add or top off your nutrient/h20 levels. Happy growing!
I've eliminated algae problems by taping insulation around the buckets which also keeps the water cooler. And I don't let the sun in so it stays dark. I've actually just tested this & found those that had those parameters had none. The others that didn't had bad algae problems. I also drilled a half inch hole in the sides of the buckets at the top level the water should be at so the plants don't drown & get air then too. So if it rains, it never fills the bucket up above that hole. And I just turn the bucket away from the sun. My plants were healthier from this. Hope this helps?
Do you have any pics? What type of insulation? this year if the first time I have tried this method, and have bad algae problems. I have tried to paint the pails, put black ground cloth around the pails, but don't know what to do with the algae on the roots. Any suggestions? Thanks!
@@earlschultz7880 They most likely are referring to denim insulation. Though i would recommend you try a algae eliminator. As insulation is designed for homes businesses air ducts and walls etc. Not a great solution to a algae problem. That needs phosphorous and nitrogen levels taken down by a preferably eco friendly algae solution like this www.biosafe.net/shop/pond-care/greenclean-granular-algaecide/
Leaving the container outside with the heat, water will evaporate over time. The question is, do the nutrients evaporate as well or will the solution become more concentrated? When it becomes low do you top it off with fresh solution or just water?
I don't understand how the plants get nutrients throughout it's lifecycle? If you put too much, wouldn't it hurt the plant? Or too little it won't grow?
You can run into issues if your reservoir ph isn’t balanced. Plant roots are only able to absorb nutrients within a specific ph range. All hydroponic nutrients will come with dosing and mixing instructions on the bottles. Follow them and you’ll be fine.
What keeps the roots from rotting is oxygen. As the root tips touching the water are soaking up water and nutrients, aerial roots are also developed within the root system that are taking in oxygen within the space between the water reservoir and the net pot.
If you don't use a food-grade bucket won't plants absorb funky chemicals? Is it expensive to get a drill bit to drill into these plastic bucket lids? Can you rent such a drill bit? or...? I'm clearly a beginner. Thank you for your clarity in this video.👍🏽
Do you have to adjust the PH when growing with this method after the set-up? Because my res goes from 5.5PH to 7PH within 2 days and it affects the lettuce...
Dear all.. can we grow 3-4 different veges in same big container using kratky method using same nutrient solution? Say like tomato, lettuce and chillies? Kindly guide.
best if similar, all related plants like tomato, chile, and eggplant will be good because they all like strong nutrient and have long life, cucumber may also work with these if nutrient is diluted just a little. Lettuce prefer weak nutrient and have short life.
Epic Gardening I'm gonna do peat pucks and clay pebbles for now, and maybe pebbles at the bottom and coir on top later on. I have started 5 yellow peppers and five yellow pointy peppers as we speak, need to get more containers before they sprout though. ☺️
Yessir!! Add water/nutrients to top up the reservoir as your plant needs it. Make sure to always leave about 10% of the roots exposed to air though and you’ll be good!
But why the pvc pipe system need to use the pump to run the water. If I use 4" x 8' pvc pipe with 10 plants by using kartky method should be ok , right!! Because I don't want to hear water pump running all night when I was sleep. Thx
rockin roadways The only problem might be that the water does not have a long height to reduce due to transpiration, meaning that the water levels will essentially drop too fast, and you may need to refill the pipe a few times. To put it simply, the pipe is quite a shallow container, and so less water can be stored in it.
I do some classes for school kids and Boys and Girls Club - I would like to snip a couple of photos and graphics for use in these classes. Do I have permission?
Is it a czech or some slavic method? Krátky means short in Slovák and Czech and since its based on water evaporating over time i can only guess it might be related 🤔
thanks
Could you use this method to establish a perennial and then transplant it? Or would the roots be too weak to survive in soil?
Merci from Montreal, Canada.
I'm wondering what's the updated techniques for spring 2025?
Love ❤
I have a beautiful eggplant and some tomatoes growing in nutrient only, Kratky style. Outside, I find it helpful to bury the bucket at least half way to moderate water temperature &, stabilize bigger plants. Also cover any area where sunlight seeps thru the bucket to grow algae. For the past several years, during the fall/winter, I also grow in a spare bedroom using inexpensive LED lights. Great hobby!
Thanks Kevin!
Hi, pls tell how you control level of water in the step two?
Thank you so much for sharing this info!
Put a few drops of Colloidal Silver in the water to keep algae from forming.
Why not start with flowering plants? Would the nutrients need to be changed?
Thank you 😊
Thank you very much.
What's about TDS and PH of water? How to maintain it through entire process?
