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Kratky method hydroponics experiment

9 years ago

So I was poking around online and decided to try and grow some lettuce and basil using quart mason jars. In the process of fooling around I put a couple of adenium seeds in some rock wool pellets and thought I would do a bit of an experiment. To be honest I am a bit blown away at how good these seedlings have been doing so far they are my largest seedlings growing at this point and some of mine are over a month older. I planted one A. Arabicum seed 12/11/2016 and one A. Somalense 12/15/2016 the first seed went bad from the 11th. The seeds both sprouted in about 3 days and I waited until I saw the first root coming out of the bottom of the rock wool and then put them in the quart jars with the Hydoponic solution and placed them under my LED fixture. The photos of the roots in water were taken the same day as the plants and this was the same day I changed the solution after the photos. I had not added any solution or water at all since the first set up. I am pretty happy with how they are doing so far beautiful dark green leaves and lots of branching.

A Arabicum



A. Somalense





Comments (16)

  • 9 years ago

    Very impressive, and look so good too!

  • 9 years ago

    I loved the idea, what do i use for the hydroponic solution? How frequently is it to be changed ?

  • 9 years ago

    Can you buy those jar lids online or something?

    Rob

  • PRO
    9 years ago

    This is the hydro solution http://www.ebay.com/itm/Masterblend-4-18-38-Hydroponic-Fertilizer-Kit-Buy-3-Get-4th-Free-/182319915267?hash=item2a731d2103I bought and mixed it at the strength for lettuce. The instructions came with the package. As far as changing water I changed it when it was looking a little funky I wanted to wash out the jar. The lids I made myself buy drilling a hole in a plastic quart canning jar lid and then put in the net cup.

  • 9 years ago

    John - How did you ever come across this product? Have you ever grown Hydroponically before? Basically your growing a plant in a jar of water, quite well I might add; and an ingenious invention! But true Hydroponics requires a bit more. I do believe it could still be achieved in a Mason Jar, but for best results; you would need a pH test kit, pH adjuster, and a small air pump w/ tubing. (And your ferts of course.) You could sell them as "Windowsill Hydro Units".

    Rob

  • PRO
    9 years ago

    Hi Rob,

    I have never grown hydroponic before and had run across a few threads here on growing adeniums in a hydroponic setup. I went poking around on youtube and came across a few videos on growing lettuce and basil in a quart mason jar. The Kratky method is a way of growing hydroponics without an added air stone from what I gather it is more designed that your plant crop would be at the end by the time all the solution was used up. That is how I had grown the plants up until the pictures I have posted in this thread. Somewhere in reading and watching youtube someone mentions adding water or solution depending on how the plants look when the water level gets lower than 400ML and you can add to the 600ML line. it is easy to do as the ML are make on the quart mason jars. After I took these photos I changed the solution in these two jars completely filling to the 600ML line so that some of the roots were still receiving oxygen and they have been going crazy for the last two weeks. Here are a few of the youtube videos I watched the guy is a bit odd but has really good information. What I am using is basically his basil setup that I modified a bit. I am using one rock wool square in a 2" net cup and drilled the holes in the plastic jar lids. I also have put some hydoton clay pebbles on top of the rock wool for looks and evaporation. Links. Kratky Method, Basil Quart Jars

  • 9 years ago

    A BIT ODD!! Well, a little. That was a cool way of doing a video though.

    That's a strange ratio of nutes in that ebay deal. It'll be interesting to see how the caudex forms under these conditions.

    Rob

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This method seems VERY SIMILAR to the german self watering pots I use. you put your plants in the top and then the water reservoir is in the bottom. they use what is called pon as the soil - similar to gritty mix (no net pot). the roots grow very quickly. they are called lechuza pots and are kind of pricey. they work for not only adenium, but also for african violets. there's a water level thingie that tells you when to water. you also may purchase the pon substrate separately. No. 2 chicken grit and Napa floor dry (part No. 8822) also works.

    i like the mini deltini


    this is the taller (not mini) deltini

    dave

  • 9 years ago

    What am I looking at in the last 3 pics? Have the Adeniums pushed themselves up, and up?

    Rob

  • 9 years ago

    i pull them up.

  • 9 years ago

    @Jericson, thats like a riot down below

    @John, thanks a ton for sharing the details, I might try it out:) looks simple and doable the way you shared the details:)

  • 9 years ago

    LOL, that's a wild looking experiment.

    Rob

  • 9 years ago

    yep im making my own tower style forms lol.

  • PRO
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Those are crazy very cool I think growing these guys in hydroponics has some interesting possibilities.

  • PRO
    9 years ago

    Update on these plants.


    So I took the original photos in this tread on Feb 8, 2017 the seeds were started 15/15/2016

    I took these pictures today March 28, 2017 the plants have been doing good the A. Somalense has grown a lot.

    A Arabicum


    A. Somalense