naked hydroponics

Nutrients

The one mixture which stood out head and shoulders above the rest was ‘Optimum Grow’,by Growth Technology,in Western Australia. We have found it works well for both light and heavy feeders,and for seeds and cuttings -at the appropriate concentrations. The only other nutrient mix we have had some success with is ‘Dutch Master Gold’,which we found to be very good for tomatoes,but that was about all.

Other Products trialled:

Dutch Fest Hydro Grow
Monsta Bud
Bio Juice
Searles Fish Kelp
Oz Hydro Plus
Manutec Hydroponic Nutrient
Worm WeeThe ‘worm wee’is an ongoing -and probably never ending- project;there are just too many variables. It has to be the ultimate goal in sustainable self sufficiency though,and so to me is unquestionably worth pursuing. I’m particularly interested in the possibility of using seaweed/kelp for the worm food (see my blog:http://thecomensality.com/avasay/living-off-the-land/feed)
Getting back to the Optimum Grow,based on our trials we recommend 2ml/litre for cuttings and seedlings. We grow our seeds in vermiculite,sitting in a tray of nutrient;‘unsoiled’from go to whoa. Don’t waste nutrient on seeds;start the nutrient mix after the seeds have sprouted. We leave the seedlings in vermiculite until they are about 75mm high,before we transplant into a planter. Not using soil makes transplanting a very clean and easy process. We use 5-10ml per planter (not litre) for newly transplanted seedlings for the first fortnight,building up to a maximum of 20ml/ planter for large plants. It’s difficult to be more precise;plant growth is largely determined by sunlight,so the more sun the more nutrient required. We’ve generally found we can get away with only changing the nutrient fortnightly,until the heavy feeders start to bear;but all our veranda’s get a fair bit of shade. Interestingly,we have found our tomatoes appear to grow best in shade,which is counter to just about all the advice I have ever seen;but it is possible the tomatoes do better not because of the shade,but because they are not exposed to rain,and wet leaves.
Sadly,I have to admit that hydroponics is no guarantee against disease. We’ve had a very wet,humid but mild summer here in SW Queensland,and fungus diseases -particularly in the tomatoes- has been rife. I dislike using commercial synthetic chemical sprays,so we haven’t had too many tomatoes. I have had some success with using copper sulphate and dolomite (see our page on tips for growing tomatoes) but it’s not real consistent. I’m currently trialling hydrogen peroxide;the results so far are encouraging.

Naked Hydroponics ~ Make your own.

Since a big part of the naked hydroponic ethos is about cutting down on ‘food miles’and the egregious amounts of money wasted on unnecessary transport between farms and central markets,we have decided to offer instructions on creating your own naked planters – just for those people who have the necessary tools and equipment,and who live so far away as to make the cost of freighting our finished product prohibitive. (Our thanks to ‘Dave’of Tasmania,for the suggestion.)

We will of course continue to offer our finished products for those who don’t have tools or inclination,and we believe for many (if not most) buying from us will prove less expensive and wasteful than making your own.

This is a breakdown of the ‘Basic’model we sell for $15.00,plus postage. As you can see,it is a simple PVC tube. It should be noted here that it was only in 2010 that pipe manufacturers got together and agreed to stop using lead in the PVC stabilisation process. If you’re thinking you have a length or two of old PVC lying around that you can use,you may want to consider this. Prior to 2010,it was recommended that,while the lead stabilised pipe was considered safe for water passing through,it was not recommended for water storage purposes.

Is this a serious issue,and how can you tell whether your old pipe was lead stabilised or not? Buggered if I know Mal…

Most home gardeners I think will be more interested in a continuous supply of veggies than growing heaps of the same thing at once,which is why we settled on making our planters about a metre long. Since young plants require less nutrient,and some plants are heavier feeders than others,we’ve found having many small planters to be more effective than a couple of large ones. It’s also easier to isolate problems,like diseases or fungus attacks,etc. If your local hardware store will sell you PVC pipe by the metre,you’ll probably be looking at around $7.00 each. The caps are about $4.00 each.

Next you will need PVC glue,and primer. The ends need to be thoroughly rubbed with primer to remove any dirt or contaminants,and to just take the ‘shine’off the PVC,so the glue will stick. The inside of the caps will need to be primed also. The glue (low pressure,or blue) should be applied to both surfaces before pushing the caps on.

The smallest bottle of glue at our local hardware retails for about $6,and the primer is $9.