Thank you so much!
Surely it's beneficial to add an air stone to the nutrient reservoir.
Where do you buy the nutuents? Can u make your own? ❤ aloha from big island 🏝️
Can tomatoes be grown uusing this mthod?
Are you able to include information on the nutrient/water and light requirements for different plants? This is a great overview of the method, however, I think a tutorial should include enough information for a person to be able to actually set up their own Kratky method hydroponics. Thanks!
Hi. Your link for the hydroponic nutrients is out of date. What nutrients do you use?
Why would you not recommend Kratky to beginners for plants that flower?
I just can't rap my head around this. How dose it not rot without the air stones? And wouldn't the EC spike threw the roof once most of the water is gone?
Do it and see.
Is this same solution with yamasaki,, same din po ba yung pag gaawa ng solution
I was able to grow 3 Thai basil plants basically for free!
Ordered some take out pho
Used the soup containers as the reservoir and added a second container on top. There’s about a 2” air gap
Drilled holes in the one on top
Covered the bottom one with aluminum foil
Shaved off some of the stem and stuck it in some rock wool
Bought plant food concentrate and use an old OJ bottle
Fill up the reservoir every 5 days
They’ve been growing strong for 6mo
This is peak Vietnamese tech, and I absolutely love it. Gonna give it a try!
So glad to see that I'm not the only one that grows basil plants from my pho. 🤣
Kratky is a stupid word, whatever it meams, just stupid.
im growing it in yogurt containers. i put basil in everything.
What the Pho
How does it grow with no light ?
I have covered Mason jars with seedlings on a bay window, so I still need grow lights?
Pretty cool, but how about natural (homemade) nutrients? do exist?
Thanks for the awesome video Eric!
Great! I've subscribed. Thank you.
I would be very cautious about which buckets you use, some of the containers people use to grow what their family is going to eat make me cringe.
I would like advice on what to do with plants that move to the cold for the winter, stop watering,....they should have their own winter biorhythm. I am in Europe where the plants are allowed to "rest" for the winter. What should I do if I convert them to hydroponics?
What are the nutrients you keep talking about?
How do I know what plants will grow hydroponically?
What I'd like to know is how you keep ph correct? I have basically same set up and ph water every time and check it 3 days later and it's up over 7 ph?
Are net pots really necessary? Can we just use glass bottle with thin neck and either let plant hang or fix it in place?
That will work fine. A net cup allows you to better cover the hole and stop light from getting into your reservoir though
Won't it get nutrient lock? How can you put all the nutrients at once
Just starting out. Glad I found you. Great info for beginners
Do these work for broccoli? 🌲
what if i wanted to use pumps?
is this more like areoponics?
Hello.Are you still active?
Does anyone in here use Click & Grow/Aerogarden? Would you mind if I ask if it is much easier for you to grow vegetables with these setups or it works just fine? A comparison between cost of buying these setups vs cost of setting a DIY setup? Also, does growing your plants at home really cheaper than buying the vegs in stores, including the plant pots, power for the lights and water usage? Lastly, does using Click & Grow/Aerogarden easier/less labor/less things to take care of than setting up your own hydroponics setup?
will it work for canabis
THANKS MAN WORKS GREAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lettuce does flower
Your Amazon nutrients link isn't available. Can you please identify the exact nutrient products needed? I will go directly to General Hydroponics to order. Thank you!
How does this keep stagnation and bacteria from forming though?
excuse me, will these hydroponic fertilizer feed vegetables be poison? i tried this method and ate the lettuce grew but caused vomiting and badly sick, almost went to hospital for that. i think i got the fertilizer poisoned. makes me scare to use fertilizer any for fruit growing. but from your video and other related video, everyone is doing fine. and this method seems no problem to grow food for consumption. so how was that happened? the brand i used is called
Perfect timing!
I have read some where that EC & pH has to be monitored periodically. How could we say it practically hands free!??
Dude this video is 7 years old?? Wow
I'm just a beginner, I want to grow organic herbs like mint, basil....the nutrients(organic?) look scary because of the colors. How do I know this is even good for me? Is there another 'organic' alternative?
So I been looking for something to do in gardening for a long time. I live in the city of chicago and have a small backyard with limited space. I was wondering about how this would work for me. Can I sit this baby out in spring / summer only.. Are there ways to do this in house during cold months? I am literally trying to do basic stuff at home.
im in a pretty similar situation, and i have tried it but from what ive gathered from other people, you should be able to bring them indoors as long as temperature stays appropriate, and id assume that there isnt ample sunlight indoors during the winter for you, so you could get a grow light for the plants!! i know they sell grow lightbulbs for decently cheap
Are there different sized Net Pots? Say for example you were going to grow in the Home Depot buckets.
