On 8/18/05 3:43 PM, in article , "Dusty
Bleher" wrote:

Could you embellish a bit on your comments of growing via hydroponics? I'm
designing in a greenhouse/solarium into our the next house. Since we had
originally intended to land somewhere relatively warm and with lots of
sunshine, I had thought to use that shelter with the help of some additional
lighting to grow fresh things all year long. However, events unfolding now
seem to indicate that we don't want to place our future abode that far
south, that means that we're probably going to be in a colder, darker, less
hospitable place.

To that end, your post tripped my attention meter as I'd just started to
think about how the GH/solarium might be redesigned to take advantage of a
cooler and shorter growing season. Your mention of hydroponics is making me
take a look in that direction. While I've done it in the past,
experimentally, on small things, I've never done something as large as a
facility big enough to feed us in an on-going basis. Any tips, suggestions,
cautions, or other advice would be most appreciated from the point of view
of one with actual, hands-on experience...

I probably am not the one to be used as an exemplar for hydroponic growing.
There ought to be a number of vendors in the San Jose and maybe a few
growers as well. Visit them. Although I plan to, I have not yet used
artificial light to to grow plants.

After trying a few methods, I am settling for General Hydroponics' Water
Farm kit. For about $300 you can have a complete setup ready to go with 8
containers, each good for a tomato plant. All you need to do is supply seed,
water, and electricity. A cycle timer would help. From then on consumables
are going to be less costly. Considering the prices charged at some of these
stores, I would not be surprised if they cater to the pot trade.

You certainly can substitute your own labor to save money using 5 gal
buckets and various tubing that you can find at irrigation suppliers. The
same is true for nutrient solution. Again, you can avoid boutique prices by
mixing your own.

Bill