They Said It Couldn't Be Done, Cheap & Easy Hydroponic Tomatoes

[@danielthornton3965]

I’m a school teacher at an urban school in a neighborhood that is riddled with poverty. I was looking for a solution to getting my students healthy food in a cheap way and help them learn sustainability. This is the perfect method. Living in Corpus Christi Texas allows us to grow for a long period of time. Thanks for creating this channel. I will use your videos as my teaching platform.

[@Wisdomseeker_777]

Howdy neighbor, Sinton here. This is wonderful. I went to a school many moons ago that taught us to grow veggies, each class had their own small patch in a garden on the school's grounds. We grew radishes and carrots. I know your students will love this. Bravo. Be well.

[@JOSEPH-vs2gc]

what i find strange is how you could see empty roofs everywhere you go on the planet, and nobody bothered to think: "hey, thats a great place to grow plants".

[@JOSEPH-vs2gc]

​@@Amandahugginkizz Point is, they can build that way if they wanted to, they just never figured they needed to do it. It's an untapped resource for sunlight and empty space. If they built the load bearing capacity into the house it would certainly work.

[@prawnsolo1714]

Here’s a little tip from my wicking bed experiments… drill your nutrient monitoring hole lower, where you want to maintain your level and fill until it starts to come out the monitoring hole. Your fingers will thank you. 😊

[@aftersum1995]

I appreciate that you’re not telling everyone you have to do this or that. That was one thing that peeved me with my online research, KZbinrs were using “you have to…” as click bait and not dispensing proper advice or guidance. I view gardening like cooking or baking. Recipes give you the basics and you add the special things that make it your own. Following everything to a T is boring and uncreative. Thank you for your creativity on the garden.

[@KeepOnGrowin]

Thank you very much! That's what put me off when I wanted to start. I finally just did what I could and decided to share. Have an awesome day and thanks again.

[@icecat8]

For a few pennies, you can fight algae. Throw 3 into the buckets. The copper helps keep algae down and not hurt the plants.

[@hiiipompom]

Thanks! I was wondering how to combat that. Any recommendations on what to use for fertilizer?

[@josephlarsen]

seems like you could put a small hole where you want the level to stay once the plants get big enough. That way you just fill until the water starts to come out the hole

[@SusanRogersMakingItWork4Me]

I was thinking the same thing...

[@bbdoll1234]

1. It will let light in. 2. The needs of the roots change. I'm having to add water twice a day for tomatoes. Too high and you kill it within a couple of hours. Too low and it grows damaged fruit. The only option is giving it twice a day. Initially the bucket is filled to the top

[@urbanfarmacademy]

Exactly what I am thinking

[@urbanfarmacademy]

@@bbdoll1234 you can cover the hole with a noodle of course that can allow water pass through but it won't let light in. Having to water twice a day is making me think the system won't be able to work independently

[@edwarddarst4358]

I Ben doing it for years 😊

[@Tom-x4t]

Your videos are the best. I grew up dirt poor I've been hungry before not the kind of hungry when you miss a meal. The kind when you haven't bite in days. So seeing you teach us how to grow are own food is so great. I'm still poor but not as poor I'm learning from ya videos. I now in the first time of my life have a yard so I'm going to do a garden I'm thinking onions potatoes and tomatoes and I got sprouts going thank to you . I'll never be hungry again

[@hiiipompom]

You can air dry and store your potatoes in a cool dark place in your house, I'd watch a video on how to do that but potatoes and winter squash last several months after bekng picked if stored properly. Don't wash any vegetables that you will store in the fridge. They will last longer. I've had unwashed garden tomatoes be perfectly fine for a couple months before even getting soft. Just brush off any dirt or debris with a dry towel and store them so they can breathe. Same with peppers. Anything that will go bad fast consider freezing, air drying, or pickling it. We grew way too many hot peppers last season and they all came in right at the end. So I picked and washed them cut the tops off, sliced the ones I wanted to freeze, and air dried the others. I know have a some hot red pepper flakes from blending them and I'm also adding some to hummus and artichoke dip. A few dehydrated peppers make plenty of seasoning so you can save on money for that spice too. I hope things keep getting better for you. Every gardening year is different so don't be too hard on yourself and honestly these buckets seem like such a low maintenance way to grow a ton of food. I wish I saw it last year. I had a big garden and it was exhausting weeding all the time.

