Your RUclips inspired me to hydroponic. I’m in The Gambia west Africa. Thanks to you am now growing commercial hydroponic using Kratky method and masterblend. I’m the first to grow commercial hydroponic in my country people could not believe that plants can grow without soil but now I prove to them that it grow even without soil. Thanks bro your channel is my university
Your video’s are great ! Last year I followed your instructions and built a Dutch bucket system. I had six buckets and grew tomatoes. Everyone was amazed at the size of my plants and the number of tomatoes I grew . Thank you so much for your videos.! I am disabled and I found that this was perfect for me . Thx
I myself have considered growing hydroponic gardens .You have some of the best informative videos on the subject and have convinced me to attempt my first hydro beds this summer . Keep the vids coming for all us novices.
Yep.. 2 mil views... who'd a thunk it ? Not me... I never saw it coming. But it is what it is, so I'll just keep on doing what I do, having fun and sharing while I'm learning. Thanks. :)
I realize I am late to the party and just getting into the hydroponic gardening method but thanks to you and your vast knowledge, and experimintation, I am learning so much. Your videos are tops because you break it down so newbies like me can hit the ground running. THANK YOU.
Thank you for your work on these videos and how you give concise information based on your experiences as you test products and ways of doing things. Also thank you for sharing your faith as well, that is the main reason we started watching your videos in the beginning.
If I could achieve your worst results, I'd consider it a success! I really appreciate everything you do and especially, taking the time to share it all with us. God bless.
Yea, the FF does have the trace minerals, along with worm castings and kelp. It was looking real good, then just turned on me. These varieties are heat tolerant, and slow to bolt. I really like them because of that. You're right, herbicides are definitely one of the things that have changed. They keep coming up with more and more sprays. Thanks Misty... rest that finger. :)
When you take plants from soil to hydro, there's a shock factor. It's not uncommon to have them look bad for the first couple of days while they try to make the adjustment. I much prefer to have them growing hydro from the start, so I don't have to deal with the shock. And you can cut down on the cycles to just 3x.
Thank you! These videos are helping to change peoples lives for the better, and equipping them with the knowledge they need to become self sufficient. God Bless you, and all you do!
Very true. The number of farms has gone way down. But I think people are beginning to see the light. There is a lot of interest in home gardening these days. If the .gov will stay out of the way, people can once again begin the process of providing for their own families.
I just subscribed about a week ago. And as a Louisiana farm boy I find your videos informational and entertaining. Having worked in North Carolina for a few years (Pittsboro area) I can tell by your accent that you don’t live very far away. Keep up the good work and I will be watching for more good stuff. Specially as you change “SMOKE” hats…….lol
You're right Ben. The fertilizer components are the same as they ever were, just tweaked a bit here and there. I remember using Weaver Triple 10 when I was a kid. Weaver is still making fertilizers today. I've heard about the super weeds, and that is scary. But not to worry, they'll find another spray, to be applied after the first spray..and so on. And you coule be right about the gnats. :)
Love your "Kratky" box design. Have six - growing lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bush beans, green onions, and spinach. Tomatoes/cucumbers need a support system. I built 1/2" PVC frame that functions as a trellis, hot house and protection from rain - works great. Tomatoes/cucumbers nutrients Kratky said to keep level at 2" after initial filling or you will drown the plants. To do use American Hydroponic float valve, 3" hole plug (for mounting) and 18 gal Roughneck nutrient tank. Good luck all.
Thanks for taking the time to do these experiments and share your info and knowledge. I just ate my first head of lettuce that I grew myself thanks to you.
LOL, I can't win Daniel. Down below, someone was asking if I'd do a taste test on the lettuce. Well, aside from eating plain lettuce, it would also involve eating a nice salad and a possibly a tomato sandwich on camera. I think that would be just a bit too much "pain". :)
Good explanation Phil, of the "masking". I moved a couple of those small red ones into the box that had the Hobby Formula. The red is becoming green, and in a hurry. They were definitely lacking Mg.
The picture that comes with this text is my beautiful wife my name is Michael I have been watching your videos for little more than two years I have subscribe I really appreciate all the work that you've done and I look forward to continue learning thank you so much for your work may the peace of God be with you
Good look with the new GH. Sounds like a lot of fun. I check the ph in these setups ever so often. And it's all over the place. I've had great production from 6 to 8, and points in between. I don't know why, but all of the plants seem to do well with the true hydro water soluble fertilizers, regardless of the ph. Thanks.
Thanks Bobby, I always learn from your videos. also, the wood construction in the interior of your greenhouse makes it look very natural and home like. You did a great job.
I just looked it up, they do indeed have 2 different formulas. One is Grow Big, the other is Grow Big Hydro. That's where the confusion comes in. I have the hydro version. Thanks for the help.
