Fodder feed  I have 2 horses and a dozen chicken. With the cost of hay and grain going up every week, I have started to look into a Fodder Feed system, but the cost ...

Compost tea  I have built an ebb and flow system with 12 Gal in the nutrient tank. I would like to make compost tea from real backyard compost to use for the solution....

a little white mold on starter plugs  This is a true newbie's question. I've just started my very first seeds in the starter plugs. I've noticed that a thin layer of what looks like white mold ...

Clay balls problem  have recently brought some clay balls and they seem to be raising the ph of my system have done many test and it the caly ball is the problem does any ...

How do you mix up nutrients?  Hi! I'm interested in setting up my own hydroponics. I already understand how it is done however there's not much information about the formula on how ...

New and Learning  Hi Stella!
I have been a fan of your site for a long time now; it has helped me so much in getting myself set up to start hydro gardening in my brand ...

End rot  Is there a cure for end rot on tomatoes or is the whole plant a loss? I understand once a tomatoe has it that tomatoe is gone but can I fix it so the rest ...

compost in Hydro setup  My crazy idea !! Ok i love the hydro system but don´t like to ad "fake" fertilizers my idea is to combine the the compost bin to the hydro setup.
hmm,...

Green onions  I would love to grown green onions in a bucket bubbler for year round harvests, but have two questions.

There are green onions that "multiply" and ...

Lighting  Hello Stella,

I want to build the small lettuce raft for a starter project. I know I will want to eventually try tomatoes, squash, different variety ...

Stunted seedlings  Love your site and need your help!

Having issue growing plants. Have been unsuccessfully able to grow lettuce, broccoli, and peppers indoors from seeds....

GETTING STARTED ORGANIC HYDROPONIC OUTDOORS  Hello

I live in zone 9 or 10 South FL 33484 and want to start an outdoor organic hydroponic garden to grow lettuce, vegies, herbs, fruits, spices.
Who ...

pumps and timers  I have a hydroponic tomato plant in a bucket with an air stone.
Do I leave the air pump on all night?
How long should the air pump run with plants?
Should ...

Hand Watering!  Hello! I recently invested in several stacker pots to raise some veggies on my patio. I am looking to feed the plants by hand watering from the top. Each ...

Hardwater & ppm  Hi this is anthony from las vegas nev. i just started dwc 5 gallon system and its ppm is 636 but the ph is 5.6. it just got its true leaves is that to ...

Vegetation Chamber Woes  I have recently purchased a SuperCloset and I am a newbie at hydroponics. My supercloset contains a cloning chamber and a vegetation chamber. I seem to ...

Minnesota to California NFT Lettuce   Hey all! Mark from Junko's Garden in MN here. My wife and I have picked up and moved for the winter to Los Angeles. We have been growing approximately ...

SNAP HYDROPONICS  I want to ask if i can use coco coir or coco peat as a growing medium for the seedlings to start their roots? If that is possible. what is the procedure ...

Hydroponics Outdoor system   Hello , I live in Cape Town, South Africa. I am a horticulturist and have 5 hothouse's with UV Defused Plastic Sheeting. All have misting irrigation systems ...

Stella's Grow Juice  Is your grow juice chart for ebb and flow systems, as well as the bubbler system. I think the GH chart has different amounts, depending on what system ...

Why won't vinegar work?  Regarding your current issue on pH. Why is it that vinegar will not work in the long term? I have water with a PH of 7.4 and everybody is using nitric ...

How Much Light  Newbie here, how long do I keep the light on when starting seeds? Also, should I use a nutrient solution for them or just plain water.

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Answer ...

Tomatoes dying... any ideas?  I'm new to this and have a problem. The tomato plant (12") I have is healthy on top, but the lower limbs continue to die off from the end toward the stem....

"Topping" a tomato plant  Is it true that when a tomato is "topped", it produces more abundantly? If so, what is the most advantageous height? Also, in your site you state that ...

A question on inputting air to the plant roots  I have a 30 gallon resevoir with 4 five foot, 4" pvc pipes connected to it. These pipes contain my pots & growing medium, with a pump within the resevoir ...

Cherry Tomatoes Won't Ripen  We have a problem with Cherry Tomatoes. The tomatoes are big and doing very well but it has not ripened yet. What could possibly be the reason why it ...

Sediment in tank?  Thank you Stella/Simon for the advice on adding nutrients for my granddaughters science fair project, but have another concern. Should explain the dwc ...

Hydroponic/cold frame?  Well, the last two years I have been on a few missions trips to Northwest Mexico in the mountains of the Chihuahua State. The mission group is ministering ...

Sure To Grow?  I was wondering if you have tried the newest medium on the market. The Sure to Grow (STG). I have began using it and it is by far the best medium on the ...

Where can you get an airstone?  Where do I buy the airstone????? It is like driving a car with no windshield...There's just something missing!

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Answer ...