[@melaisqueen]

I've been growing hydro and in coco for years, always using fancy expensive systems. This is by FAR the easiest and most successful way to grow abundundantly. Thanks for the video!!

[@mistystanton1000]

I'm deeply moved by your message-it truly brought tears to my eyes! I love this approach. Personally, I consider myself a rebellious gardener, learning from others while prioritizing observation over assumption. I'm eager to return to my garden, something I haven't done since Charlie (my husband) passed. He always supported my unconventional gardening techniques, even though his sister, a 'master gardener', thought I was doing it all wrong. But despite that, my patio garden and indoor plants thrived. My method was simple: experiment and observe.

[@KeepOnGrowin]

Thank you! I love that. Rebels are kindred spirits.

[@mistystanton1000]

@ absolutely!

[@mistystanton1000]

@ I started collecting free 5 gallon buckets, so exited to give it a go!🙏

[@teresajohnson3749]

May I suggest placing copper in the buckets for algae control, copper is sold as a liquid fungicide, and 19th century sailing ships kept water and milk safe by tossing in copper or silver coins. Silver was used in 1oz coins for a 50gallon drum and since copper is cheaper than silver ... I would say put your 2 cents in each 5-gallon bucket ... just make sure your "cents" are pre-1964... Or ... just toss a slice of copper rod in each bucket. Thanks for the video, I will set about making a few towers by your very helpful instructions.

[@paulbray3594]

Copper metal

[@paulbray3594]

Be careful adding copper strips to nutrient solutions. Too much copper can cause toxicity symptoms to plant health. If algae is a problem, not that it's present, add an air stone and shield from light.

[@philgeesey1487]

I was thinking the same thing. Would the copper and the plant food be OK together ?

[@patrickregan7163]

Or, use an opaque bucket to prevent the algae growth in the first place

[@prairielivingtwins]

@@teresajohnson3749 I've been putting copper penny's and copper (anything) for awhile it works

[@mornkel2125]

I like your approach: experiment and if it doesn‘t work, try it in a different way. Try and error. I do the same, and as you said: that‘s part of the fun. 😊 Painting white containers: i am too lazy for that, i just put a black garbage bag inside. Advantage: the white color keeps the container cooler and the black plastik blocks light from the nutrient solution. After the grow is finished use the bag for your garbage and take a new bag, this way you can skip cleaning. 😊

[@KeepOnGrowin]

Thank you for the great tip!!You rock!

[@dawnt6791]

I hadn't thought of the black garbage bag inside! That's a great idea! White containers grow algae for me, and black containers draw in too much heat (I'm in southern Arizona). Doing black inside white might just do the trick, though! I'm going to try that.

[@cecilsabourin9462]

Try wrapping the pail with silver bubble wrap ,insulates from heat while deflecting the sun,s rays .

[@MM-ib6qh]

One of the best gardening/growing channels I've come across in a while.

[@KeepOnGrowin]

Thank you very much!

[@bradleybarnhill]

Wow Mike. I’m a traditional grander just starting to look into hydroponics. Your part about “permission to…” was on point. I hate getting stuck in “research mode” and not “doing mode”. I think I’ll start with lettuces and other small leafy greens with this method. Thank you again! Now I’m off to binge watch all your other videos!

[@KeepOnGrowin]

Awesome Bradley! Happy gardening!!! Keep me updated.

[@bradybunch84a]

You are so full of wisdom. I love how you put this video together with what you are narrating and the video content with the birds to indicate peaceful and relaxing. The mud shots and the back ache while hoeing cracked me up. Such a good job putting this video together. You are a fantastic teacher. Thanks for helping us get the courage to do this ourselves. I had no idea that you've been doing this so long. Before amazon and the internet! WOW!