The calcium mixture contains nitrogen (calcium nitrate), the added nitrogen is what makes green crops grow, the original unadulterated Masterblend is for growing tomatoes or fruit similar to growing flowers, i.e. less nitrogen needed. If you look at the Master Blend Premixed (calcium nitrate and magnesium sulfate already added) ( sold this way on the Kratkey website) you will see that the nitrogen content has been raised to 20-18-38.
Thanks so much Bobby for doing this for us! I know I and many others really appreciate the effort that you put into these experiments! I totally love it!
I just found you a few weeks ago, and decided to start from the beginning and sequentially watch all your videos, but I am just too impatient for that. Should I start at now, and work myself backwards? thanks for listening to your heart, and standing up for the most important things in life, which are not seen, but so much more real.I think you are awesome.
Thank you, so much, Bobby! I use the Fox Farm, but after your video, I may change that, since most everything I've started is growing in perlite/vermiculite mix. Before I do, though, I might add some epsom salts to the water, at least on the lettuce, and see what happens. So far, though, everything is growing fast with it, but if it could be better, then.... Right now, I'm hand watering all the seedlings, and have lots of leaves on the avocado trees. Gardening is best done with an open mind. TY!
Yes sir, I'm not too far from Pittsboro, a few hours or so. I'm trying to change hats and see if Tony can change his luck. He needs to be quiet and stay out of trouble. Thanks.
5,893 Views! Wow, you have captured lots of followers. That because you are such a good soul! I have a lot of catching up to do. Been gone for a while.
Cool man thanks. I have some buttercrunch going right now using the same method, but I am using General Hydroponics maxi dry nutrients. They are looking great and totally blowing my mind how they are growing great without airstones. I've been into hydro for a while now and have never heard of this method till your videos. Appreciate it!
Thanks Bobby, nice results video on the lettuce. I see this Kratky method and really like your boxes. I was studying the tomato formula and could not plug in the epsom salt into the formula. Now here it is again as a player in that one that didn't get it. So does the epsom salt figure into fertilizer triple numbers? Like ten ten ten? I used that formula in my Earthboxes two and three years ago. I just could not tell from the white board what part if any of the formula the E. Salt affects?
I've watched Bobby's video's from recent, and in my spare time I start from the beginning. I really like this channel because it's very informative. I want to start the Kratky method, but I haven't gotten around with it yet. I'm planting in soil. Slugs have been eating my vegetables, so I'm thinking Kratky next.
Thank you for posting this video. I have been waiting in anticipation since you posted the first part of the experiment. I was interested in how the Foxfarm would turn out since it is organic. Organic and non gmo is important to me. Love your videos and always look forward to any posts you make. I hope you do experiment more with the Foxfarm to see if it can do better. Again thank you and God Bless.
I read somewhere that the red color in lettuce can become washed out if the plants grow to fast. And your plants definitely did have a difference in growth rates.
It's a lot more difficult to do a long duration plant. Something maturing in 30-45 days works best. Then, the longer you go, you get into topping off the reservoir. If you had a large enough reservoir for each plant, then it would be possible to take a tomato plant to 90-120 days.
The second box has the right color, based on the pic at Johnny's seeds. Yes sir, they certainly grew fast too. So maybe that explains box 4...slow growth equals more red. Thanks for 'splaining it to me. :)
Take a Q-tip and gently brush the centers of all the blossoms to help pollination. It's not always necessary, (like with tomatoes being self pollinating) but it never hurts to increase your odds.
i THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.I sincerely hope you are well and thriving in Gods will. I watched your Video after the Radio program and hope that you have brushed the Na savers of and continued with Jesus's teaching to teach people how to feed themselves. I see a lot of parables in your video's. Not everyone has eyes to see or ears to here the word of God, and will always doubt, some within the Church. May God bless and keep you in his light.
I want to say all the above has changed as I think they use more of everything to get the seed to grow, but then I think the seeds have not changed unless messed with such as gmo seeds. I could be wrong in my thinking though. good video sorry that last box took some kind of turn hope you can figure it out and set it back on track. thanks for sharing.
I know this is an older video, and I'm only now absorbing the large content of what's in your channel, no idea what you're currently up to, but I wanted to toss an idea out. I used to be a big tropical fish hobbyist with a big library. Anyway, what they recommended to do when the power went out for an unknown period was to run airstones from a tire inner tube to keep the filter from going toxic. I'm thinking you could try that for another purpose, to save electricity, if you ever wanted to experiment again. I don't know how long the air would hold out, but probably a couple days per air fill up, and you could run a gang valve splitter for multiple stones. Just a thought.
It's might be too late now but it would be interesting to see what would happen if you added just epson salt to those runts to see if they started to grow again, But those are some fine looking heads of lettuce in the other boxes. Thanks for your hard work I've learned a bunch. Take care.
