5-Gallon Kratky Buckets

[ERR0R1755]

Feb 9, 2022 14:23:10 GMT -5 lynnee said:

ERR0R1755 , am I reading the diagram correctly, that the tops of the root balls are above the water?

The water level drops down as the plant drinks the nutrient solution - you start with the water level touching the net pots / growing medium, and once the plant starts growing roots, you keep the water level down a bit so that it doesn't grow algae on top, and so that the plants don't drown.

If it helps, here is a diagram (not mine) that gives you a better idea. You want it to look like the first picture until the roots start growing into the nutrient solution, and after that point you never want to refill it all the way back up. With Kratky (which is where this picture came from) you normally don't want to refill past half-way, but if you have an airstone, you can refill it as much as you want as long as it doesn't touch the base of the cup/medium. (even an inch between the medium and the water level is fine)

[lynnee]

ERR0R1755, a very clear explanation! If left to my own devices, I'd have refilled the water all the way up.

[ERR0R1755]

Feb 9, 2022 16:11:01 GMT -5 lynnee said:

ERR0R1755, a very clear explanation! If left to my own devices, I'd have refilled the water all the way up.

We are starting to derail the thread a bit, but here's a better explanation of what I do/recommend:

[lynnee]

Shawn may want to move these last few posts to the general Kratky section, ERR0R1755. When I get a chance, I'm going to go look at where the roots go in my completely full Aerogardens!

[maskedsonnet]

Those are super helpful!! I’m still very much a n00b when it comes to Kratky and was actually wondering how far I should bring up the water when it got to be that time!! Do you have any hints on nutrients? I’ve started wondering a bit how often I should be replenishing them, but haven’t really found a solid answer yet. Should I be feeding every two weeks like with AG since I’m keeping it to small doses instead of adding everything the plant would need at the very start? I didn’t think the “add it all upfront” method would work well with these experiments, and everything I’ve found on Google so far has just been “add it all from the start” with no experimentation with longer-term projects in small containers like what I’m trying to do here. It’s all been huge containers that wouldn’t fit in my space for large plants in Kratky

[airscapes]

So what you are doing is really no different than what is done in an AG or a tub, there is just no moving water or aeration.  The way I did my seedlings in all 3 systems I am using, was to mix nutrient  to 1/2 the strength that the adult plant would need.

Then after a month  to 6 weeks drain and refill with premixed full strength room temp fluid. 
As the plants grow, they will drink more water, so top off with full strength and change weekly or every other week.  With 3 buckets you could experiment and do each one differently to see what works best .. i.e never drain and  just top off with full strength feed, drain and refill one every 2 weeks and maybe every 4 weeks for the third?    

In the end, you can not go wrong changing the water and refilling with properly mixed solution. The trick is how often so as not to be wasting solution.  Obviously a small plant in 4 gallons of water can feed on that mass of fluid much longer than a plant that is 6-8 weeks old and blooming.

[maskedsonnet]

airscapes I love the idea of doing them all a little bit different to see what works best! Thank you for the info on how you feed your plants. I think with the cucumber, since it'll be hardest to move, I'll go with the never drain and just top off option. The other two I haven't decided on yet, but it seems like I've got some options!

[airscapes]

I look forward to seeing the progress and what works and doesn't! 

One other thing you may want to consider; Use a 2-2.5" holesaw and make an access hole in the lid.  Just cover the hole with some duct tape of maybe a cardboard cut out with some tape as a hinge.  This way you can use an inexpensive  siphon pump to drain the bucket at R&R time.  

[maskedsonnet]

The plants are all looking nice!

Tomato:

Zucchini:

Cucumber:

[Sher]

Looking good, maskedsonnet!

[maskedsonnet]

These are still coming along nicely:

[Sher]

Nicely is an understatement!

[lynnee]

Yay for the Mini Munch! The cuke and the zucchini look kind of alike at this point.

[maskedsonnet]

Feb 23, 2022 0:05:37 GMT -5 lynnee said:

Yay for the Mini Munch! The cuke and the zucchini look kind of alike at this point.

They really do!! I've never grown the easy pick gold, so I don't know if it's supposed to be shaped like that, but I've never seen such a spindly zucchini plant before. The ones I've grown have always been big hulking bushes. It's weird looking!! I might should have started with the light closer to the plants so they didn't try to stretch?

[lynnee]

Kratky is still a mystery to me, maskedsonnet , which is why I'm having fun watching yours!

BTW, the Mini Munch cuke is a great hit at my house. The ones that I harvested today were delicately delicious, and not bitter at all. I'm going to have to figure out how to grow lots, because both H and I want them.

He isn't that fond of cucumbers, so I wasn't expecting any competition!    

[maskedsonnet]

The zucchini is going to be the star of the buckets it looks like. It's getting nice and big and already has a bloom forming! The light edges make me think it might be hungry, so may add some nutrients and see what happens when it's time to add to all the other gardens. The tomato is still getting bigger, but slowly. 



The cucumber has also been slow-starting and has light edges on the leaves, so may give it a little dose of nutrients at feeding-time too. But it is starting to bush out a bit now, which with the last cucumber I grew was the precursor to vining! Soon I'll probably have to start paying attention to what it's trying to climb.

[maskedsonnet]

Today was nutrient day for all the gardens - added 5mL nutrients to all three buckets. Figured I better go low, since I left town this morning so won’t be around to rinse and refill if they get nutrient burn. Fingers crossed I don’t come home to some sad plants!

[maskedsonnet]

The plants seem happy with the nutrients that I added!

[Shawn]

I agree, it does look happy

[maskedsonnet]

These are all growing well. The cucumber had to be tied up and given an extra light!!