DIY Dutch Bucket Hydroponics System

I finally got the Dutch Bucket Hydroponics System assembled and installed.

I chose to go with the Dutch Bucket system because of the low maintenance involved. Some would say it is more than other types, but the majority swear by this system.

I also made it only four buckets instead of more. This reason is because of the newness of this to me and the space restrictions.

Once I dial it all in I plan to go ahead and extend it to a eight bucket system.

I pre-cut, pre-assembled and set everything up in the the shop before I took it out to the garden.

It is made from four-five gallon buckets painted black with lids, 2″ main drain pipe, individual 1/2″ drains on the buckets, 1/2″ irrigation hose with 1/4″ feeder lines ran to each bucket.

Related: DIY Water Filter

The nutrient container is 20 gallons with a homemade wood lid and the pump is a submersible 300 gallon per hour pump. I also put in a 4″ air stone and a air pump to give the water a little extra air.

A timer is on the pump so it will water 4 times a day for thirty minutes.

The grow medium is Perlite. You can find it at Home Depot. They are the only ones that I found who carry it.

These tomatoes were started from seeds in the greenhouse. I washed all the dirt off the roots before I planted them in the Perlite.

Though my gardens are full of tomatoes already, I wanted to do this system to see if I can outgrow what is already planted.

The one thing I am going to have to do to make this work is create a shade for all this. The water cannot get too hot and the plants cannot dry out. Leaving them exposed to the sun will do both.

I cut a small slit in the lid next to the hole to hold the feeder tube.

As far as the mixture of the water, well that is something else. You can buy already mixed solutions you can add to the water but being the cheapo I am, I am doing it myself. If it works out then I will let you know, if not I will change the solution until it does.

And that’s about it.

I have spent over a year studying about the different types of Hydroponics and Aquaponics and this is what I came up with at the moment.