Great report on your lettuce. I've heard that in a 'no electricity' situation, that you could aerate your 'beds' a couple of times a day, using an old, hand-held rotary egg beater. Just thinkin' ahead. Thanks.
Hi Bobby, great videos. I myself am getting ready to put up a 32'X48' green house to house a 2,000 +/- gallon aquaponic system. I've been experimenting with it on a small scale for a few years now and grew hydroponically for a few prior. I haven't had the chance to watch all your videos yet, but I don't recall you mentioning PH. Might want to look into it with that last bed since lockout is a common issue with hydroponics. Good luck and I'll keep tuning in.
I haven't eaten the FF lettuce. The roots are not healthy, so I prefer to go with the other plants. I'll try a piece today. The Hobby formula is a multi-purpose fertilizer. It should do a decent job on most vegetables.
I'm not sure about EC, but ppm was around 700. The 4-18-38 was about 800. A little bit of difference, but not enough to cause a problem. Someone else suggested it may be related to the organic components in a static solution. I'll try to find out.
Great idea rchopp. Proof awaits, nice attempt here to turn on the lettuce turbo. I will have to say I liked the red color of the runts. ha ha. I'm a watchin'....
Another great video Bobby. I tried this method last summer but my foam board was floating on the water surface. I just used 20-20-20 w/ Epsom salts. Things started off great but stopped growing after about 2 weeks. I think it was lack of O to the roots. Maybe the fertilizer also and lack of calcium. I think you reds are so red in box 4 because of lack of chlorophyll. the red pigments are there in the others but the chlorophyll is masking it. Think leaves coloring in the fall. Phil
You have 2 options... top off the reservoir with more nutrient water...or remove everything and wipe clean. Since there's no algae, cleanup is very easy.
Hi! I've been watching your videos for a long time and love them all. I stumbled back upon this video and it got me thinking.. Most nutrient companies omit a Cal/Mg element from their nutrients because it naturally occurs in tap water. If you are using water straight out of the tap with these nutrients you will be fine. If you choose to either let your water sit out or use air stones in order to remove chlorine (which kills beneficial bacteria) through evaporation, you also lose the calcium and magnesium through evaporation. All four of your tables would naturally evaporate the cal/mg from the water so you are absolutely correct. If you had added Epsom salt or any other form of cal/mg the Fox Farm probably would have done just was well if not better. More videos please!!!
Calcium and magnesium do not evaporate, they are absorbed into the plants, they are salts, as with table salt, if you dissolved it into water and then let the water evaporate the salt would be left behind. The Fox Farm brand did not ask for the calcium nitrate or magnesium sulfate to be added, when the quantities of the two nutrients available in the Fox Farm fertilizer and the water supply, what was available was diminished by the plants, there wasn't enough left for new growth. Coincidentally the calcium nitrate adds nitrogen, which also would have increased growth.
The Epsom and any other nutrients should be added when you fill the reservoir. You should wait until they get the first true leaves before putting the seedlings into the raft.
your ph for the 1st box would make me think it would have done the worst do to the large swing in ph range. thats crazy though. good info thank you for sharing.
Another great video. I'm assuming you flush the veggies for a couple days before harvest. I was lazy with my last crop and skipped that step and regret it. Amazing the size of those heads in 24 days. I missed if you covered it, do you measure PPM from your tanks? Do you top it off with water or solution over the weeks. Grow Big also has two flavors one for dirt and a Grow Big Hydroponic, not clear which one you used. Love from California.
thank you very much i appreciated all your advise just starting to get some new growth with some small white roots .i am going to add the air to the kracky boxes.
You need some way to suspend the plants above the water. 1 inch, or even 2 inch styrofoam perform very well. The problem with plywood is the addition of water. The underside of the raft/foam stays very wet, so the plywood would warp and sag.
Yes, they are on the porch but I planted them from seed in potting mix so wouldn't that have enough nitrogen already in the mix? Hasn't been very long since they've been out there. They are just in small 10" pots. We have had a lot of rain, though, but I remember there were a few hot days right after I put them out there so was wondering if it was sunburn. The new leaves do not look yellow yet, so am hoping sunburn. Just in case, I put epsom salt once. How often should I water more in?
He has a video on him setting up his bed set-up. The answer to your question is that he put the plastic in and then filled it with water, pushing the corners in as he filled it up more.
I think you told me that once before. Reading the label, it does have some worm castings and kelp. I'm gonna give it one more try with some Epsom and see what happens, just out of curiosity. But... you're probably right. :)
Bobby, Thanks so much for your videos! I had a question on how you start your lettuce seeds for the hydro setups? I have tried several different ways but have run into problems starting in a seed starter mix. I also tried the STG cubes unfortunately, i think there was too much moisture as i got a black mold on all the cubes. anyhelp would be appreciated.
