DIY Hydroponic Garden Tower
(this is for home personal use only)
This 9' tall x 10' long design is for growing one hundred and eleven plants of your chosing. It
uses 80% less water than a square-foot garden and grows 10x the plants per square foot, with no
bending down to plant or weed the garden. The plants grow big and fast, because their roots are
not constrained by soil and they always have optimal water and nutrients. You can make one as
small as 6' tall and 6' long by halving the dimensions below. I invite you to BUILD YOUR
OWN!! Here is a video of mine: http://youtu.be/Rj4MzjxjGck The plants it can grow are:
Onions Spinach Zuchini
Chives Arugula Yellow Squash
Basil Lettuce (of all types) Pickle Cucumbers
Mint Cabbage (of all types) Broccoli
Cilantro Peas Cauliflour
Oregano Stawberries Green Beans
Peppers Raddishes Cherry Tomatoes
Chilis Parsley Any above ground veggie
Reference Videos:
1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auN5yqw4MUg (2 months of growth)
2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-xDWeHh_tk (6'x6' patio version)
3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK_cZM1fajA (maintenance)
4) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7L6UYclXeQ (plant change-out)
5) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeVgZm41OIc (DIY patio version)
Parts List:
1. Two 10 ft long wood 4x4s [for the frame]
2. One post hole digger [to dig the hole to anchor the 4x4s into the ground]
3. Seven 10 ft long 4” PVC pipes (with no holes in it) [for the body]
4. Twelve 90 degree 4” pipe elbow joints [to come around the 4x4s]
5. One more 10 ft long 4” PVC pipe (with no holes in it) [to be cut into small sections to connect
the elbow joints]
6. One can of Low Voc Pipe Glue [glue the elbow joints together, once you have them in place]
7. Eight 13” metal strappings [to connect the elbow joints to the 4x4 frame]
8. Two endcaps for 4” PVC pipe [one for the top pipe and one for the bottom pipe]
9. One 2 ft long 2” PVC pipe [for the drain into the reservoir]
10. One 2” adapter [to connect the bottom end cap to the elbow joints that lead to the pipe draining
into the reservoir]
11. One 2” steel locknut [to secure the 2” adapter onto the endcap]
12. One 23/8 in non-arbored drill bit [to drill the hold in the bottom endcap for screwing the 2”
adapter into for the drain into the reservoir]
13. One tube of silicon caulk [to seal the adapter to the endcap and prevent any leaks]
14. Two 2” 90 degree elbow joints (compression “L”s) [to turn corncer in connecting the pipe
draining into the reservoir]
15. One 2” 90 degree elbow joint [to guide the redirect drain pipe straight down into the reservoir]
16. One 40 gallon reservoir (Botanicare) [box shaped, made of food grade plastic]
17. One 40 gallon reservoir lid
18. One Eco1267 submersible pump
19. One 20 ft section of ½ in tubing [to bring the water from the pump in the reservoir to the endcap
connecting into the top PVC pipe]
20. One 3/4” x 6” Speedbor drill bit [to make the hole for connecting the tubing into the top
endcap]
21. One 1/2” Male Elbow with barbs [to connect the tubing into the top endcap]
22. Six 90 degree ½ in compression elbows for turning the corner with the ½ in tubing as you guide
it from the submersible pump up to the top endcap]
23. One bag of 11” zip ties [to secure the tubing against the PVC pipes and the 4x4s]
24. One drill gun [to drill the holes in the 4” pipe for the net pots]
25. One 35/8 inch non-arbored drill bit [to drill the holes in the 4” pipe, 14 holes per pipe at 8”
spacing from center, except for the top pipe at 4” spacing from center for 27 holes]
26. One Hundred Eleven 3.75 inch round net pots [to hold the plants]
27. One bag of Gold Label Hydrocorn
28. One Hundred Eleven seedlings of your choice [from a local plant nursery. Cut a small hole in
the bottom center of each net pot. Then put the seedlings in water and “tickle” the dirt off the
roots. Thread the roots through the hole at the bottom of the net pot, so that the roots can reach
the water running along the bottom of the 4” PVC pipes. Put some hydrocorn in the net pot to
secure the plant stem. Then place the net pot back into the PVC pipe.]
29. Nutrient mix: House & Garden AquaFlakes A & B [to feed the plants]
30. Nutrient mix: Superthrive [to feed the plants]
31. Nutrient mix: Great White Mycorhizza [to increase root growth]
32. Nutrient mix: Flora Kleen [to remove the mineral deposits]
33. Nutrient mix: SeaCrop Mineral Nutrients [to enhance the brix level in the plants, making them
more temperature resistant, bug resistant, and sweeter tasting].
34. Nutrient mix: Safe End All [for pest and fungus control]
Mainenance:
1. House & Garden AquaFlakes A&B: 2 part ( 4 oz A and 4 oz B) 1x/wk add to reservoir and stir
2. Superthrive: 1 cap full per week (this equals 1 drop per gallon)
3. Flora Kleen: 1 cap full per week (this breaks up the salts)
4. Mykos Mycorhizza: 10 oz of wettable powder into reservoir ever 2 weeks
5. Test the pH using a simple pH Testing Kit (get details from local hydroponics store)
6. Pest control: Safer End All
7. Refill reservoir weekly, add the nutrients, trim dead leaves, trim excessive root systems, move
plants with small roots next to plants with big roots, place big plants near elbows, have the
water run at a trickle, if lots of big plants, can put pump on a timer, 1 hr on, 1 hr off, to prevent
overflow.
