Hydroponics

I've recently read up a bit about hydroponics and grew fond of the idea. My problem is that every site I visit seems to have a different idea of an "optimal method" and they either miss important details or exist purely to wage slave something. So I'm asking for some materials/directions for a beginner. I don't want to do anything big for starters, something desktop sized or a 1x1m box seems about right.

>>4862 Dumb question: Can this thread be dedicated also to growing plants generally? I didn't see much discussion about nature here and this way this thread won't go down that quickly.

>>4864 Sure, why not?

Hydroponics is as diverse as conventional forms of growth, One method does not work for every type of plant, although if you have any specific crops in mind, more likely than not there's going to be a video or other form of tutorial out there with results. For beginning, I might recommend microgreens, and if you're interested in looking up something a little different, maybe do research on aquaponics.

That's because you're going off opinions instead of studies. Unfortunately some methods are kept trade secrets. >>4877 Don't forget aeroponics as well.

So as I promised, my plant to bump the thread. This is a dragon fruit plant. It is really easy to grow it yourself - just buy one fruit, put seeds into soil and water it well. It likes sun, so I use an artificial light to support the plant, as it is really cloudy here often. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitaya

>>4862 This is so cool. You can have a fish tank and grow tomatoes off fish poop? Can you do this on a really small scale, DIY?

>>4946 >You can have a fish tank and grow tomatoes off fish poop? Not the hydroponics lainon, but using fish to produce fertilizer is inefficient unless having fish is your hobby. The nutrients flow like this: plants/animals > fish > plants Fish are mainly predators, but can eat some processed food, like boiled vegetables, but you can't feed fish with just waste. So you either have to feed them with animals or plants not grown in your garden to get extra nutrients. Fish poop and aquarium water can be used only as an efficient nitrogen source though: fish poop > nitrification bacteria and algae growth (assimilating nitrogen from the atmosphere) > plants

>>4946 >>4947 Using fish to feed your plants is pretty common. It's called aquaponics. Most people who do it, though, do it at a bigger scale with big ibc totes or similar used for the fish tanks. There's also ways to include chickens, black soldier flies, duckweed, etc in the process to make it more self-sustaining.

>>4973 Not the same thing, but for a while I used Fish Emulsion as a fertilizer for some plants. Does smell though.

>>4977 >Does smell though. Most types of fertilizer smell due to nitrogen and sulfur compounds, it is hard to avoid.

>>4946 >>4973 It is harder to do aquaponics because you have to keep the fish healthy. If one dies they could all die. It's more self sustainable but more effort than hydroponics. Not a good starting point.

>>4947 breeding flour worms and feeding those to the fish could be a feasible method, it takes very little effort and they are a great source of food

>>4880 Wouldn't it be such a shame if someone leaked those trade secrets for the good of all mankind?

I turned an empty room to a aquaponics farm as a project in High school. It is not that efficent but it works. Smells like soykaf, you need to care for fish too.

https://www.ebay.com/p/10033160314?iid=113911268106

Just to test this type of thing out during winter in my apartment, whats the smallest setup I could grow some small food like lettuce or spinach in? Lainchan stop giving me fuarrrking errors. My post isn't fuarrrking automated. Cut it out! Stop! Let me post!

Some books from The All-Embracing Library >>>/lit/2968 the-eye.eu also has useful information: https://the-eye.eu/public/Books/A%20Library/Botany/ https://the-eye.eu/public/Books/Survival_Guide/Botany/ https://the-eye.eu/public/Books/Survival_Guide/Berries/ https://the-eye.eu/public/Books/Survival_Guide/Herbalism/

>>4862 Its trial and error. Allot depends on your water ph and nutrient type you use. Ive grown some herbs successfully thanks to a yt channel dedicated to all kinds of hydro grows. Look up Jeb hydrophonic growing or simular and you'll find it easily. Funny wholesome dude