[@KeepOnGrowin]

Thank you Clark! I get bored just doing straight tutorials year after year. Gotta mix it up sometime and have fun. The bird sounds are actually from my yard in the wee hours of the morning before traffic gets started. I tried narrating in the yard but there is a police station, fire station, hospital, mall, major airport, AFB and 2 million landscapers within a few miles of me, lol. Not to mention everyone's AC cycling on every 2 minutes. I am glad you noticed all the extra work that goes into this. Have a great day brother!

[@mangomerle1]

I didn't realize he had come back to the Internet again. So thanks for this video.

[@lamarmarsengill4945]

The most encouraging and inspirational youtuber I've ever seen. Thank you.

[@englishpracticemakesperfect]

Wow, this is brilliant! The method of growing plants without soil, using nutrient-rich water, is not only innovative but also incredibly efficient. Plus it conserves water and allows for year-round cultivation, and more? I'm sold! Thank you so much for this video!

[@truthbetold2611]

Mike, you're blessing to the world. Love your Kratky demos. I have two of your gutter systems. Will plant nutrient dense leafy greens this year.

[@KeepOnGrowin]

Thank you! That's awesome!

[@ahowl7mx]

Best source of 5 gallon food grade buckets - Walmart bakery sells them for $1 each. (Mentioned early in the video). I did like the side holes and stackable strategy. Great DIY garden!

[@hermanhale9258]

I think I saw buckets for seven dollars in the hardware store this year. Thought - well, I am going to have to make the buckets I have last.

[@sonneblom2855]

Just came accross your channel, thank you very much for sharing your knowledge , and being so nice about it, im from SA , most ppl are battling with food prices , thank you for sharing all these wonderful tips, and cheap was to start, I am going to try this bucket tower for tomatos first, ill be back , thanking you again for helping others the Homestead way😊😊🌻

[@Love2Travel817]

You are my favorite gardener ❤

[@carolynmcbride3136]

HALLELUJAH!!!...Now I know what to do with my leftover pvc downspouts!!!!❤I love your easy & cheap & practical approach to hydroponics...I think I can do it...I'm going to try.

[@KeepOnGrowin]

You're going to love it!

[@Geopolitic157]

Mike, you are "down to earth with growing.....in water wisdom". As a new subscriber, that has done lots of Eastern Canadian traditional gardening, with a twist by adding in potted citrus to the fun..... Over winter, I have a grow tent, led lighting, propagations, etc..... and now plunging into hydroponics..... Your work, and teachings are wonderful- Thank you!

[@dawnt6791]

My clear and white containers developed algae. The ones that were other colors, especially darker colors, didn't. I did finally paint my white and clear containers. That stopped the algae issue. To me, the easiest thing is to just get colored containers to start with. Except black. Those, I found I had to paint at least the tops WHITE to prevent them from absorbing ridiculous amounts of heat. It's been an adventure to play with different containers, both indoors and outside, to see what works best for me in my setup.

[@gazzasoloman2562]

Wow - teach the world to feed itself - pure inspiration- wonderful, love it, let’s do it.

[@mslora710]

Thank you for this video, I can't wait to try this!.

[@1turf32]

I thank you for all the hard work you put into you videos. It was such an honor to be able to watch them. Be safe have an awsome weekend.

[@KeepOnGrowin]

You have an awesome weekend too!

[@TheMountainHermit]

You have given me a reason to go back and do some more growing. Did some last year and had not started yet but it is time at 74 that I make a move and stay active. Thanks

[@Silberschweifer]

A simple and ingenious method of mine is a bird water dispenser (or whatever that thing is called). As soon as the water level gets too low, it automatically refills.

[@kkim3926]

@@Silberschweifer or a lg water bottle on top with solution and small tube to each bucket. Solution level drops , air feeds up , water flows til ideal level . Quick and easy visual check and easier maintenance.

