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The Kratky Method By Dr. Bernard Kratky .

R

RainerRocks

Member
I been watching tons of youtube video's on every type of Hydroponics plus reading several forums.

Anyway I came upon this video "The Kratky Method " on youtube and was wondering if anyone has ever tried it.

Here's a youtube video of someone growing many leafy greens using the Kratky method .

Pretty Kool....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDYeffYcVkY

I did a search here using the name "Kratky" and nothing showed up here and other forums. I use the same UN on all grow forums so I'll post this on other forums also and ask.

Anyway I searched the Web and found this PDF.

This method was developed at the College of Tropical Agriculture at the University of Hawaii at Manoa
by Dr. Bernard Kratky. Here's his PDF file on comparing 3 different non-circulating hydroponics
methods for growing lettuce.

http://ag.arizona.edu/ceac/sites/ag....1086402097.pdf

PS: At least you would be able to eat if things got bad due to some kind of catastrophe....just be
sure to always carry some seeds with ya just in case...Hmmmm not a bad idea .
 
F

FRIENDinDEED

A FRIEND WITH WEED IS A . . .
Veteran
just watched the vid and have a new setup in my grow area that ive been working on. im definitely on board and will be trying it.

was using 2gl buckets and wanted to use something along the 5gl sid eof things whether it be buckets or containers and the liner made sense. I could probably use a black 3mil construction bag for the inside and out for whatever container I find to use.

I tell you something else, it makes me realize something that I witnessed during a pwr outage one year, I had my plants in hydro and the pwr was out for a week. the plants/roots were well into the water by then but with no pumps I got nervous and called it a wrap on that grow. the situation being what it was I would still check on them from time to time and was shocked that the plants were still standing tall and strong and didn't droop at all. I thought for sure that without those airstones they were gone . . .

now I understand why they never wilted
 
R

RainerRocks

Member
FRIENDinDEED said:
just watched the vid and have a new setup in my grow area that ive been working on. im definitely on board and will be trying it.

was using 2gl buckets and wanted to use something along the 5gl sid eof things whether it be buckets or containers and the liner made sense. I could probably use a black 3mil construction bag for the inside and out for whatever container I find to use.

I tell you something else, it makes me realize something that I witnessed during a pwr outage one year, I had my plants in hydro and the pwr was out for a week. the plants/roots were well into the water by then but with no pumps I got nervous and called it a wrap on that grow. the situation being what it was I would still check on them from time to time and was shocked that the plants were still standing tall and strong and didn't droop at all. I thought for sure that without those airstones they were gone . . .

now I understand why they never wilted
Click to expand...


What type of plants were you growing when the power went out ?

Trick is to have enough water so you don't have to replenish the water constantly and each type of plant has different amount
of water needs to grow to harvest.

Using a liner makes sense being I read where some have had their plastic buckets or containers crack and coming home to a mess.

I'm looking to buy a huge cooler..just makes more sense. It's made to hold water and holds temp well.

I'm looking to remove hinges from cover and trim it down to
fit inside cooolerjust enough so it has room to float. Then glue some styrofoam under cover so it floats and cover follows water line as oppose to roots following water line.

Trick is to keep light from getting in to prevent algae so I'll just have something dark all around the edges to keep the light out.
 
D

dudin

Active member
I found some great selfwatering pots that works as one of the three methods. Roots suspended in air as water level sinks. Use hempy mix. Tiny pot 1.7L hempymix 0.9L reservoir. 12/12 from seed 150w 70cm bud. 3-18c, water 1once a week. Never mesure ph or ec. Super simple.

Edit. Buy a big selfwatering pot and yeah same thing. Not satisfied you just drop an airstone in the wateringhole. Voila DWC. Coco or hempymix works nice I guess.
 
R

RainerRocks

Member
dudin said:
I found some great selfwatering pots that works as one of the three methods. Roots suspended in air as water level sinks. Use hempy mix. Tiny pot 1.7L hempymix 0.9L reservoir. 12/12 from seed 150w 70cm bud. 3-18c, water 1once a week. Never mesure ph or ec. Super simple.

Edit. Bye a big selfwatering pot and yeah same thing. Not satisfied you just drop an airstone in the wateringhole. Voila DWC. Coco or hempymix works nice I guess.
Click to expand...

I been meaning to buy a self watering pot...which one do you
recommend ?

Thanks
 
D

dudin

Active member
Don't know the brand but this is how they look.
11ilhyo.jpg

David vs Goliath
IMG_2006_zpsb0af3ef6.jpg
 
TLoft13

TLoft13

Member
I considered doing a table this way some time ago but decided against it.
Pro: Very good performance, no medium, cheap to start, cheap to maintain, easy
Contra: Maybe have to chill the water, the rafts hold no weight, you would have to use a Scrognet/trellis and then couldn't easily move single plants.
 
D

dudin

Active member
As the water level drops in my tiny reservoir my rots get exposed to air and that's in short the kratky method if I got it right (?). I don't believe it works like with the lettuce, filling once and then leave it until harvest. But a reservoir that lasts 2 weeks won't be a problem I think. When filling it the important thing would be to leave an airgap between the reservoir and the medium.
I'll try a tiny auto in a kratky style container on my balcony and see if it works.
 
D

dudin

Active member
Well my hands on experience tells me it works fine to fill my reservoirs every week. Only leaving a cm up to the medium (hempymix). extremely well airrated roots anyway.
 
D

dudin

Active member
Ok. Thiss will need too be filled every 3 day or something. But it will have roots under water and roots hanging in air. The interesting part of the Kratky method (imo). Its IKEA coco by the way. Predictions?
IMG_2030_zpsfdfb7278.jpg

IMG_2029_zps5e37d586.jpg.html


IMG_2028_zps956c57fa.jpg
 
R

RainerRocks

Member
dudin said:
Ok. Thiss will need too be filled every 3 day or something. But it will have roots under water and roots hanging in air. The interesting part of the Kratky method (imo). Its IKEA coco by the way. Predictions?
View Image
View Image

View Image
Click to expand...

I have to quote your post to see pics..

Why u have the roots all covered up in that tight cloth and why do you have soil ?

U need air between roots and cover plus I don't think you need to change water every 3 days. Just eyeball and see from there. As long as roots are in water it will drink what it needs. If water level falls below roots then add water .

Just cover the container and lid in dark tape to keep algae away.
 
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