Next,drill some holes. We’ve found spacing the holes about 4”,or 100mm apart works pretty well. If you were going to just grow lettuce you’d probably want them a little further apart,or if you are just growing cuttings you can have the holes much closer. For continuous plantings we only need 2 or 3 lettuces going at any one time. The holes should be about 20~25ml in diameter. Any smaller and the plants will choke before they mature;any wider and you’ll have problems holding the seedlings in.

You’ll also need a big holesaw for the filling hole,the bigger the better,as this hole is where you’ll be fishing out old roots. We use a 65mm diameter saw. You’ll want to cut a half pipe 75mm long for a cap to discourage frogs;they don’t seem to do any harm,but they can get bloody noisy!

We like an 8mm drain hose for convenience and economy;it’s remarkable how much variation we’ve seen in the diameter,even in the same brand,so you’ll need to be careful with the drill you choose for the cap. A major part of our Quality Control is drilling each tube to match the last batch of hose,water testing for leaks,and keeping that specific hose with that planter. Obviously the hose needs to be very snug to prevent leaks. You may be able to buy just a short length from your local hardware;places like Bunnings will probably only sell you a 10 metre roll. We drill a slightly larger hole in the top right on the end to hook the pipe into.

The brackets we make ourselves,and have galvanised locally. The galvanisers have a $38. minimum order,so they charge the same for 2 or 200. I would suggest you use fencing wire or something similar,or cuphooks and chains perhaps.

And that’s about it! As far as painting is concerned,you’re on your own. We use Wattyl exterior house paint which is a very flexible,durable paint that retails for about $38. a litre. We also put in a ceramic insulative additive for a vinyl matte like texture and superior UV and heat protection.

So far you will have spent:

Around $7. for 1 tube

Around $8 for 2 caps

Around $15 for glue and primer

A good set of hole saws,about $50.

Plus paint,brushes or rollers or spray…

brackets,or some other mounting method.

And then there’s plant ladders,if you want ‘fancy’.

Did I mention we sell our basic model for just $15.00? With a 60 day guarantee…And brackets can be purchased on their own.

Do your sums,and work out which is the best way for you to go. Now that you are a member,you are eligible for discounts,although how much the discounts will be depends entirely on how much we sell. Our profit margins are almost entirely governed by our ability to bulk buy.

So how does naked hydroponics work?

To my mind,pretty bloody well.

Naked Hydroponics really is hydroponics stripped bare. It is a totally passive system,using no water pumps or air pumps,or growing medium. It is the roots that are naked,not -necessarily- the gardener.

To really push the analogy,you could say the roots are skinny dipping in the nutrient solution…

It can’t be claimed that the naked system is ideal for all plant species;many plants,like carnations for instance, just don’t like having their ‘feet’wet.

a "naked"carrot

A "Naked"carrot

And then there are some plants,like carrots,which really shouldn’t be grown in this system,even though it is possible…

What’s more remarkable is just how many common and popular plants can be grown this easily;with one proviso. Some plants simply need more nutrient than others.

Lettuce,leafy vegetables,herbs and most flowering plants are very economical to grow. 10ml of each part of “Optimum Grow”is sufficient,and only has to be changed fortnightly.

Tomatoes,cucumbers,eggplants and zucchini on the other hand are very heavy feeders which require much more. We recommend starting all seedlings at 5ml for the first week or two,then building up each week,from 5 to 10 to 15 to a maximum of 20 ml.

The best solution is to have at least 2 planters;one for light feeders,and one for heavy feeders. You can then use the discarded nutrient from your heavy feeders,to supply your light feeders. If you had 3 planters,you could use the discarded nutrient from your light feeders a third time,for cuttings and seedlings…

Always keep a close eye on the leaves. If the leaves look dry and dead around the edges,the nutrient levels are too high. If the leaves are pale,you may need to up the dosage. Ultimately,the amount of nutrient depends on the amount of sunlight. The more sun,the faster plants grow. The faster they grow,the more they feed.

fertiliser burn

lettuce overfed

If you grow lettuce with tomatoes, you will end up with either burnt lettuce,sad tomatoes,or both. Much better to have 2 planters,and give the plants the appropriate nutrient levels. Click on the photo to see what fertiliser burn looks like.

Growing Tomatoes,the ‘naked’ way.

Tomatoes are very easy to grow in naked hydroponics and can combine well with other plants,like eggplant,zucchini,strawberries and cucumbers etc.;the ones that have heavier feeding requirements. Lettuce,celery,mint and basil on the other hand,don’t need much of a feed;10ml of ‘Optimum Grow’a fortnight is quite sufficient. Once tomatoes start to bud,they’ll need a lot more than that.