Is there a taste difference between the big light red plants and the small very dark red ones? I think the dark red would look nice in a salad. Maybe ad some of that grow medium at the end of the grow period of the red lettuce to give it colour.
It sounds like you have some containers on the porch. If you have yellowish leaves, it's probably too much water or not enough nitrogen. Without seeing what you have, that would be my first guess. If they didn't get hardened off enough, yes they could be sunburned.
I'm not familiar with switching from Grow to Bloom. But if the plants looks healthy, I'd keep doing what you're doing. As long as you don't get blossom drop, you should be ok.
Thanks. There's no way I could eat all this lettuce. I gave away a bunch yesterday, and a lot more today. Folks like having the lettuce to go with the tomatoes.
The roots were discolored, kinda tan like...they didn't appear to be slimy. For sure, I have some good fertilizers to work with. But I'd like to figure out the FF deal. I'll try one more time.
Epsom Salt, from Wikipedia, In gardening and other agriculture, magnesium sulfate is used to correct a magnesium or sulfur deficiency in soil; magnesium is an essential element in the chlorophyll molecule, and sulfur is another important micronutrient. It is most commonly applied to potted plants, or to magnesium-hungry crops, such as potatoes, roses, tomatoes, lemon trees, and peppers
With so many things on the list of do not touch, eat, or smell... it's hard to know what is good or bad these days. I try to look at it from a common sense perspective, and go from there. Eating more home grown foods means I don't have to make those decisions quite so often. :)
hey Bobby love all your videos.i just started my own outdoor hydro garden last week .i using the dutch buckets (14) , 3 kracky boxes and 2 small totes for herbs.i had to buy my plants from a local nursery .i had sure to gently remove a the dirt from plants and replant them in the hydro systems .but the plants do not look very healthy .the plants are turning yellow limp and the leaves are dry out.i add the correct nutrients to the reservoirs and the PH look good.my timer 4x .5hr need advise thx
Excellent point about what has and has not changed! In the past 50 years fertilizers have stayed the same. Its the Gmos breeding chemicals into the seed that is new. Now the weeds are becoming resistant and super weeds are here! With taproots the size of telephone poles! Also new is the gassing of the produce to ensure long shipping life and shelf life. Let me ask you something Bobby, How come I don't see a single fly knatt or bug in the grocery store? Mabe they know its toxic?! haha
Great videos mhpgardener! Quick question... you say "its been 24 days". Thats how many days since you put it in the system. How many days is that after "planting" the seeds? Do you have a video that shoes how you germinate the seeds and talks about how long before you put them in the system?
Okra likes heat.... and does well under dry conditions. Plus, with the long maturity time, I don't think it would make a god hydro candidate. But, like you, I wouldn't mind seeing someone try it.
Glad to see that you added air stones! But if you had a small water pump shooting straight up to the bottom of a solid area - that would circulate the water as well as adding air. I grew a 12 foot diameter medical marijuana plant in a 5 gal bucket in a 3 foot diameter plastic tank . 8 pounds of manicured buds. (Then I quit the business as I learned that most of my 'patients' were nothing more than major pot-heads) PS: Try adding Fulvic acid to your crop and enjoy the results!
Bobby, summer is approaching here in Texas and it will be too hot for the lettuce. I am finding myself with nothing to put in the Kratky bed. Do you have a plant suggestion so this doesn't sit idle for the summer? When fall approaches, we will be back in full swing with lettuce.
Your RUclips inspired me to hydroponic. I’m in The Gambia west Africa. Thanks to you am now growing commercial hydroponic using Kratky method and masterblend. I’m the first to grow commercial hydroponic in my country people could not believe that plants can grow without soil but now I prove to them that it grow even without soil. Thanks bro your channel is my university
Your video’s are great ! Last year I followed your instructions and built a Dutch bucket system. I had six buckets and grew tomatoes. Everyone was amazed at the size of my plants and the number of tomatoes I grew . Thank you so much for your videos.! I am disabled and I found that this was perfect for me . Thx
I myself have considered growing hydroponic gardens .You have some of the best informative videos on the subject and have convinced me to attempt my first hydro beds this summer . Keep the vids coming for all us novices.
Yep.. 2 mil views... who'd a thunk it ? Not me... I never saw it coming. But it is what it is, so I'll just keep on doing what I do, having fun and sharing while I'm learning. Thanks. :)
I personally appreciate these side by side experiments a great deal. thank you sir!
YES ME TO!!!!
I realize I am late to the party and just getting into the hydroponic gardening method but thanks to you and your vast knowledge, and experimintation, I am learning so much. Your videos are tops because you break it down so newbies like me can hit the ground running. THANK YOU.