[@MarkKeeler-hs3je]

Thanks for posting these how to videos. My wife and I built 6 Kratky buckets over the weekend. Our next project will be stacking the buckets and cutting holes in the side buckets.

[@michaelvittori8525]

This is an amazing video !! Well done !!

[@altinokz]

Gd bless you! People like you make the world a better place

[@Yvonne-]

My 2LB order of Masterblend came in, a few days ago. No way that will last all summer. So, I ordered more bulk Masterblend. Before Shabbat, I ran out and picked up 2 Firehouse buckets from 2 restaurants, they had 1 bucket each. FOOD FOR THOUGHT: I invested in a few more spendy and very picked over nursery plants. NON GMO plants will offer many more seeds than purchasing seed packets, for continual grows. I went to the dollar store and picked up cheap pool noodles and containers because the sprouting trays I picked up 2 years ago, just didn't work for me. The delicate sprouts needed constant spritzing or they dried up. So, I'll be using your method. You even recommend omposting which could possibly, in a pinch, be somehow turned into fertilizers for our hydroponics. I said before I was ready but now I really am, to put the towers, grow containers, and sprouting "chambers" together after Sabbath. I VERY MUCH appreciate you and the work and love ❤️ you invested to save us ALL money, time, and as much effort as is possible to feed ourselves. Firemen get supported, and Firehouse Subs gets free advertisement until the plants cover the pots each year. It's a win, win. You have blessed many with a gift that keeps on giving. Many blessings to you and yours for years to come..... in Yahushas name.

[@jacquelinemillward4641]

I love these! Hearing the birds a big plus!

[@Junzar56]

Paint your bucket-- that sounds like a Western Musical! ( I guess I am thinking of paint your wagon) Looks so great!

[@novacornelius3868]

❤ Thank you I don't know much about gardening and would like to start soon... Have tight budget and this is gonna help a lot

[@hiiipompom]

This is so amazing. Thank you. I'm really stressed about not having enough garden space this year and all the agricultural farm worker shortage due to the horrific new immigration tactics. Im a pescetarian and i know I can grow all my veggies and we have grapes and berries. That way I only have to stress about the high cost of citrus fruits that don't grow in my region.

[@tjaakjeh]

Hi Mike! Thank you for your fantastic videos on cheap and easy hydroponics. I liked it when you gave us permission to do it our own way. I needed to hear that somehow, because I've just started and wondering if I'm doing it right. You asked what we would like to see in part 3 of this series..... Perhaps some FAQ? Perhaps show us (again!) how you mix your masterblend? Maybe how to find the answer to a specific question in your FAQ section? I've seen plenty of your footage, I found the courage to start by you. Thank you and wishing you and your lady prosperity & (for your doggy as well) health. From Tilburg, the Netherlands.

[@KeepOnGrowin]

Thank you, and thank you for your input. It will be helpful as I put part three together. Have an awesome weekend from us both!

[@fmcscarkenlife]

I like your way of thinking.😊

[@leannekenyoung]

I’ve been watching your videos for years now and one thing I like that although your content may change the message has always remained the same! I always like watching to see just what Mike has come up with this time! Because sure as anything it’s going to be cheap and easy and it’s going to be a creative solution to an interesting problem. I absolutely love the way you teach the world to feed themselves and how you never fail to inspire me! I’ve tried to make use of my indoor vertical space and while I’ve had lots of success growing my own food this may be my greatest experiment to date! I have more then a dozen sweet pepper plants of varying varieties and they are growing in three buckets on top of one another and unlike an outdoor garden I could utilize the top and put holes in the top bucket. Which allowed for even more plants. You are right the most important part about cheap and easy is consistency, you must check your plants every single day and I happen to do it morning and night. You never know when all of a sudden one day your going to put our finger in to discover it’s not feeling any water at all. It may be like that consistently for three days and then on the fourth day it doesn’t need a top up it’s definitely not something that can be put on a spreadsheet or a calendar it’s just something that has to be done every day for the best results. I do have three bubblers one in each bucket because despite adding the additional nutrients every day I found the water would become stagnant and would have a smell inside which wasn’t pleasant so adding the air stones has resolved this issue for me. It’s a small thing and still something I consider cheap because they are supplied I already had on hand from previous experiments. I can’t believe I’ve got two banana peppers on already and lots of blossoms which I’m hand pollinating every morning and every night. I get a kick out of seeing the little burst of white pollen that seems to burst from some of the blossoms on the top of my finger and lll just continue to play the part of the bees. 😂🥰❤️🙏🏻🇨🇦

