Five Passive Hydroponic Growing Methods for Potatoes
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- Опубликовано: 12 окт 2021
- This video discusses five experimental, passive, non-circulating methods for growing potatoes. These methods do not require electrical power or mechanical devices. This information was part of a 2008 seminar presented at The International Potato Center in Lima, Peru entitled 'Low Technology Hydroponic Methods for Growing potatoes in Hawaii' with co-authors M.T. Yamasaki and R.N. Ishizu.
The 'wrap in newspaper' and 'suspended pot' methods were previously discussed in the following article - www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/hawaii/d... 
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I dangled some in strings over a stagnant tote. I had a lot of greening, next time I will try covering them better.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Jeb!
I have always been impressed with your curiousity and diversity of ideas growing crops. You have always been generous with your research and knowledge sharing. Thanks for putting together this video. Root crops continue to be an underutilized hydroponic crop. Hope that life is treating you well!
Thank you, Matt.! I hope these growing methods spark some new ideas which lead to growing hydroponic root crops with less or no growing medium.
No way... The newspaper method is amazing!
I'm just beginning to learn how to do this method of growing vegetables. Thank you so much Dr. Kratky for sharing your knowledge and experiments with us. This is so exciting!
I'm working on a method that uses aeroponics (Bit more pricey.) with a round trash can and hamper basket insert.
i'm getting really good results with my gravity fed kratky system changing nutrients every week or 2 . thanks for sharing all the new experiments
This is really interesting. Thanks for all your work, I don't grow potatoes but have a little Kratky hydroponic garden growing basic, chillis and lettuce which I'm pretty proud of :)
thank you so much for your videos!! I'm in my hydroponic area and I watched quite a few of them!! Im going to try the suspended method eventually but starting with lettuce in mason jars.
Thanks for your knowledge!!!
When my Mother takes up the potato plants(a few days ago) in order to get "New potatoes/"Fresh" potatoes for Swedish "mid summer"(A holiday when this usually happens allover) i use to Re-Plant them with all these Mini spuds on in order to get another harvest later in the summer as i think that it's simply stupid to just let them wilt away when they have so much left to give.
The cost of the grow media, at least in my case, is offset dramatically by the amount of times I reuse it. I use shredded coconut husks or coco coir or coco peat or whatever you want to call it but it lasts many cycles before it essentially breaks down and I add it to my garden soil.
Thank you for sharing - you make a very good point!
thank you!!!
Grow houses only trash potting soil when it's got a dangerous bacteria other than that they steam and reuse.
All media is reusable. Hydroponics or not
Did you have to use any product to flush out excess nutrients left behind, after you reset your system with the reused coco coir? I have heard that it is better to do so, so that your new hydroponic solution is not thrown off my the nutrients left in the soil from the last round.
Thank You.
Wow! So many great ideas! I’ll let you know of my success or otherwise. It will be awhile. Thanks again for the videos!❤
I'm still debating which method I'd try first. I'm leaning toward wrapped in newspaper. Regardless of the method, I'm going with Yukon Gold! We did grow potatoes outdoors on the dirt this year, we did the straw method... I wasn't aware of that until I saw your last video. Even with the deer eating the greens, we still got a respectable yield and it was easy to harvest. If I ever attempt to grow a hydroponic potato, I'll certainly make a video. Thank you for sharing this information.
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
I might try the dry grass way
why not dwc and bucher a net pot when you transplant there withe the vegitable outside of the net pot just to hold the above ground part above ground something i think i need to have a go at
I'm very new to this but im planning to do this method with sweet potatoes.
I just found this after trying to start sweet potatoes. The regular potatoes we started in the usual way this spring, in soil, failed badly this year. It was a total loss. Might try these methods with sweet potatoes. Thank you.
My Yukon gold variety also failed this year. Too much water perhaps. I’m still waiting to see the results from the sweet potato vines. They are growing rampant, hopefully there are taters underneath!😊
do you find that the water in dutch bucket method needs to be changed every so often due to nutrient deficiency or pH changes?
Do you have any more info on the newspaper method? I don't quite understand it.
To make the pots used in the last method more self sustainable , maybe use a durable and tight knit net
Thanks for the video. I'm not a gardener by any stretch of the imagination and consider myself as having a black thumb. My wife, on the other hand, has quite the green one. I did minor experimentation with growing hydroponic lettuce indoors (several years ago) in a plastic tote from Home Depot. It turned out okay, I mean they all grew well enough and you could eat them. Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of leafy green lettuce so after my wife got tired of eating it, we gave the rest away. I figured it cost about $15 per head of lettuce (cost for the storage tote, organic growing solution, grow lights, and the expanded clay things.) But at least it was organic! Anyway, with all the food supply issues currently facing our world today, I think I will try to grow some of the Yukon and Red potatoes in my wife's greenhouse. I'm thinking I'll start with the newspaper method since it seems to be the least expensive and the one that I would be least likely to kill all the plants with. I do have a 55-gallon barrel to store the growing solution in so hopefully I should only need to measure, mix, and test it once. If I don't have to take care of the plants, they will have a much better chance of survival. I'll let you know how it goes.