It is never too late to learn.😉👍
Thank you for your work on these videos and how you give concise information based on your experiences as you test products and ways of doing things. Also thank you for sharing your faith as well, that is the main reason we started watching your videos in the beginning.
If I could achieve your worst results, I'd consider it a success!
I really appreciate everything you do and especially, taking the time to share it all with us.
God bless.
Congrats on 2 million views. You deserve it for all the hard work you put in.
Keep up the good work.
Yea, the FF does have the trace minerals, along with worm castings and kelp. It was looking real good, then just turned on me. These varieties are heat tolerant, and slow to bolt. I really like them because of that. You're right, herbicides are definitely one of the things that have changed. They keep coming up with more and more sprays. Thanks Misty... rest that finger. :)
When you take plants from soil to hydro, there's a shock factor. It's not uncommon to have them look bad for the first couple of days while they try to make the adjustment. I much prefer to have them growing hydro from the start, so I don't have to deal with the shock. And you can cut down on the cycles to just 3x.
Thank you! These videos are helping to change peoples lives for the better, and equipping them with the knowledge they need to become self sufficient. God Bless you, and all you do!
Very true. The number of farms has gone way down. But I think people are beginning to see the light. There is a lot of interest in home gardening these days. If the .gov will stay out of the way, people can once again begin the process of providing for their own families.
I just subscribed about a week ago. And as a Louisiana farm boy I find your videos informational and entertaining. Having worked in North Carolina for a few years (Pittsboro area) I can tell by your accent that you don’t live very far away. Keep up the good work and I will be watching for more good stuff. Specially as you change “SMOKE” hats…….lol
It's such a simple method. As long as the fertilizer is right, it seems to take care of itself.
Thanks Bobby! Side note: Last year you ate tomatoes early on me and it hurt real bad, this year you did it again and seemed to enjoy my pain.
You're right Ben. The fertilizer components are the same as they ever were, just tweaked a bit here and there. I remember using Weaver Triple 10 when I was a kid. Weaver is still making fertilizers today. I've heard about the super weeds, and that is scary. But not to worry, they'll find another spray, to be applied after the first spray..and so on. And you coule be right about the gnats. :)
Love your "Kratky" box design. Have six - growing lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bush beans, green onions, and spinach. Tomatoes/cucumbers need a support system. I built 1/2" PVC frame that functions as a trellis, hot house and protection from rain - works great. Tomatoes/cucumbers nutrients Kratky said to keep level at 2" after initial filling or you will drown the plants. To do use American Hydroponic float valve, 3" hole plug (for mounting) and 18 gal Roughneck nutrient tank. Good luck all.
Thanks for taking the time to do these experiments and share your info and knowledge. I just ate my first head of lettuce that I grew myself thanks to you.
LOL, I can't win Daniel. Down below, someone was asking if I'd do a taste test on the lettuce. Well, aside from eating plain lettuce, it would also involve eating a nice salad and a possibly a tomato sandwich on camera. I think that would be just a bit too much "pain". :)
Good explanation Phil, of the "masking". I moved a couple of those small red ones into the box that had the Hobby Formula. The red is becoming green, and in a hurry. They were definitely lacking Mg.
The picture that comes with this text is my beautiful wife my name is Michael I have been watching your videos for little more than two years I have subscribe I really appreciate all the work that you've done and I look forward to continue learning thank you so much for your work may the peace of God be with you
Good look with the new GH. Sounds like a lot of fun. I check the ph in these setups ever so often. And it's all over the place. I've had great production from 6 to 8, and points in between. I don't know why, but all of the plants seem to do well with the true hydro water soluble fertilizers, regardless of the ph. Thanks.
Thanks Bobby, I always learn from your videos. also, the wood construction in the interior of your greenhouse makes it look very natural and home like. You did a great job.
I just looked it up, they do indeed have 2 different formulas. One is Grow Big, the other is Grow Big Hydro. That's where the confusion comes in. I have the hydro version. Thanks for the help.
The calcium mixture contains nitrogen (calcium nitrate), the added nitrogen is what makes green crops grow, the original unadulterated Masterblend is for growing tomatoes or fruit similar to growing flowers, i.e. less nitrogen needed. If you look at the Master Blend Premixed (calcium nitrate and magnesium sulfate already added) ( sold this way on the Kratkey website) you will see that the nitrogen content has been raised to 20-18-38.
Thanks so much Bobby for doing this for us! I know I and many others really appreciate the effort that you put into these experiments! I totally love it!
I just found you a few weeks ago, and decided to start from the beginning and sequentially watch all your videos, but I am just too impatient for that. Should I start at now, and work myself backwards? thanks for listening to your heart, and standing up for the most important things in life, which are not seen, but so much more real.I think you are awesome.
Yes...sometimes. And we have cloudy days too. But, the sunny days usually outnumber the cloudy ones.