[@KeepOnGrowin]

Thank you Leanne, always appreciate your input! So happy your garden is going well. I love playing the part of the bee as well. Sometimes I say "Bee the Change" while I am tapping the flowers, lol.

[@DanandTrish]

Thank you! Great life lessons that you are teaching, not just garden information!

[@depabooks]

Finally a system that will work for me..outdoors under protection in a rainforest

[@truther3938]

Brand new to this vertical growing. Just gathering information so I can build confidence to start to grow something. This concept makes sense to me. Thank you for your videos!

[@robinbanks183]

Hi Mike really enjoying your videos, growing my first little crop of dwarf tomatoes with great success thanks to your advice. Best wishes from North England Uk

[@1turf32]

Thanks!

[@KeepOnGrowin]

Thank you very much Anthony!

[@mr.chisels729]

Great video Mike…Thanks!! Been converting my dirt garden to hydroponics over the last couple of years and man what a difference!!

[@KeepOnGrowin]

That's awesome!!

[@saucebox11]

this is a cool video, just need to figure out an automated way to water for us time starved people, currently i have drip irrigation on all my soil plants. I did it this year as I couldnt keep up with my at work, workload and come home after a 15 hour day and water for an hour. It was a game changer for me. I decided to try hydroponic this winter to see if I can at least keep some fresh vegetables this winter. Thank you

[@billiep4338]

Thank you for showing me again.❤

[@bbdoll1234]

YAYYYY. I'VE SUGGESTED THE MOSQUITO DUNKS!!! ❤❤❤❤

[@KeepOnGrowin]

THANK YOU!!

[@lcclark2862]

This is brilliant! Thank you for sharing this. I've been using self watering containers for a few years. I can't wait to try this method as it will increase my growing space, and greatly decrease my need for soil!

[@elizabethsam3875]

You are a very amazing man. Thanks for sharing it with me. I really appreciate all your efforts well done.🎉

[@smokeout1218]

This went from the best hydroponic vid ive found to a motivational speach. love it!

[@dontbanmebrodontbanme5403]

I've tended an outside garden for over 20 years and never liked not being able to grow anything in the winter time. I ran into vertical hydroponics. This looks interesting, but takes up a lot of space. With a vertical system, you could grow 20+ different plants in a small, 2' space. Your buckets pretty much simulate that and I might try that. Great content.

[@devancebowen]

I'm always busy at work but this can work for me..😊

[@Auguur]

I don't think I would be as successful as you with outdoor hydro without a heater for the reservoir(The nights get chilly), and some kind of air stone for the nutrient solution. Which makes it a more complicated setup and makes me inclined to gravitate towards a DWC with misting nozzles which I have had phenomenal success with but it requires more maintenance and cost for the pump and tubing. I always love watching your videos, your garden is amazing! I have learned many tips from you over the years, Thanks a bunch!

[@JeanJFamily]

I love it! To think you dont have to depends on electricity and pump is great.

[@trebel]

Thank you for all your hard work. Thank you kindly. Good explanation and tutorial as always. Cheers m8.