Thanks for sharing and good luck on your upcoming trial!
My only caution would be that mixing a large amount of growing solution at one time might encourage the growth of microbes that will use up the nutrients and potentially spoil your solution.
Great job publishing your work!! Have you tried the perlite only method promoted by U of Florida? I have limited space, so I think I’m going to try the perlite first (and hopefully be able to recycle the perlite), but I’ll keep your resulted tucked in my brain. Thanks so much!
Perlite is an excellent growing medium. I typically have used it in a mixture with peat and/or vermiculite.
Thank you for the excellent information! When using a medium such as clay pellets that don't hold water, how do you ensure that the seed potato gets the right amount of water level initially?
Should the water in the bucket touch the bottom of the potato (worried that might rot it), or if I just sprinkle some water on top to start are the roots smart enough to grow down into the solution if its touching the bottom of the grow pot?
The water should not touch the potato. The goal is to create a moist air zone.
Can you elaborate on method 5, please? What growing medium did you use? Do you place the potato at the bottom of the basket? Does it need to be in contact with the solution at the start?
A peat-perlite or similar growing medium is ok. Place the seed potato about mid-height in the pot which will be about an inch above the nutrient solution level. The medium will moisten by capillary action.
What kind of “tank” would you use for the newspaper method outdoors?
You could use something like a plastic concrete mixing tray or construct a polyethylene-lined wooden tank.
How long does the newspaper method with Yukon gold potatoes take to grow from initial seeding to harvest would you say?
The growing period was about 100 days at the location and conditions of the experiment. The growing period at your location will probably be somewhat different.
I'm a newbie, but will try the news paper.
Good luck on your trial!
Is there any risk of toxicity with the newspaper ink? Are there studies on that?
This was to hard for me to understand, I'm a very visual person, and I just couldn't understand how any of these plants stayed upright like in the drawings without sand around them or somethign to stabalize them, do you have photos of each system please?
For any of the grass covered systems, should they be taken under cover when its raining or can I leave it out in the rain?
Our experiments were conducted in the greenhouse. I don't think the grass covered treatments should be left in the rain. Mold, dilution of nutrient solution and possibility of raising the solution level too high are possible consequences.
@@growkratky5558 I see. Thank you Mr. Kratky. Instead of covering them with grass, would it work with a plastic lid ?
Can't I do it indoors because there is no light needed?
@@Matt-xw1xx The grass should allow air. A plastic cover may severely restrict air and could also raise humidity too high?, depending on holes, etc.
@@Matt-xw1xx the potatoes grow beneath your grass or whatever cover, but the tops need light. Just about like a tomato plant, but can start in a little cooler weather.
Mr Kratky, when you do anything from lettuce to veggies etc do you always make the same strength nutrient solution like you mentioned of the part A and B and then overtime it just increases by itself? OR do you have to start some veggies like tomatoes 🍅 for example at a much higher strength since they require a EC of 2.0-5.0 whereas lettuce for example the EC should only be between an EC of 0.8 and 1.0……. I have asked sooooo many people in Facebook groups and nobody understands my question or gives me a direct answer.
By the way right now I’m testing out root crops like radishes, beets, turnips and carrots in 3 inch net cups with a “clone collar” holding the plant in place so the veggie has room to grow in the net cup!!! I will let you know how they turn out but so far so good 😊
For short-term crops where the tank size is large enough to last the entire cropping period without additions to the tank, I typically prepare a 1.5 mS strength nutrient solution for lettuce and about 2.0 mS solution for watercress and pakchoi and don't add any more fertilizer thereafter even though EC levels of the solution may change during the cropping period. For tomatoes, check out my approach at about minute 9 of this youtube ruclips.net/video/zTWBvQboSFY/видео.html
@@growkratky5558 thank you 😊 you’re AMAZING!!!
@@GodsChild145 Thank you!
I'm interested in using the kratky method for potatoes but will run into the same issue with the size of pot meaning no where for the potatoes to grow. Thinking maybe a cotton bag may work but would need to be soft enough where roots could push through but potatoes remain in the bag. Maybe a small basket but again will only hold so many potatoes.
Another option which we didn't test would be to make a basket from screen.
@@growkratky5558 a basket running the full length of the lid then holes in the kid for leaves to sprout through could be interesting. Then potatoes spread along the netting, leaves through the holes in the lid and roots take up the nutrients. Thanks for the reply I appreciate your videos and knowledge your passing on 😁 all the best.
