HOME GROWN.
DABBLING IN HYDROPONICS
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VIVOSUN NFT System
I chose this NFT system from VIVOSUN because I loved the simplicity and straightforwardness of it. When I was trying to DIY it using this tutorial, costs started adding up and I became overwhelmed at having to put it all together. I work full time and I wasn’t confident in the time I would have to build it on my own. It came with 4 pipes, each with 9 holes, the net cups, water pump and tubing, and some sponge to begin seed starting with. It’s available on Amazon, but through VIVOSUN’s website I was able to use a discount code to get 15% off the system. The hooks on my materials list are used so that I could mount it onto the wall.
Rockwool
The rockwool will be what I use to start my seedlings. I liked the rockwool I chose because it was a large sheet of 200. My NFT system can hold 36 plants at a time, plus my 2 DWC cups, means I can get approximately 5 full harvests from just this one purchase. Though they are not reusable,
Clay Pebbles
I chose to use clay pebbles for my drainage material because they are reusable. Because of this I also was able to save some money by ordering a smaller bag.
Air Pumps
Since I would have three reservoirs that would need air pumps and air stones, I chose a model that came with 4 ports. This way, I can use just one air pump and I have the option to expand by adding the 4th hose for another system should I ever choose to add one.
Lighting
I bought two sets of lights, both LED because they're energy efficient. The first was a grow light that covered a 2x2 area, which was perfect for my tomatoes and broccoli. I will have to figure out how to hang it above them. The second were LED light strips for the NFT system that I would ziptie to each row of the system.
Net cups
Since the NFT System came with it's own net cups I just needed net cups for the DWC buckets. Even though they're reusable, I went for a 30-pack, as there wasn't a significant price difference, I would have backups just in case. Spinach was one of the crops I wanted to grow but it's pH and EC needs don't align with the rest of the plants in the system so I might want to make some mason jar style kratky method farm systems to have thrm isolated from my NFT system.
Dry nutrients
Dry nutrients tend to be a bit trickier for someone just starting out, but I decided to start there since they're cost effective, and it would be fun to learn by trial and error.
Seed Starting
This hasn't arrived yet but I can't wait to test these out! Each dome has a light and a humidity adjuster.
Seeds
Found a seed pack that included most of the herbs I wanted to grow, so it became simpler to order than individually. The ones I'm on the fence about right now is dill and lavender-- I still have to research if they would work well in my NFT system or if I should grow them isolated.
GFCI adapters
There are two outlets in my grow area that needed protection, but only one adapter needed to have multiple outlets
Hole saw
So I went to test these out but unfortunately the bit was too big for my drill so I will have to find another way soon. It's okay since I don't have my seedlings ready to transfer yet.
pH & EC meters
Though I am setting up a sensor to report the pH, electrical conductivity (EC), humidity, and temperature of my system, in case it ever failed, or I needed to test a new solution quick, I wanted to have a meter on hand.