hydroponics: the Kratky Method | Food Production and Preservation | Forums

i've been interested in hydroponics and aquaponics for a while. i've always been fascinated by plant biology, in fact i added a couple of plant biology and environmental biology courses to my college curriculum just for giggles.

i have a number of friends that grow "medicinal herbs" using indoor and outdoor hydroponics and have wanted to adapt their methods to food production. i have another acquaintance that grows food in a greenhouse using aquaponics. in fact, my medicinal herb growing friends are usually my best resource for primary grow research.

the problem is, i moved to a 94 year old house that has needed some renovations, have 4 kids that i love playing with, and a full time job. i don't have a lot of time, so i just visit my friends and look on in jealousy at their grow setups, wishing i had the time to spend building my own.

then one of my friends told me about the Kratky method of hydroponics. the gist of it is, you place a precisely measured mixture of hydroponic nutrients in a closed system, add your plants, and place in a sunny location. as the plant grows and uses the water and nutrients, the solution level drops, exposes the roots, provides oxygen to the plant, and eliminates the need for mechanical aeration.

here's one of the papers written by the researcher BA Kratky..

http://www.ctahr.haw.....ettuce.pdf

here's one of the better youtube videos videos on the subject...

here's a link to a number of Kratky videos. they also refer to the method as compost tea aquaponics.

http://easygrowsit.com/