Starting Out

I have a steady background in urban gardening but didn't have any clue about soil-less systems yet alone hydroponic ones. However, I was always adamant about growing bell peppers because they are so expensive! I wanted to build a system that would best support the crop once it began to grow and become heavy.

Finding Inspiration

Taking my talents to YouTube, I found Tikki O's page where she enjoys growing crops hydroponically. She had a video on growing bell peppers hydroponically using a Deep Water Culture method and Kratky method. She wanted to see what system will produce the better crop. Already interested in DWC, I decided that I would grow my crops in that system. Deep Water Culture hydroponics is actually one of the most simple systems. The crop grows in a net pot filled with clay pebbles while the roots are immersed in nutrient solution water that is oxygenated by an air pump.

Need's Assessment

Thanks to the handy-dandy needs assessment I was able to figure out what limitations I might face when building out my system. Since I currently live in Public Housing I am more prone to blackouts. This could effect my crops since I plan on solely using grow lights. I live by the train and have animals in my house so air pollutants and pet dander would be another concern. Lastly, since I have pets (especially the cats) I didn't want them to eat my crops. If I had the ability to I would of put my system in my bedroom but I wanted my system to be as close to the kitchen as possible so I would have quicker access to the filtered water.

How do I Plan On Mitigating these Issues

• Electrical hazard: I have a back up generator that can be used. If my generator doesn't work I also get at least four hours of sunlight where my system is located.
• Air pollutants: I can keep the grow tent closed and have an air purifier nearby in order to avoid pet dander getting on the crops.
• Pet exposure: Since the cats like to scratch my grow tent, I can cover their go-to areas with aluminum foil.

Bell Peppers?

I really enjoy Bell Peppers. They can go on anything, you can cook them anyway and you can eat them raw! The Carnival Blend I chose produces all different colors of Bell Peppers. I knew the challenges with growing this crop is that I would have to pollinate myself and also accomodate them once they start becoming heavy. With that in mind, I plan to use to use an electric toothbrush to hand pollinate and weigh down the net cups with barbells.

Conclusion

My seeds just start sprouting so they are taking their time to marinate in some nutrient solution water before they peak out the rockwool. I only expect to have two plants that produce a couple of bell peppers.The yield should atleast support a family of four.