The Ebb and Flow Hydroponic system is also known as a reservoir system which is an easy system to build, low in cost and also maintainance. All you need to have a basic setup for the system is a growing tray containing plants in containers filled with a growing medium like clay pebbles, rockwool, or perlite. You will have a suspended growing tray above a reservoir which is filled with water and hydroponic nutrient solution. In order to do the Ebb and Flow Hydroponic system, below is some of the information that may be useful to you.
What you need:
- 10 gallon plastic tub
- Plastic tray
- ΒΌ-inch black pvc tubeing
- Aquarium grade silicon
- Power drill
- Timer
- Pump
- PVC through hull fittings
- Small piece of screen
Method:
- To setup your reservoir using the 10 gallons PVC tote where it will be the container which will be holding the nutrient solution, pump, and aerating stone. Apart from that, you need to drill a hole in the lid of the 10 gallons tub to enable the vinyl tubing that attached to the pump can pass through easily.
- In order to protect your plant roots, you can use a tray that does not permit any light to shine through for example a plastic tray is better rather than wood or metal due to its lighter weight and durability. You also need to ensure that water will drain completely back into the reservoir from the tray because pools of standing water can create root rot, pest problems or even mold.
- Then, you need to install the pump in order to pump nutrient solution up through the vinyl tubing and also into the plastic tray to feed your plants roots. Two holes also need to be drilled in the plastic tray where one is for an inlet and the other one is for an outlet. The type of your hull PVC fitting will determine the size of the hole needed to be drilled and also make sure that you use the aquarium silicon and glue it tightly with the PVC fittings.
- Next, install a timer for automatically setting a trigger for the pump to flood the tray according to your schedule (like three times a day) and intervals the timer need to be on or off.
- The usage of an aquarium air stone is to provide adequate oxygen to your plants roots.
Additional Reading:
http://www.indoor-gardening-guide.com/indoor-hydro/ebb-and-flow.html
http://www.hydroponics-at-home.com/build-your-own-hydroponics-system.html
Image Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hackaday/133031719/
