Hey all. Mr. Star and I have been discussing starting a hydroponic vegetable garden. We noticed how much happier we are in the summer when fresh vegetables are in season, and we wanted to continue that into winter to see if it staves off the seasonal depression. Does anyone here do hydroponics?
We were thinking of using the Kratky method for some lettuce and herbs, and then doing deep water culture for bell peppers and tomatoes. Our friend gave us a couple growing lights, and the systems seem pretty straightforward. For Kratky, all you need is a mason jar, rock wool cubes, net cups, clay pebbles, tin foil, seeds, and plant food. For deep water culture, you need a large plastic tote, an air pump, and an air stone.
Overall, we should be spending roughly $50 on our setup. We chose hydroponics because it is cheaper and more low maintenance than soil plants, plus cleaner for indoor growing.
that’s interesting, i thought it would be more expensive to get setup than that. i don’t know much about hydroponics yet, but it’s something i want to learn about. im also looking for winter solutions, i would like to grow my own greens and herbs for the winter also. but right now im just growing them seasonally in spring and fall. sounds cool, it surely won’t hurt your winter blues.
I think that just the activity of trying something new and interesting such as growing vegetables indoors over the winter months will help with seasonal depression, independent of method used or ultimate success in terms of harvest. I say go for it, especially since it’s a modest monetary investment. Also, it may be a good family activity to do with Starlet.