To start with,don’t transplant your seedlings until they are at least 75 mm high. The bigger they are the more resilient they are to the shock of transplanting. This applies to all seedlings,not just tomatoes.
If you’ve done the smart thing,and separated your heavy feeders and your light feeders into separate planters,then this is the feeding regime I would recommend for tomatoes and heavy feeders. Start with 5 ml of each part (for all seedlings) for the first week. Growth is largely governed by the sun;the more sun the faster they grow,the faster they grow the more they’ll feed. In full sun in the second week,increase to 10ml,then 15ml in the third week,up to a maximum of 20ml all the weeks after. Watch the leaves closely. If the leaf edges start to turn brown and dry (burn) you may be fertilising too heavily.

If you have a ‘Fancy’planter,don’t tie your tomatoes to the plastic ladders! Once your tomatoes are in full fruit they’ll be way too heavy. Just let ‘em hang.
Again,keep a close eye on the leaves. We’ve had trouble with target leaf spot. The good news is we’ve also had a lot of success treating it with just a quarter teaspoon of copper sulphate (bluestone) and the same of dolomite in a 500ml spray bottle. Spray all the leaves liberally;prevention is more effective than cure,but don’t spray too often! Once is generally enough,or once a week at most.
The goal here is unarrested growth. In my experience,once a plant has been stalled,it takes a long time to pick up,if ever. There is always a lot of variation between individual plants. It’s probably better to just chuck out any plant that isn’t thriving,and replace it with another. If you buy your seedlings in punnets,check the leaves closely! The good news is tomatoes strike very easily,so when you get an outstanding individual,there’s no reason why you can’t keep it going forever!
Remember to flush out the system thoroughly every week,before replenishing the nutrients to prevent nutrient salts building up. You can dump the expended nutrient on your terrestrial plants;they will appreciate it,but best of all use the nutrient from your heavy feeders in your light feeder planter. If you have 3 planters,you can reuse the nutrient again for cuttings and seedlings.
Check your PH level,if you can. If you can’t,a quarter teaspoon of Dolomite probably won’t hurt. In hot weather tomatoes can suffer from ‘blossom end rot’. Apparently this is caused by a deficiency in calcium,which the plant can’t take up as easily in hot weather for some reason. A quarter (or half,depending on PH) teaspoon of dolomite in the mix should help. PH shouldn’t need to be higher than 7.
Don’t forget to check the water level regularly! With a lot of large plants in hot weather,you may even need to top up daily,although I find every 2 or 3 days is enough for me.
My favourites? Mortgage Lifter (large),Roma (medium) and Yellow Pear (small)

Photo Journal 1Photo Journal 1

Here is a brief list of some of our successes.

zuccini

We are still constantly experimenting with different species and varieties. We are particularly fond of so called “heirloom”or non-hybrid Heritage varieties,not all of which have proven suitable for this system. It is our hope that users of our system will continue to experiment and explore the enormous variety of seeds available,and let us know about their successes and failures.

It is after all,the ones we reject,that make us the best…Black Beauty is the only eggplant we have trialled so far,and we are quite happy with the result. Lettuce is certainly one of the easiest veges to grow,although in our climate zone (Bundaberg) some varieties tend to bolt very quickly. For our family,just one lettuce planted every fortnight is sufficient,although a little bit of variety is always nice.

One thing to consider is that lettuce requires very little in the way of nutrient. It will grow well at the same concentrations as tomatoes,celery and mint,but cucumbers,eggplants and zucchini need higher concentrations,and lettuces will suffer.

Celery is very easy to grow and doesn’t need a lot of sun,making it a good choice for a shady veranda. To encourage long stems,we place tubes over the celery. The growth is quite spectacular. One problem we have encountered through the drought was incursions of ants. The small black ones seem to love celery,for some reason.

We are experimenting with companion planting;Pennyroyal is recommended for deterring ants and grows easily.

Mint is another very easy grower for shady verandas,and isn’t fussy about nutrients.

In fact,our biggest problem has been keeping it under control! It will quickly take over an entire unit,without some fairly severe pruning.

So don’t forget;all the normal rules of gardening still apply to outdoor hydroponics. Sunshine,nutrients,companion planting,seasons,microclimates and pests must still be considered. Pick the right veges for the season and the conditions,pay attention and either keep a diary,or post your results on this site for the rest of us.

The more we compare notes,the greater our successes will be
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