Thank you, so much, Bobby! I use the Fox Farm, but after your video, I may change that, since most everything I've started is growing in perlite/vermiculite mix. Before I do, though, I might add some epsom salts to the water, at least on the lettuce, and see what happens. So far, though, everything is growing fast with it, but if it could be better, then.... Right now, I'm hand watering all the seedlings, and have lots of leaves on the avocado trees. Gardening is best done with an open mind. TY!
Yes sir, I'm not too far from Pittsboro, a few hours or so. I'm trying to change hats and see if Tony can change his luck. He needs to be quiet and stay out of trouble. Thanks.
very interesting, learned more on your sit then any of many I look at, thank you Christine.
5,893 Views! Wow, you have captured lots of followers. That because you are such a good soul! I have a lot of catching up to do. Been gone for a while.
Cool man thanks. I have some buttercrunch going right now using the same method, but I am using General Hydroponics maxi dry nutrients. They are looking great and totally blowing my mind how they are growing great without airstones. I've been into hydro for a while now and have never heard of this method till your videos. Appreciate it!
Thanks Bobby, nice results video on the lettuce. I see this Kratky method and really like your boxes. I was studying the tomato formula and could not plug in the epsom salt into the formula. Now here it is again as a player in that one that didn't get it. So does the epsom salt figure into fertilizer triple numbers? Like ten ten ten? I used that formula in my Earthboxes two and three years ago. I just could not tell from the white board what part if any of the formula the E. Salt affects?
I have learned so much love this guy
I've watched Bobby's video's from recent, and in my spare time I start from the beginning. I really like this channel because it's very informative. I want to start the Kratky method, but I haven't gotten around with it yet. I'm planting in soil. Slugs have been eating my vegetables, so I'm thinking Kratky next.
Thank you for posting this video. I have been waiting in anticipation since you posted the first part of the experiment. I was interested in how the Foxfarm would turn out since it is organic. Organic and non gmo is important to me. Love your videos and always look forward to any posts you make. I hope you do experiment more with the Foxfarm to see if it can do better. Again thank you and God Bless.
Very good looking plants. Do you eat all your results or do you share with family and friends?
I read somewhere that the red color in lettuce can become washed out if the plants grow to fast. And your plants definitely did have a difference in growth rates.
Wow Bobby! Great update, sorry that 4th box was bad. Those heads of lettuce would make good salad. Till next time, grow big my friend. -Mark
I tried the small red lettuce yesterday. It was so bitter I don't think the old mule would even eat it. :)
It's a lot more difficult to do a long duration plant. Something maturing in 30-45 days works best. Then, the longer you go, you get into topping off the reservoir. If you had a large enough reservoir for each plant, then it would be possible to take a tomato plant to 90-120 days.
The second box has the right color, based on the pic at Johnny's seeds. Yes sir, they certainly grew fast too. So maybe that explains box 4...slow growth equals more red. Thanks for 'splaining it to me. :)
Take a Q-tip and gently brush the centers of all the blossoms to help pollination. It's not always necessary, (like with tomatoes being self pollinating) but it never hurts to increase your odds.
i THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.I sincerely hope you are well and thriving in Gods will. I watched your Video after the Radio program and hope that you have brushed the Na savers of and continued with Jesus's teaching to teach people how to feed themselves. I see a lot of parables in your video's. Not everyone has eyes to see or ears to here the word of God, and will always doubt, some within the Church. May God bless and keep you in his light.
you explain every move very well. from you I learn.
I want to say all the above has changed as I think they use more of everything to get the seed to grow, but then I think the seeds have not changed unless messed with such as gmo seeds. I could be wrong in my thinking though. good video sorry that last box took some kind of turn hope you can figure it out and set it back on track. thanks for sharing.
I know this is an older video, and I'm only now absorbing the large content of what's in your channel, no idea what you're currently up to, but I wanted to toss an idea out. I used to be a big tropical fish hobbyist with a big library. Anyway, what they recommended to do when the power went out for an unknown period was to run airstones from a tire inner tube to keep the filter from going toxic. I'm thinking you could try that for another purpose, to save electricity, if you ever wanted to experiment again. I don't know how long the air would hold out, but probably a couple days per air fill up, and you could run a gang valve splitter for multiple stones. Just a thought.
It's might be too late now but it would be interesting to see what would happen if you added just epson salt to those runts to see if they started to grow again, But those are some fine looking heads of lettuce in the other boxes. Thanks for your hard work I've learned a bunch. Take care.
Great report on your lettuce. I've heard that in a 'no electricity' situation, that you could aerate your 'beds' a couple of times a day, using an old, hand-held rotary egg beater. Just thinkin' ahead. Thanks.