It's almost as simple as planting in soil.
Lol
How do you find out what a plant needs (& their amounts) over 30 days ?
Chase, this information should be generally available from the nutrient manufacturer for various types of plants, follow their recommendations, then start a hydroponic garden and practice careful personal observation as there is no replacement for hands on learning and experience.
finally someone who actually explains the idea!
Can you root tree cuttings like this?
Yes weed .... Nice !
How do I figure out how much nutrient and how much water I need for a given plant?
@marks4999 Most helpful comment on this post. THANK YOU!🌱🌿
can you grow other food other than lettuce with this system ?
Cannabis works. Or so I'm told.
I have the nutrients you recommended but I am unsure if you what you would add? Big bloom or grow etc. Please any advice on the right nutrients to make it work would be great. thanks
Go on walmart and search masterblend.
Get the combo kit
How does the Rockwell work from seedling? I don't understand if I have to keep the tank full to keep the rockwell wet or if it will obsorb the water?
The Amazon link on your website no longer works for the nutrients.
is this ThatChemist?
Does kratky method need to be sterile? Can I use pond water or will the microbes be a problem?
You need nutrient water. I use AB mix mixed with regular water (sink & etc) make sure that there's no algae already growing in the water (if it's slippy in a surface or green that means it's growing) in order to prevent groving use opaque container and check and clean regularly (check each week for algae)
Also block sunlight from going thru the container
The best gardening videos on the web.
Hi tyres it for the first few weeks my vegg grows well but when it starts to push flower buds the plant go's back ward's the leaves turn yellow and do not know wether short of nutriants or to much nutrients is there any thing to test for this.
Can you grow spuds with this method, I'm just starting out so any help would be greatly appreciated. 🇮🇪
No, they need to be planted in the dark, hence below the soil level.
Is there any way to do this organically as well like are there even water soluble organic fertilizer?
Short answer: no.
Kevin, Thanks this is exciting for me Than k you fort all the valuable info.
Does it matter if the barrel is in full sun? or does it need to be in shade?
My kratky jars are not as successful as growing in the IDOO system. The only difference is the light. I don’t have a suitable window, so I bought a blue/red light. Can you recommend a better light for a small setup. Is it better to use a white light along with the red and blue? I am in Australia. Thanks.
We have used the Kratky method to grow vegetables through 2 seasons and the yield is amazing compared with soil grown seedlings grown at the same time.
how often do you change then water or theres no need?
My question too
I have to leave for a week and I'm going to grow lettuce this way while I'm gone.
What brand is nutrients do you use? Or what kind of nutrients go into the water? How often?
Check every few days, if the level has dropped add back the amount lost to evaporation and plant usage. Some Kratky containers have buoys that give you a sight indicator of when to add or top off your nutrient/h20 levels. Happy growing!
I've eliminated algae problems by taping insulation around the buckets which also keeps the water cooler. And I don't let the sun in so it stays dark. I've actually just tested this & found those that had those parameters had none. The others that didn't had bad algae problems. I also drilled a half inch hole in the sides of the buckets at the top level the water should be at so the plants don't drown & get air then too. So if it rains, it never fills the bucket up above that hole. And I just turn the bucket away from the sun. My plants were healthier from this. Hope this helps?
Very helpful, thanks for sharing that with everyone!
Without sunlight getting to plants photosynthesis can not happen. And they eventually can not survive without any sunlight and die
Do you have any pics? What type of insulation? this year if the first time I have tried this method, and have bad algae problems. I have tried to paint the pails, put black ground cloth around the pails, but don't know what to do with the algae on the roots. Any suggestions? Thanks!
@@earlschultz7880 They most likely are referring to denim insulation. Though i would recommend you try a algae eliminator. As insulation is designed for homes businesses air ducts and walls etc. Not a great solution to a algae problem. That needs phosphorous and nitrogen levels taken down by a preferably eco friendly algae solution like this www.biosafe.net/shop/pond-care/greenclean-granular-algaecide/
The drain hole is an awesome idea for outdoor growing, though I don't understand how they could be in the dark but still impacted by rainfall.
What specs of LED lights do I need to grow indoors?
So for this method,do I need to adjust the water ph?
What if i live in a warm climate and the water evaporate so fast? is there a way around that, or it does not work in warm climate ?
add more water
Is it possible to combine hydroponic and aerobonic?