[@scottbarker3409]

First time viewing your video really helpful and informative and I like what you said at the end of the video nice touch

[@steviegeez8032]

I love your videos and your attitude. Keeping it simple and successful inspired me to try your method a year ago but it have learned since then and this method is truly more productive and efficient that growing in the ground which is what I'm doing now but I'm going back to this method and I'll experiment with you. Thank you for your very informative videos.

[@mo98003]

Brilliant!! Thank you for supplying such helpful content. I grow all our houseplants in hydroponics with wonderful results, and I am looking to do the same with our outside vegetable garden. Your video is very helpful, and I will review some more of your videos as well.

[@TikiGurl1971]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge to do this cheaper and easier. I was afraid to try cause looking into it makes it look so complicated and expensive to get started. and i was feeling like it can't be that hard....you've encouraged me to try anyway and get started

[@chantalnewburn7560]

Me too. Haven’t tried yet, but just as I was about to stop looking into hydroponics, this has convinced me it can be simple and affordable.

[@matthewselby4865]

One thing you could do to indicate the water level is to just drill a small hole just above where you want the water level to be, then there is no need to feel where the water level is because you just slowly add till water starts coming out of the hole.

[@KeepOnGrowin]

But I want it to the top in the beginning and don't want to mess with trying to plug several holes as it evaporates

[@Freak0id]

Love this! Thanks for this channel!!

[@xzed3545]

Yeah man I love the fearless experimentation. That's where the fun is

[@KeepOnGrowin]

Right on!

[@johnthomas2743]

You have a good voice for your discussions. You sound a bit like Kevin Costner. Thank you for the advice and the examples!

[@BP_farm88]

Tomatoes are very beautiful.

[@MrNoclutch]

Bad timing for me, love the videos and the shared knowledge. Still facing frost threats and started seeds too early for the outdoor season. Frost killed a bunch and critters took some too. I have an indoor system that got overwhelmed fast. Harvesting lots and still moving plants outside this weekend. Learning so much from so many people. Thanks for all you post.

[@hldo00]

The therapy session i didn’t know i needed

[@blueandbanana]

You are so awesome. Thank you. I’m scared but I will try.

[@KeepOnGrowin]

Don't be scared. Start small, have fun.

[@drfrankm]

Thanks for sharing your videos. I wish that I had known about growing like this when I was doing missionary work in Uganda Africa. It would have been a great resource for some of the poor villagers or urban small scale farmer

[@KeepOnGrowin]

Wow! That would have been great. Everyone sharing, maybe word gets around. Thank you.

[@drfrankm]

@@KeepOnGrowin I will tell some of my contacts in Africa about it

[@IAMGiftbearer]

You really have grown a ton of vegetables in that set-up! I had a white square bucket that I put strawberry plants in and they did get root rot and algae indoors so eventually I lost them all. I ordered 20 ,ore plants and am spraying my bucket silver (not only to keep out light but to reflect the light back to the leaves. What you said about the tomatoes makes alot of sense. They can create alot of foliage fast and create enough shade. I think my mistake was that strawberries don't create that much foliage in one year from bare root starts, so there wasn't enough greenery to shade the bucket. I am hoping this year will be more successful with the silver reflective spray paint. I'm also going to divide up my plants and grow half of them in outdoor containers in soil, and half indoors in hydroponics and see which grows better. There seems to be different advantages to both ways.

[@kaboomsihal1164]

Where I live you can also get little seed starter sponge cubes for extremely cheap. It's basically like pool noodles but softer foam that already has the holes cut. You just tear them apart. I just put those directly in a net cup, never had issues. I can get a pack of 200 for about 5bucks so it's really a negligible cost and you have to do a lot less work. They're also meant for growing edible plants in, unlike pool noodles that often will contain stuff you really don't want around your plants e.g. dyes etc. edit: also probably worth mentioning for beginners: Don't give up too easily on your plants. I forgot to fill up a bucket before going on vacation, came back to a crisp completely dried out tomato plant. Like touch the leaves and they disintegrate dry. I procrastinated cleaning it up and just left if for quite a while. Yesterday I finally got around to cleaning it up and that dried up crisp plant had a perfectly fine tasty red tomato hanging on it. Even with only the tiniest remainder of water in the deep stems it still produced that tomato. If I had filled it up again and left it a few days and then trimmed of the still dry stuff it probably would have recovered and still produced just fine. They're more hardy that you might think. edit 2: Just fyi my hydroponics bins are ALL completely full up with algae. The plants grow fine. I don't care. I could not give less of a crap. Would they maybe produce more if there wasn't any algae? Maybe, I don't know. But they produce perfectly well with algae.