I saw your comment and thoughts ran through my mind 😂 have you tried this yet? I’m thinking we could use one of those free crates that milk are delivered in, I have several of those and even long ones just like it that fit PERFECTLY over a big tote, or you can even use a tote and cut a section out of the lid to where it can sit right on top of the tote and not fall through, then the roots can reach down into it for the nutrients. As far as filling the milk crate up with a growing medium that’s loose so potatoes 🥔 can grow in it you can use can use hay/straw or coconut coir or newspaper etc etc and be creative with it and see what works. I really really want to try this out and perfect it. I love Mr Kratky!!! He has brought sooooooo much to the hydroponic world 🌎 and literally changed and revolutionized everything!!! Absolutely amazing man!!! Thank you Dr Kratky ♥️♥️♥️ or anyone can use a food strainer or even a laundry basket!!!
@@GodsChild145 I havent tried yet iv been busy with my indoor grow tents and hydro system setup but I wonder how your idea would work in a grow tent now
A milk crate with straw set inside a storage bin of solution. (The crate would be on bricks or blocks.)
If I plant ginger in a pot mix substrate, what is the best fertilizer between organic guano fertilizer and Cocoly, a water-soluble granular fertilizer?
Sorry, but I don't have experience with either of these fertilizers when growing ginger.
Might have to try this with fake Easter grass 🤔
That'd be a worthy experiment imho
That's a really good idea! Dry grass at the bottom of the pile can rot and that issue might be solved by the Easter grass.
@@growkratky5558 either that or Aspen swamp cooler pads if mold is an issue?
Similarly, there are many synthetic (reusable) mulches to consider. Dr. Kratky did voice concern about reusing media, related to diseases and refurbishment costs.
Do you suppose potato roots could grow through a fiberglass screen? Also, how do encourage potatoes to grow above such a screen rather than below? I would mulch with something lightweight for to "hill" the potatoes and the screen would be supported. My goal is to replicate the suspended pot version but the entire surface of the reservoir is the suspended pot. Thanks again for your well-curated research, Dr Kratky and team!
I think the fine roots should be able to pass through the screen. I think your hilling concept would encourage potatoes to develop above the screen.
@@growkratky5558 Thanks Doc! Hope your crops are growing well this spring
have you tried other root veggies like carrots, beets, radishes and such?
I have grown ginger successfully with the pot-in-pot method
What is the function of the grass and/or hay?
Adding the dried grass mimics the hilling process which is commonly done in soil-grown potatoes. One of the benefits is the prevention of green potatoes because sunlight is blocked.
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION UNDER IT ALL? I know what method I'd use but still don't know what DO the potatoes under the planted seed potatoes grow in?
Scroll to about the 9 minute mark of the video to see the description if the nutrient solution.
I would use my version of the newspaper method by actually threading some proper wicking fabrics through the seed potatoes. I would prefer a bark mulch layer rather than grass, but would cost more.
These are good approaches!
Why wouldnt you use just sand? Im not an expert but i think this growing media like perlite or vermiculite can be reuseble so the price is kinda lower
We didn't try sand, so I don't know how it would perform in this situation.
Great video.Thanks. I'd love to hear you discuss nutrients,please.I'd imagine nutes .for potatoes are vvery different to those needed for lettuce. You have debunked much conventional wisdom about aeration; perhaps you can help us dispense with some (extremely expensive) nutrient myths.
This is a great question, and even more highly relevant today, a year after being asked. Dr Kratky, are you aware of the work/research being done by the U of Michigan's Rich Earth Institute since 2012? If we can get over our cultural prejudices, we have a potentially inexhaustible source of basic stock, high-grade nutrient solution freely available to everyone who wants to grow their own food. Other cultures (notably Asian) have used this 'solution' which simply views a 'commodity' as valuable, rather than as costly pollution... What say you, Dr Kratky?
If lowering costs is your goal you could save on fertilizer costs if you got free urine. LOL
@@GodsChild145
Can you taste cow dung and urine in food that was grown using it? lol
@@GodsChild145
A lot of mushroom farms use miticides like kelthane to control fungus gnats. Spent mushroom compost is more of a mulch than anything else.
@@GodsChild145
Nah, mother nature always finds a way no matter how bad it gets :)
If you stacked the 36x36x13 growing baskets with a separation of 1 m between baskets at 15 ft height you would have five baskets which would give you 25 kilograms of Yukon Gold potatoes per square meter. That is a ridiculously high yield. A little extra tubing and plumbing and you have the ability to make one small greenhouse produce an insane amount of potatoes.
Thank you!
@@growkratky5558 I just realized that at 15 feet it would be 6 of the baskets cuz one's on the ground.
So that would be 30 kg. Not to mention you can hang bean ladders and beans will grow right in between the leaves of the potatoes