Yup, totally! You would just need emitters that sprayed your nutrient solution at the roots
Leaving the container outside with the heat, water will evaporate over time. The question is, do the nutrients evaporate as well or will the solution become more concentrated? When it becomes low do you top it off with fresh solution or just water?
Did you find your answer?
The answer to this is the use of an ec/ppm meter to check your nutrient concentrations. Happy growing!
I don't understand how the plants get nutrients throughout it's lifecycle? If you put too much, wouldn't it hurt the plant? Or too little it won't grow?
You can run into issues if your reservoir ph isn’t balanced. Plant roots are only able to absorb nutrients within a specific ph range. All hydroponic nutrients will come with dosing and mixing instructions on the bottles. Follow them and you’ll be fine.
Wouldn’t the nutrient solution get too concentrated as the water levels drops?? Like your PPM would go through the roof. And then there’s the pH!
Ah, but the plants are also feeding off of the solution as they grow :)
So.... what keeps the roots from rotting?
What keeps the roots from rotting is oxygen. As the root tips touching the water are soaking up water and nutrients, aerial roots are also developed within the root system that are taking in oxygen within the space between the water reservoir and the net pot.
I have had such great results using the Kratky method...Great Video!!!!!!
If you don't use a food-grade bucket won't plants absorb funky chemicals? Is it expensive to get a drill bit to drill into these plastic bucket lids? Can you rent such a drill bit? or...? I'm clearly a beginner. Thank you for your clarity in this video.👍🏽
The circle drill bit is anywhere from $6-12 depending on where you get it. As for the plastic, really not a concern for this style of gardening
Do you have to adjust the PH when growing with this method after the set-up? Because my res goes from 5.5PH to 7PH within 2 days and it affects the lettuce...
Add your nutrients to water and pre dissolve them entirely before adjusting your PH
Is the plant gonna be OK during the early period cause the pot will be sinking inside the water. The media will be soaking wet. Thanks
I keep the pot slightly above the water surface. I have another video on it if you're curious
@@epicgardening Thanks
Dear all.. can we grow 3-4 different veges in same big container using kratky method using same nutrient solution? Say like tomato, lettuce and chillies? Kindly guide.
best if similar, all related plants like tomato, chile, and eggplant will be good because they all like strong nutrient and have long life, cucumber may also work with these if nutrient is diluted just a little.
Lettuce prefer weak nutrient and have short life.
Would this work with a medium like coco coir? Maybe with some perlite vermiculite mixed in.
Yes, but I would recommend perlite as you said. Also assuming it'd be in a net pot or holder of some kind and not constantly saturated
Epic Gardening I'm gonna do peat pucks and clay pebbles for now, and maybe pebbles at the bottom and coir on top later on. I have started 5 yellow peppers and five yellow pointy peppers as we speak, need to get more containers before they sprout though. ☺️
Epic Gardening and I also need to order some proper nutrients, looks like I'm gonna go with plant magic DWC nutrients.
Fantastic. Best of luck!
Hi.. No clay pebble or coco pits or rock as media in this systeme please??
Question, can you refill the tank if your plant is like tomato or eggplant?
Yessir!! Add water/nutrients to top up the reservoir as your plant needs it. Make sure to always leave about 10% of the roots exposed to air though and you’ll be good!
But why the pvc pipe system need to use the pump to run the water. If I use 4" x 8' pvc pipe with 10 plants by using kartky method should be ok , right!! Because I don't want to hear water pump running all night when I was sleep. Thx
rockin roadways The only problem might be that the water does not have a long height to reduce due to transpiration, meaning that the water levels will essentially drop too fast, and you may need to refill the pipe a few times.
To put it simply, the pipe is quite a shallow container, and so less water can be stored in it.
Learn more at
facebook.com/groups/KratkyHydroponics/
mewe.com/join/kratkyhydroponics
Would this work outdoor in Africa on the equator, where the temps are around 40 degrees Celsius and above
Eddie Yammine probably need some sort of slightly shaded net
@@staticjordan42374 Thanks great idea, I'm also going to bury the buckets to keep the water cool
Results of aeration with Kratky: ua-cam.com/video/JxubRTALUR8/v-deo.html
I do some classes for school kids and Boys and Girls Club - I would like to snip a couple of photos and graphics for use in these classes. Do I have permission?
interesting where I find the video x the nutrients? thanks
Is it a czech or some slavic method? Krátky means short in Slovák and Czech and since its based on water evaporating over time i can only guess it might be related 🤔
@Maroshito. Kratky is the name of the professor in Hawaii who taught his students this method.
Thank you for the Kratky basics. I've subscribed and would lime to kniw more. Thanks!