Pythium  I started using a UV light to kill this bacteria on my lettuce and had some good results, but a few weeks later my lettuce started turning yellow. does ...

Using Green Fertilizer for Hydroponics  The company I'm working for is now working hard to develop a design project of a highly-efficient heating system for a big greenhouse complex.

We now ...

Hydroponic ornamentals 
Click on each photo to enlarge.

Ornamental crops can be grown successfully with Ed's Hydroponic Technique. I formulated the hydroponic nutrient ...

Growing Spinach in the Lettuce Raft  Hi,
I'm a high school student trying to start hydroponics at our school. We like the lettuce raft design because its so simple and straight forward. However,...

Aeroponic Plants are Dying  Hello! This is my first attempt at gardening. I built an Aeroponic planter from a 26 gallon tan storage container. I put two cherry tomatoes in front and ...

What is the best fertilizer for big blooms?  Got my first grow going and need to know a good liquid fertilizer for the blooming stage.
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Answer from Stella/Simon:...

Nutrient Solution Schedule  Hi,

I am new in hydroponics. Do we have to feed nutrient solution to our hydroponic system on daily basis or weekly basis or nutrients are fed only ...

Anyone here comparing different nutrients in identical hydro systems?  Anyone here comparing different nutrients in identical hydro systems?

Trying to get a real handle on which nutrient(s) actually produce the best results ...

Absorbing info, getting started . . .  I've been intrigued with the concept of hydroponics for some time, but am definitely launching into this now.

A friend suggested I go to the Maximum ...

Greenhouse project  My college Greenhouse class calls for a project. I have chosen to do a comparison growing of Climbing Nasturtions in Dutch Pots and standard pots. First ...

T5 Lamps good for lettuce?  Noticed in a few comments that a T-5 setup would be good for lettuce. Is this true for all stages of growing? Will the T-5 also work for Kale/Spinach/...

Kelvin Temperature  Hello,

I recently bought a T5 lamp for your mini lettuce raft plan. Does it matter what T5 bulb you use? It came with 3000K T5 bulbs. I saw on a website ...

Me and my plants  Strawberries; I use the ebb & flow system. I'm interested in planting strawberries, how often should they be fed, the PH level and how to look after them ...

Recommended Height for HID 400  What is the recommended height above seedlings for the above listed lamp? Help?
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Hi Howard,

It is best to use (cool temp) fluorescent ...

fungus  I was transferring some plants in my hydro system and noticed some black on the roots. will willI beleive it is a fungus is there any way to treat this?...

Can I use sawdust?  Thank you for the knowledge that you send to me, i would like to start simple hydroponic. Can I ask to you if the saw dust can be used as growing media?...

them lights are runnen hot  Flouorescent T5 four bulb lights over small seedlings. the heat drys out the cells so fast,I mist in the morning and there dry when I get back from work....

Humidity?  Is the humidity damaging to the space the garden occupies? For instance would a wood floor be damaged (above) If i put the garden on the first floor?...

Proper watercress EC?  Hi Stella,


I'm growing some Arugula and my EC is 3.3, but I'm getting a yellowish tint to some of the leaves and the veins in the leaf is green. What ...

Manual Ebb & Flow?  ok. Here's my question--how do I set up an ebb and flow system that is manual? I want to teach villagers overseas how to set up a hydroponic garden--only ...

Peroxide?  I read where you said using hydrogen peroxide is good to get rid of algae. Does it have to be food grade? How much do I put in my tank per gallon? I ...

Do I need a grow light?  I live in Port St. Lucie Florida and plan to grow my Hydroponic garden outside in our screened in lanai. Do I need GRO LIGHTS. Enjoyed your Simon's Simple ...

Science Fair Project  My daughter is wanting to do her science fair project on hydroponics. We are building a soda bottle Hydroponic system, Will green beans grow well in ...

Organic hydroponics?  I have had a successful hydro garden for 5 years. I am now trying in some new trays organic hydro and like I see on your site it is challenging. I do ...

A Big Thank You  I have just joined your site and I too think it is wonderful!!!...You have a lot of info and the questions and answers you give to us are simple and to ...

Easy Ebb and Flow with a humidity tray  Hello,
In looking through all the different products and set ups on this page and others...
Is there anything wrong with using a humidity tray that has ...

Peroxide in the nutrient?  I was reading one of your replies last week and was really happy to read your tip on using hydrogen peroxide in your tank to reduce algae. I'm trying to ...

Need advise where to start from   Hi dear Friends ,

I am chef by profession, and i have a huge respect for farmers and farming. i would like to start my own Hydroponic farm in India....

Quality vs. Quantity??  I am just about ready to start seeds for my new 6 pot dutch bucket system. Wondering if I could put two tomatoes and also two peppers in each pot? I ...