Lettuce matures in about 30 days. Brussel sprouts take up to 90 days. So naturally, growth will be much slower.
Hi Bobby, great videos. I myself am getting ready to put up a 32'X48' green house to house a 2,000 +/- gallon aquaponic system. I've been experimenting with it on a small scale for a few years now and grew hydroponically for a few prior. I haven't had the chance to watch all your videos yet, but I don't recall you mentioning PH. Might want to look into it with that last bed since lockout is a common issue with hydroponics. Good luck and I'll keep tuning in.
I haven't eaten the FF lettuce. The roots are not healthy, so I prefer to go with the other plants. I'll try a piece today. The Hobby formula is a multi-purpose fertilizer. It should do a decent job on most vegetables.
starting my hydroponics really enjoy watching your videos
I'm not sure about EC, but ppm was around 700. The 4-18-38 was about 800. A little bit of difference, but not enough to cause a problem. Someone else suggested it may be related to the organic components in a static solution. I'll try to find out.
Great idea rchopp. Proof awaits, nice attempt here to turn on the lettuce turbo. I will have to say I liked the red color of the runts. ha ha. I'm a watchin'....
This was my third in a row. I am learning a great deal from your vids. Thanks again.
Another great video Bobby. I tried this method last summer but my foam board was floating on the water surface. I just used 20-20-20 w/ Epsom salts. Things started off great but stopped growing after about 2 weeks. I think it was lack of O to the roots. Maybe the fertilizer also and lack of calcium. I think you reds are so red in box 4 because of lack of chlorophyll. the red pigments are there in the others but the chlorophyll is masking it. Think leaves coloring in the fall.
Phil
You have 2 options... top off the reservoir with more nutrient water...or remove everything and wipe clean. Since there's no algae, cleanup is very easy.
Hi! I've been watching your videos for a long time and love them all. I stumbled back upon this video and it got me thinking..
Most nutrient companies omit a Cal/Mg element from their nutrients because it naturally occurs in tap water. If you are using water straight out of the tap with these nutrients you will be fine. If you choose to either let your water sit out or use air stones in order to remove chlorine (which kills beneficial bacteria) through evaporation, you also lose the calcium and magnesium through evaporation. All four of your tables would naturally evaporate the cal/mg from the water so you are absolutely correct. If you had added Epsom salt or any other form of cal/mg the Fox Farm probably would have done just was well if not better. More videos please!!!
Calcium and magnesium do not evaporate, they are absorbed into the plants, they are salts, as with table salt, if you dissolved it into water and then let the water evaporate the salt would be left behind. The Fox Farm brand did not ask for the calcium nitrate or magnesium sulfate to be added, when the quantities of the two nutrients available in the Fox Farm fertilizer and the water supply, what was available was diminished by the plants, there wasn't enough left for new growth. Coincidentally the calcium nitrate adds nitrogen, which also would have increased growth.
HeyZeus667 nice videos 😀😀
The Epsom and any other nutrients should be added when you fill the reservoir. You should wait until they get the first true leaves before putting the seedlings into the raft.
your ph for the 1st box would make me think it would have done the worst do to the large swing in ph range. thats crazy though. good info thank you for sharing.
Another great video. I'm assuming you flush the veggies for a couple days before harvest. I was lazy with my last crop and skipped that step and regret it. Amazing the size of those heads in 24 days. I missed if you covered it, do you measure PPM from your tanks? Do you top it off with water or solution over the weeks. Grow Big also has two flavors one for dirt and a Grow Big Hydroponic, not clear which one you used. Love from California.
Sure do miss your videos.
Thanks. It sounds like you really have it figured out.
thank you very much i appreciated all your advise just starting to get some new growth with some small white roots .i am going to add the air to the kracky boxes.
No concerns at all. As long as I'm not melting anything, things should remain very stable.
You need some way to suspend the plants above the water. 1 inch, or even 2 inch styrofoam perform very well. The problem with plywood is the addition of water. The underside of the raft/foam stays very wet, so the plywood would warp and sag.
Yes, they are on the porch but I planted them from seed in potting mix so wouldn't that have enough nitrogen already in the mix? Hasn't been very long since they've been out there. They are just in small 10" pots. We have had a lot of rain, though, but I remember there were a few hot days right after I put them out there so was wondering if it was sunburn. The new leaves do not look yellow yet, so am hoping sunburn. Just in case, I put epsom salt once. How often should I water more in?
what do you do with the water/masterblend when you are done with it?
Can I use it to water the vegetables in my garden?
Thanks for the great videos
He has a video on him setting up his bed set-up. The answer to your question is that he put the plastic in and then filled it with water, pushing the corners in as he filled it up more.
Yes, it was noted in the description box.