[@robfadelle5613]

For my bucket level indicators, I get 1/2" rubber grommets, drill a hole in the side of the bucket at the bottom, just up from the bottom enough to allow for grommet diameter. Then I take a 1/2"pvc 90degree and two 1 1/4" pieces of pipe, one of which has a length of poly vinyl tubing on one side and one that pops into the grommet. Keep it pointing up and easily see water level. Want to drain the bucket, roll it sideways.

[@KeepOnGrowin]

Nice. I never let it get that low and never change. Easier for me.

[@victoriao1828]

Excellent video. Thank you so much.

[@Draphia]

Just ordered my nutrients, cant wait. I'm actually using a 3d printer to make my own netcups. Dirt cheap when you can print them to any size you desire and get up to 200- 300 netcups per filament roll

[@KeepOnGrowin]

That sounds cool!!

[@melissagoodwin2602]

Thank for sharing. The best I've found, will definitely try.

[@jenthang]

Brilliant! Thank you so much for this!

[@abelchinedu4413]

Listening to you, I like you. I like your personality.

[@mariasquarepants8532]

I used to manage a great american cookies / Mrs field’s cookie store at the mall (cookie cakes) we had buckets for the icing. I still have one in my house for the dog food. I hated throwing them in the dumpster. If someone would have asked for buckets I would have been thrilled. I saw an ice cream shop advertising for free buckets. One thing i would recommend: use food grade plastic buckets.

[@Rosemary-lg8sf]

❤ what a beautiful message ❤

[@homesteaderfiftywmartha603]

Stack buckets and the one on top- gets to grow out of the top..like a melon or tomato 🎉

[@ahowl7mx]

You can auto-siphon excess water with an aquarium air line. Just set the desired max water level with one end of the air hose and run the exit of the line lower than the bucket and once it goes it will slowly drain until the max level is achieved. A float value would work to auto level but its expensive.

[@craigdonald551]

Get a 500ml Coke or some other long necked bottle that won’t collapse , fill with nutrients/water make a hole big enough so that you can put in the bottle deep enough so it sits at the level you want. Flip it in far enough so the top is just in the bucket water. As the water in the bucket gets lower than the mouth of bottle the water empties from the bottle. Not only does it keep the bucket water level up, but it’s also a visual reference to see if you need to top up .

[@KeepOnGrowin]

Let me know when you do it, would like to see that in action.

[@donnybowers7832]

I'm gonna have to try this.

[@shiffongray1041]

Thanks so inspiring will do some experimenting

[@MercadoMomMoments]

I finally tried this today the pool noodles were not wide enough. I had to alter it by cutting chucks of noodle pieces and glueing them with e6000. Next time I will make the holes smaller I think with shrinkflation they are making them smaller. Once the glue dries I'll add masterblend and plants. 😊

[@cecilsabourin9462]

You could also use the insulation sleaves for small copper pipes in mechanical rooms .

[@patrickregan7163]

I love the logic of the holes in the side. Dealing with rainwater is always an issue in outdoor hydroponics. I grow basil with a net lid Kratky style and move it under an over hang when expecting rain, For herbs, I find a 5 gallon bucket works fine. However, my cucumbers are grown in a 40 gallon garbage can, for a few reasons. With that big a reservoir, daily monitoring is unnecessary, although most days I do. I can go away for a week and not worry it's going to run dry. Fruiting plants like vegetables can use up nutrients very quickly when they are mature and producing. This can lead to wild swings in nutrient levels and PH is a five gallon bucket holding at most 4 gallons. Your results speak for themselves, but keeping everything topped off in your systems seems like a major pain in the ass. A larger reservoir acts as a buffer to nutrient and PH swings . I also do a nutrient change and flush with tap water to prevent salt buildup at least once or twice over the growing season.