Herbs!!!!  A couple months back I wrote to you about starting my hydroponic herb and lettuce garden.
I finally have basically everything needed to start my bato ...

nutrient solution  I've never tried my hand at hydro so excuse me for this question. I just want to know what and how do i make a nutrient solution for a lettuce raft or ...

Tomato problem  Hi Stella,
I’ve written before, and again I have a problem. In my system I have grown bell peppers and broccoli and now 3 tomato plants. The latter were ...

How Do I Get Started With My Own Hydroponic Garden?  I am in the beginning stages of building my own veggie garden and would like to know the best way to use hydroponics. Someone who is an experienced hydroponic ...

Small, very inexpensive way to get started?  Hi,

I'm being very frugal nowadays, and I have a vegetable garden outside in the summer, but I'd like to try hydroponics in the winter when it's well ...

What is the best nutrient solution?  I'm just getting started with hydroponics and I'm using two different systems: One is a wicking system I "invented" myself and the other is an ebb and ...

Gnats are driving us nuts!  We are using an ebb and flow set up (all new components and materials) and seem to have established a home for a colony of black gnats! I am scared to ...

General Lighting Question  Hello,

I was wondering if anyone has experience with LED lighting? I've been thinking of replacing my current lighting for the energy savings, but ...

Bug Attack!  Hello. I love my zucchini plants, but they seem to be attracting a lot of insects. I do not like using pesticides or chemicals of any kind. Is there a ...

Greenhouse conversion  I've got a raised bed greenhouse for winter vegetables and herbs. I'm thinking of beginning to experiment with a hydro setup. Are there any means of transitioning ...

How to fix Hydroponic plants that drop leaves  Hello, We have a hydroponic top fed garden that is doing well, except our pepper plants are dropping leaves. How can we prevent that from happening?

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Answer ...

Can I grow chillies using hydroponics?  I have started experimenting with hydroponics in an urban landscape. Being in an experimental stage I would like to start of cultivating chillies using ...

Bubbler  Simon,
So will your bubbler work well with a variety of herbs? Can I use your combo set up half bubbler with herbs and half lettuce raft? Can both use ...

Herbs  I was wanting to know what system is best for herbs? I want to plant basil, mint, stevia, rosemary, dill, thyme, orgeano, cilantro. Should I use the ebb ...

Help With Kohirabi  I don’t know if anyone can answer this question, but I’ll ask anyway. I’m growing Kohirabi, and I was wondering about light and nutrition. Kohirabi does ...

brown around the edges of the leaves...?  Hi i have a 3by3by6 grow tent with a 400 w mh hortoluv bulb proper air flow with a aeroponics media. everything is growing well but i noticed today brown ...

Growing broccoli and strawberries indoors  Hi Stella,

Things are going great here with some herbs, tomato, pepper, lettuce and cucumbers etc. I have enclosed several pics of my current indoor ...

Problem: Plant roots submerged for extended period of time  I use an ebb and flow bucket system for my plants. I woke up this morning and realized that yesterday I stupidly I forgot to plug in the pump that drains ...

A big bato garden  Can we expand your bato box system to hold 12 boxes rather than three....thank you

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Answer from ...

Science Fair Project  I am helping my 8 year old grandaughter in a science fair project. She wants to see which growing system produces larger and faster yields, soil vs hydroponics....

Tomato droop  my tomato plants start off great and just before flowering begins, leaves begin to droop and curl downwards like an arthritic hand, sometimes worse than ...

Indeterminate Tomatoes  I am looking for indeterminate type of tomato that will not get too tall. If this does not exist, can tomato plants be topped to keep them at an acceptable ...

Root mold  Some of my plants roots seem to be molding before they reach the water. I'm talking about the roots coming from the side of the net pots in particularly....

Just What Is Needed!  Just wanted to say that your site is exactly what is needed. You take a stand and say "This works". That's my approach at my job. The other info is 2 vague ...

LEDS & CO2  Hey man stumbled across your site while looking at the aquatek co2 regulator I just bought. I saw you had a section on lighting and since I have been using ...

Removing unknown nutrient from hydrotron  I am trying to clean a hydroponic growing medium called hydroton, (a clay pellet heated and expanded to created small air pockets). I THINK Hydroponic ...

Lighting for Lettuce  Stella,
Can I use a regular floresent light for lettuce type veggies?
Thanks, Earl

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Answer ...

Truncheon use and PPM  I just bought a Bluelabs truncheon to test my nutrients. I have gone online and found all sorts of suggestions for a good ppm range for the stuff. Can ...

Germination to transplant time?  When you germinate seeds, how long should I leave them in the propagation trays before I move them to their permanent home. My name is Jeffrey, I just ...

Vertical Garden?  Hi, love your site, keep up the important and informative work. Could you please offer me advice on growing vertically or making a vertical system? I ...

Timing Ebb & Flow System  I just made an ebb and flow system from a design I saw a picture of. My question is, how often should I run the pump ( 2,3,4,5,etc times a day)? I am ...