I think you told me that once before. Reading the label, it does have some worm castings and kelp. I'm gonna give it one more try with some Epsom and see what happens, just out of curiosity. But... you're probably right. :)
Bobby, Thanks so much for your videos! I had a question on how you start your lettuce seeds for the hydro setups? I have tried several different ways but have run into problems starting in a seed starter mix. I also tried the STG cubes unfortunately, i think there was too much moisture as i got a black mold on all the cubes. anyhelp would be appreciated.
Is there a taste difference between the big light red plants and the small very dark red ones? I think the dark red would look nice in a salad. Maybe ad some of that grow medium at the end of the grow period of the red lettuce to give it colour.
It sounds like you have some containers on the porch. If you have yellowish leaves, it's probably too much water or not enough nitrogen. Without seeing what you have, that would be my first guess. If they didn't get hardened off enough, yes they could be sunburned.
I'm not familiar with switching from Grow to Bloom. But if the plants looks healthy, I'd keep doing what you're doing. As long as you don't get blossom drop, you should be ok.
Glad I bought the 4-18-38 like u suggested! Been having trouble starting my seeds though!
Thanks. There's no way I could eat all this lettuce. I gave away a bunch yesterday, and a lot more today. Folks like having the lettuce to go with the tomatoes.
How long does it take to germinate your seedling lettuce to the stage you can move them to start the growing process? Thank you.
Thanks "doc"..... I'm looking for some great things out of you this year. Hopefully the weather cooperates.
Hello, Between harvests do you need to completely replace the water with the kraty method or can you just top it off with nutrient solution?
well done you made life easier for us trying to grow veggies with this system.
The roots were discolored, kinda tan like...they didn't appear to be slimy. For sure, I have some good fertilizers to work with. But I'd like to figure out the FF deal. I'll try one more time.
There was a huge difference in taste. The full size healthy looking lettuce tastes great. The stunted, brown root lettuce is awful, extremely bitter.
Epsom Salt, from Wikipedia, In gardening and other agriculture, magnesium sulfate is used to correct a magnesium or sulfur deficiency in soil; magnesium is an essential element in the chlorophyll molecule, and sulfur is another important micronutrient. It is most commonly applied to potted plants, or to magnesium-hungry crops, such as potatoes, roses, tomatoes, lemon trees, and peppers
With so many things on the list of do not touch, eat, or smell... it's hard to know what is good or bad these days. I try to look at it from a common sense perspective, and go from there. Eating more home grown foods means I don't have to make those decisions quite so often. :)
Unlike the Miracle Grow Products, the Fox Farm Grow Big doesn't contain Urea. It has the same nitrogen source as the other boxes.
That's awesome! Do you have a video on how you start your lettuce?
hey Bobby love all your videos.i just started my own outdoor hydro garden last week .i using the dutch buckets (14) , 3 kracky boxes and 2 small totes for herbs.i had to buy my plants from a local nursery .i had sure to gently remove a the dirt from plants and replant them in the hydro systems .but the plants do not look very healthy .the plants are turning yellow limp and the leaves are dry out.i add the correct nutrients to the reservoirs and the PH look good.my timer 4x .5hr need advise thx
Excellent point about what has and has not changed! In the past 50 years fertilizers have stayed the same. Its the Gmos breeding chemicals into the seed that is new. Now the weeds are becoming resistant and super weeds are here! With taproots the size of telephone poles! Also new is the gassing of the produce to ensure long shipping life and shelf life. Let me ask you something Bobby, How come I don't see a single fly knatt or bug in the grocery store? Mabe they know its toxic?! haha
You make that look so simple, growing food made easy!
your still doing a great job thanks
Great videos mhpgardener!
Quick question... you say "its been 24 days". Thats how many days since you put it in the system. How many days is that after "planting" the seeds? Do you have a video that shoes how you germinate the seeds and talks about how long before you put them in the system?
Thanks. I learn a lot from other videos, so I try to contribute whenever I can. As a friend of mine says..I hope it helps. :)
Another fantastic video in your great collection. I learn so much.
Okra likes heat.... and does well under dry conditions. Plus, with the long maturity time, I don't think it would make a god hydro candidate. But, like you, I wouldn't mind seeing someone try it.
Glad to see that you added air stones! But if you had a small water pump shooting straight up to the bottom of a solid area - that would circulate the water as well as adding air.
I grew a 12 foot diameter medical marijuana plant in a 5 gal bucket in a 3 foot diameter plastic tank .
8 pounds of manicured buds. (Then I quit the business as I learned that most of my 'patients' were nothing more than major pot-heads)
PS: Try adding Fulvic acid to your crop and enjoy the results!
Bobby, summer is approaching here in Texas and it will be too hot for the lettuce. I am finding myself with nothing to put in the Kratky bed. Do you have a plant suggestion so this doesn't sit idle for the summer? When fall approaches, we will be back in full swing with lettuce.