[@KeepOnGrowin]

Awesome! Yes, a bigger container for certain vegetables is advantageous! Keep on Growin'!

[@fussball-heute]

❤ great Idea with pool noodles! I hope my daughter won't mind if I cut it into pieces to grow Tomatoes which she doesn't like...

[@hiiipompom]

I'm curious with a grow light could I do this inside? Or will the air flow not be good enough? I could turn on a fan for a few minutes every other day if that would help.

[@kay-deenharris4454]

Thank you for your page 🙏🏾❤

[@mangu768]

This is genius!

[@shannacosper7366]

Mine filled with rain water. Every rain I went and dumped some so they wouldnt drown. Then I worried about the nutrients. So, today I went out and dumped all the water and refilled. I dont know what to do to keep it from happening. We used 27 gal totes. But, plants are growing and everything is thriving, so right now I am not worrying. I picked my first zucchini today. Cucumbers will be ready soon. Tomatoes and peppers are not far behind. And my watermelon and cantaloupe looks really health too. We also planted 2 okra plants, so we will see what will happen with that. Something attacked my tomatillos so we lost those, but I have some new starts for those that are almost ready. I live in GA where we have a hot long summer, so I think I will at least get some tomatillos even though it is a late start. I am so excited. Our in the ground gardens have never worked in the past because our soil isn't good and I am not great at keeping stuff watered. This is the year though. It's gonna be great!

[@KeepOnGrowin]

Awesome! I am excited for you! Sounds like you have a lot going on and it is going to be fun!

[@allisonboggs645]

I'm in SC, so many of the same problems with heat, watering etc . How many plants are you putting in the 29 gallon totes? Particularly the spacing on tomatoes and zucchini s.

[@shannacosper7366]

@@allisonboggs645 so, I had I think 4 in each tote, I won't do that many this time. I think 2-3 depending on type is a good bet. I also think 2 zucchini in a tote is a good amount. I did dump all the rain water and refill but they seemed to get shocked, so I won't do that anymore. I will just dump the overflow and when the water levels get low I add nutrients.

[@aishakhan5444]

You are an amazing person, god bless

[@johnmcintosh4546]

love this,, can you explain where the water level should be? Does the water cover the roots?.. thank you

[@jujube2407]

I have one lone bucket left in the garage... I may just do this this weekend! I have 3 tomatoes I have no ground space for ❤️ what's your sweet spot per bucket for tomatoes? I'm think 3 is probably max?

[@KeepOnGrowin]

Yeah, 3 max. I might go with just one in a few next go around.

[@yvettedroll5074]

Wow .I m going to try thank you

[@richjageman3976]

I put a plug in my buckets so I could refill the bucket, open the plug and it would drain any excess down to my catch bucket and I would use that overfill for the next bucket.

[@kenamasunsmith3976]

Love your words

[@robertbarrett7306]

Awesome video a friend in Jamaica referred you to me . Live in miami . Quick question after a year from making video do I need to really paint buckets ? Start up today . Thank you

[@thefutureofgardening5912]

Would make it a bit more complex, but you could add a hole in the bottoms of each of the buckets except the very bottom bucket and fill with water to allow a rise to the desired level before going into the pipe and entering into the next bucket, filling it up. This would allow you to be able to only fill up one bucket at the top and get all of them at once. Love how much progress you've made with these by the way. Great work!

[@JOSEPH-vs2gc]

I think i'm just gonna paint some clear containers and leave a Window so i can periodically see the levels through it. Gonna have to find a way to keep the window shut when i don't need to see through the window tho, perhaps magnets holding a window cover up or something.