Hydroponics



Hydroponics is the practice of growing plants in nutrient-enriched water rather than soil.

Hydroponics is incredibly productive and requires little space. For example, Factor e Farm's experiments found that they could grow $1 of lettuce per square foot per week. And the Institute of Simplified Hydroponics has found that they can grow 2kg of vegetables a day on 20m2 of space. Indoor growing in a greenhouse greatly reduces losses to pests.

See here for free instructions on building several different hydroponic systems. N55 have a design for a vertical hydroponic system here. See Wikipedia on hydroponics for more information.

Open source software for automating hydroponic systems.

Aquaponics is a kind of hydroponics that uses the water from fish tanks. This eliminates the need for an input of nutrients.

Open-source hydroponic nutrient
You can mix hydroponic nutrient cheaply using mineral salts that most chemical suppliers have. The necessary ingredients are:
 * Monopotassium phosphate (KH2PO4)
 * Potassium nitrate (KNO3)
 * Calcium nitrate (CaNO3)
 * Magnesium sulfate (MgSO4)
 * Boric Acid (H3BO3)
 * Manganese chloride (MnCl2)
 * Zinc sulfate (ZnSO4)
 * Copper sulfate (CuSO4)
 * Iron sulfate (FeSO4)
 * Ammonium molybdate

Links

 * Hydroponics - Everything You Need To Know To Get Started, big messy 463-page book, covering everything: lighting, nutrients, suppliers, different plants and their requirements,
 * Hydroponics, 4th edition'', a compact, practical book including plans for several systems
 * http://www.hydroponicsonline.com/ An informative site. Also has forums.

Open-source systems

 * general-purpose single-plant bucket drip system, CFL grow light cluster, simple deep-water culture systemfrom Jared Bouck's Inventgeek
 * How-To Hydroponics kit plans
 * Hydroponics free DIY plans
 * Home hydroponic system, open-source plans for a vertically-stacked hydroponic system designed by n55