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I built this hydroponic deep water culture system for starting pepper plants. It was very inexpensive and easy to build and works well. It uses a small air pump, air stones, one-inch net cups, AeroGarden sponges (although just about any kind of growing sponge would work, ie BioDome, Rapid Rooter, Root Riot, etc… It has a built-in light stand with a Sansi 30 watt grow light.
Parts showed (or equivalent) in the video:
Commander XL 5 gallon tote – Get at Lowes
Air pump – https://amzn.to/2XNpXpB
Air stones – https://amzn.to/2TtfFfG
Sansi 30 watt grow light – https://amzn.to/2XPc8H7
Dyna-Gro 7-9-5 – https://amzn.to/2XOKz0T
Air tubing – https://amzn.to/2NV3LFI
1-inch net cups – https://amzn.to/2NV06r7
AeroGarden sponges – https://amzn.to/2TqEn0m
or
Rapid Rooter (cut these in quarters the long way) – https://amzn.to/2XOKzxV
1-inch bit – https://amzn.to/2NT804t
1-inch PVC pipe – get at Lowes
1-inch PVC tee – get at Lowes
Here are pics of some of the plants I transplanted out of this system.
I enjoyed your video very much. I haven’t had much luck growing peppers hydroponically in my tower garden nor in my soil planter (bugs get them outside). The 1” mesh pots are hard to find in stock. Any suggestions?
Also, could I leave plants to grow in this system instead of transplanting them? What kinds of plants would work well? Would I need to use larger net pots?
I live in East/Central Florida and gardening is tricky here. Heat, salt, and bugs. Hydro had been much easier as I can use my screened patio and control the water.
Thanks for any help you can give me.
Jana
If it’s really hot, a Kratky system might do better for your bigger plants. It’s not as affected by heat as DWC. For the seed starter, you could use 2-inch or 3-inch net pots, and use the appropriate hold saw. A 3-inch net pot will fit perfectly in a wide-mouth mason jar. I hope you have a great season.