Hey there Hoover,

Thanks for popping over to the Hydro forum. We have a small 1200 sq ft ranch home. I took over the 3rd bedroom for indoor gardening. I have 2 400w lights and tons of surge protectors for timers, fans, temp/ humidity control, and various small hydro systems.

Our has has no gas, so it is all eletric. The average bill is around $189, the last one was around $145. The Mrs. was happy to see the drop. The no sweat, no deer, no bunnies, and no weeds to pull, far outweigh the cost of keeping it all growing.

The DIY systems require some hydro knowledge, so pre-manufactured ones are a good place to start. The Hydroponics On-line one would require some trellis or stakes to support tomato plants.

The internet was a handy tool when I started and also reading books and magazines like "Growing Edge".

Have fun learning! -Jason

Thanks Jason. Do you have any hints as to where to look at the pre-made options? Do you have to have a dedicated room for this? Would there be enough space on the top of say a ... dryer for this? I have a laundry room that is small but there are no kids who sleep in that room. LOL!

If I don't get into trouble for mentioning brands, I would say Hydrofarm, General Hydroponics, and Sunleaves. You can search for retail stores or e-stores on-line.

They all have some simple starter hydro systems. I am also glad to hear that your children don't sleep in the laundry room.

-Jason

hoover67, you can easily build yourself a Dutch pot system for tomatoes. All you have to do is drill a hole in a bucket, stick in a pipe, hook it up, fix the leaks, & you have a cheap system. ItÂs not that hard. Even if you bought everything new you could build a bucket (minus the media) for about $5.00. You are better off saving your money for some quality nutrient & meters rather than buying expensive systems.

Here is a link  scroll to the bottom of this thread:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/hydro/msg0510515721118.html

Baci,

Thanks! The system with small trash cans looks interesting. I just do not know if I can do it on my own. I am pretty handy but I know nothing!

Jason,

Thanks. I will look into these.

Hoover:

The best thing you can do for a while is read books about hydro and search the web. This forum is a good resource.

Hydroponics is not rocket science even if you have never grown anything.

I'm still a newbie myself (in this crowd), and I have referred to Simply Hydro countless times over nearly 3 years, especially when starting out. Though half of this site is commercial, the other half (Hydroponic University) stays focused on knowledge and does not sneak in hidden advertising (that I can recall). I love their diagrams.

Simply Hydro's Hydroponic University
Simply Hydro's graphical summary of system types

Thanks onewebfoot. I found some great info on that site!

hoover,
Check this link out. Might be useful.
Ed

Here is a link that might be useful: Hydro Ideas