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Hydroponics DUTCH BUCKET OR BATO BUCKET SYSTEM
Eric Cook
907-‐460-‐1316
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Elements of Hydroponic Systems
u Water Delivery System
u Nutrient Injection System
u Media – Something to hold the roots
u Irrigation Catchment
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Dutch Bucket or Bato Bucket System u Short Irrigation times are scheduled throughout the day
u Water is injected with Nutrients
u The nutrient solution is distributed
u The plants are grown in Dutch buckets in media
u The nutrient solution is captured and reused or repurposed
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Dutch Bucket System
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Dutch Bucket System – Fertilizer Delivery System
u Stock Tanks
u Nutrient Solutions
u Acid or Base for pH Adjustment beforehand
u Injectors
u EC and pH can be checked by hand occasionally
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Two Injector System
u Filter before injectors
u Injectors
u Stock Tanks/w Stock Solution
u Optional bypass
u Backflow prevention
u Clean out valve
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pH Adjustments
u Fertilizers often contain buffering agent to lower pH
u pH adjustment might need to be done before reaching the fertilizer injector
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Fertilizer: Tank 1 - everything without nitrogen
Tomato Formula Magnesium Sulfate
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Fertilizer: Tank 2 – Calcium Nitrate & Potassium Nitrate
Calcium Nitrate Potassium Nitrate
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Small Pumps to Mix the Concentrated Nutrient Solution Tanks
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Pumping from a tank can also work, but is not as fun.
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Dutch Bucket System – Water Delivery System Using Injectors u Hose End Pressure – Well or Pump or City Water
u Filters and Clean outs
u Solenoid Valves
u Controller or Timer
u Distribution Lines
u Emitters (3 gph), spaghetti tubes, plum spray stake
u Dutch Bucket – to hold media
u Drain pipes
u Catchment Tank
u Pumps to recirculate Irrigation or use for other growing
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Solenoid Valves Automate Irrigation
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Solenoid Valves are activated by a controller or timer
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¾” Poly Tubing Lines 15
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3 gph Plum Emitter, Distribution Hose and Stake
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Valve End for Cleanout 17
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The Bucket 18
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Dutch Bucket System – Media - Desirable and essential characteristics
u Holds the roots
u Doesn’t clog the system
u Sterile – clean and sanitary
u Neutral – doesn’t give or take nutrients or change pH
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Dutch Bucket System - Media Options
u Rockwool – slabs are commonly used in commercial vine crop operations (better control of generative vs. vegetative growth)
u Perlite u Potting Soil – Peat based u Sawdust u Coconut Coir u Vermiculite u Sure to Grow u Expanded Clay Pellets u Gravel – very heavy, avoid limestone based rocks u Sand u Ground Glass – heavy, porosity?
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Rockwool 21
Sure to Grow 22
Sure to Grow & Perlite 23
What Can you Grow?
u Tomatoes u Cucumbers u Peppers u Eggplants
u Just about anything can work
Greenhouse Crops
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Variety Selection: Tomatoes u Indeterminate Long Vine Tomatoes
u Bred for heated greenhouse or high tunnel growing
u Commercial varieties are specifically selected for regular growth, and high yield and quality
u Beefsteak - Robelski (DRW7749)– beefsteak with a ruffle
u Truss – Komeet, Endevour
u Roma – Prunus
u Grape – Amsterdam
u Cherry – Favorita, Black Cherry
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Beefsteak - Rebelski (DRW4479) 26
Truss - Komeet or Endeavor 27
Roma - Prunus 28
Cherry - Favorita 29
Variety Selection: Cucumbers
u Parthenocarpic – Self pollinating
u Gynoecious – all female flowers
u Powdery Mildew Resistant
u Specifically bred for heated greenhouses and high tunnels
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Variety Selection: Cucumbers
u English Cumbers(need to be wrapped) – Denali, Cumlaude-Bio
u Mini’s and Cocktail – Rocky, Manar, Unistars
u Pickling Cucumbers -Excelsior
u Standard Slicers - Corinto
u Lemon Cucumber (susceptible to powdery mildew)
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European Cucumber – Cumlaude-Bio, Denali
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Mini or Cocktail – Rocky, Manar, Unistars / Slicer - Corinto
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Slicer - Corinto
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Pickling - Excelsior
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Lemon 36
Variety Selection: Peppers u Specifically bread for greenhouse culture (Hydrogardens,
Crop King, Paramount Seed)
u Red Bell – Fantasy
u Orange Bell – Oragela
u Yellow Bell – Tenato
u Not specifically for greenhouse production
u Sweet Long – Aconcogua, Marconi Red
u Sweet Frying – Carmen
u Sweet Mini – Lipstick, Aura, Glow
u Hot Peppers – Havasu, any kind you like
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Bell peppers are usually green before they change color
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Blocky Bell: Orangela
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Purple Bell - Islander
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Cayenne, Havasu, Poblano 41
Hot Chili Peppers 42
Eggplants 43
Eggplants – Oriental Express, Hansel, Dancer
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Trellising Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Peppers u Stings with rills are commonly used, hooked to a wire or cable overhead
u One or two indeterminate leaders are selected and all the other side shoots are pinched out
u Clips are placed under a strong leaf and clipped to a string to hold the plant up
u Tomato fruit trusses can be hooked with J-hooks for support.
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One or two indeterminate leaders are selected and all the other side shoots are pinched out.
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Trellising Cucumbers: Rules to follow u Remove all cucumbers until the plant is 2.5 to 3 Feet tall; don’t
get impatient or greedy here! u Don’t remove more than 3 leaves at a time u Don’t remove leaves above the lowest fruit u Leave fruits in only half to two thirds of the nodes depending
on plant health for European Varieties u Leave one fruit per node on pickles and mini’s. Productive
Mini varieties with kill themselves with over production, if you don’t remove fruit; unless you just have time for one burst
u Cucumbers can be lowered, but the season is still shorter than tomatoes
u Make sure your fertilizer levels are plenty high.
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Trellising Cucumbers
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Clipping to Strings, Leaf Removal 49
European and Mini Cucumbers need to be wrapped or packaged.
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Trellising Peppers: Rules to follow
u Keep two to four leaders (usually two)
u Remove the king bloom, the secondary bloom and possibly the third bloom to give the plant time to strengthen before production
u Peppers are too brittle to lower, so you grow them straight up the string
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Pollination u Tomato benefit in size and yield
u Peppers benefit in size and yield
u Parthenocarpic Cucumbers don’t need pollination
u Strawberries need pollination
u Handheld Electric Pollinators
u Insect Pollinators – Bumble Bees
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Pollination
u When humidity is 60-80% u Morning is a good time
u Pollinate two to three times a week or every other day
u Touch the stock of the flower cluster briefly – 1 second or less – you can see the pollen disperse
u Visually observe each plant. This is a good time to look for problems in the crop
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Tomato Grafting
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Tomato Grafting
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Splice or Tube Grafting
u Fastest Method
u Easiest Method
u Most Economical Method
u High Success Potential
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Cleft Grafting 57
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Side Graft
u This one was a bit more difficult for me
u It’s hard not to cut or break the top off
u You need an extra hand
u Can be beneficial if you can’t keep environmental conditions well regulated
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So, is grafting worth it?
u Short Answer – Maybe & Sometimes
u In presence of disease or high salts – yes
u Some studies have demonstrated greater yields without disease pressure
u It may depend on the graft combination, growing system, or other dynamics
u Less productive varieties may benefit more
u More research is needed
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Thanks for coming! 60
