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DIY Hydroponic Gardens: How to Design and Build an Inexpensive System for Growing Plants in Water
With practical information aimed at home DIYers, author Tyler Baras (Farmer Tyler to his fans) shows exactly how to build, plant, and maintain over a dozen unique hydroponic systems, some costing just a few dollars to make.
No soil? No sunlight? No problem. A hydroponic growing system gives you the power to grow plants anywhere . Even if you live in an area where water is scarce, a hydroponic system is the answer you’ve been looking for. Hydroponic systems are sealed and do not allow evaporation, making water loss virtually nonexistent. Simply suspend your essential nutrients in a water-based solution and circulate them to the plant roots in a contained network of vessels and tubes. This accessible guide provides the solid information you need for hydroponic gardening success.
Farmer Tyler shows you, with detailed step-by-step photos, precisely how to create these systems, and how to plant and maintain them. All the information you need to get started with your home hydroponic system is
DIY Hydroponic Gardens is the best resource available for getting started in hydroponics.
No soil? No sunlight? No problem. A hydroponic growing system gives you the power to grow plants anywhere . Even if you live in an area where water is scarce, a hydroponic system is the answer you’ve been looking for. Hydroponic systems are sealed and do not allow evaporation, making water loss virtually nonexistent. Simply suspend your essential nutrients in a water-based solution and circulate them to the plant roots in a contained network of vessels and tubes. This accessible guide provides the solid information you need for hydroponic gardening success.
Farmer Tyler shows you, with detailed step-by-step photos, precisely how to create these systems, and how to plant and maintain them. All the information you need to get started with your home hydroponic system is
DIY Hydroponic Gardens is the best resource available for getting started in hydroponics.
192 pages, Paperback
Published April 3, 2018
348 people are currently reading
1145 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 14, 2018
I have had an interest in hydroponics for years. This book finally provides some answers for me. What hydroponics are, how they work, how to set up a system, and how to troubleshoot any problems that arise. I feel confident, with the guidance provided in this book, that I could attempt hydroponics on my own.
August 4, 2018
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
There has been a resurgence lately on more effective use of our gardening resources and much more emphasis on self reliance skills for 'regular' people who don't have a lot of land or the background (or desire) to be full time farmers. Hydroponics, though it's not a new idea, has really come into its own as a method for increasing productivity and there are a plethora of books from which to choose.
Tyler Baras has written a practical how-to book aimed at introducing several different kinds of hydroponic systems along with the pros and cons of each type of system. Most hydroponics books I've seen are impractical because they're either aimed at the professional grower with a lot of money for setup and equipment or they're entirely too simple and impractical because they don't give any real solid how-to or steps for actually getting from the idea of growing crops or flowers hydroponically to doing it.
DIY Hydroponic Gardens spans the middle ground in providing entirely realizable practical systems which have the potential to produce food without being huge, prohibitively expensive, or impractical.
The book is 192 pages, available in ebook and paperback formats and was published by Quarto - Cool Springs Press. It's laid out in a logical format, beginning with and introduction which includes concept definitions, advantages of hydroponic growing and a good overview of the parts of a successful working hydroponic system.
Chapter two covers specific equipment including hardware, substrates, lights, and more, along with some maintenance info and how to take care of problems (like pests) before they become debilitating.
There is a large chapter on specific system setups. Each of these includes a tutorial section which includes tools and supplies for the DIY setup. Each setup includes a recommended plant list and a realistic discussion of the limitations and potential drawbacks.
Propagation, nutrition, maintenance, and troubleshooting, all have chapters including a good (realistic!) photography section showing some of the less desirable outcomes. I really liked that the author showed some of the problems which occurred in his own systems. Most books only show strawberry and lettuce plants bursting with health growing vigorously and apparently trouble-free, so that when bugs or algae pop up, new gardeners feel discouraged and incompetent.
The book has a good glossary and appendix with crop selection charts, conversion tables, a short bibliography and a no-frills index.
All in all a very useful and practical book with usable plans utilizing easily sourced hardware.
Four stars
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
There has been a resurgence lately on more effective use of our gardening resources and much more emphasis on self reliance skills for 'regular' people who don't have a lot of land or the background (or desire) to be full time farmers. Hydroponics, though it's not a new idea, has really come into its own as a method for increasing productivity and there are a plethora of books from which to choose.
Tyler Baras has written a practical how-to book aimed at introducing several different kinds of hydroponic systems along with the pros and cons of each type of system. Most hydroponics books I've seen are impractical because they're either aimed at the professional grower with a lot of money for setup and equipment or they're entirely too simple and impractical because they don't give any real solid how-to or steps for actually getting from the idea of growing crops or flowers hydroponically to doing it.
DIY Hydroponic Gardens spans the middle ground in providing entirely realizable practical systems which have the potential to produce food without being huge, prohibitively expensive, or impractical.
The book is 192 pages, available in ebook and paperback formats and was published by Quarto - Cool Springs Press. It's laid out in a logical format, beginning with and introduction which includes concept definitions, advantages of hydroponic growing and a good overview of the parts of a successful working hydroponic system.
Chapter two covers specific equipment including hardware, substrates, lights, and more, along with some maintenance info and how to take care of problems (like pests) before they become debilitating.
There is a large chapter on specific system setups. Each of these includes a tutorial section which includes tools and supplies for the DIY setup. Each setup includes a recommended plant list and a realistic discussion of the limitations and potential drawbacks.
Propagation, nutrition, maintenance, and troubleshooting, all have chapters including a good (realistic!) photography section showing some of the less desirable outcomes. I really liked that the author showed some of the problems which occurred in his own systems. Most books only show strawberry and lettuce plants bursting with health growing vigorously and apparently trouble-free, so that when bugs or algae pop up, new gardeners feel discouraged and incompetent.
The book has a good glossary and appendix with crop selection charts, conversion tables, a short bibliography and a no-frills index.
All in all a very useful and practical book with usable plans utilizing easily sourced hardware.
Four stars
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
June 17, 2018
DIY Hydroponics Gardens is an interesting book full of projects to make your own hydroponic fruit and vegetable garden on a small or large scale. Think back to school and growing watercress on cotton wool in an egg shell or your kids coming home with a bean grown on a damp tissue - it's like that but on a much, much bigger and better scale, be it indoors or the greenhouse, all without soil.
There are 7 chapters in this book which are include an Introduction, Equipment, Hydroponic Growing Systems, Starting Seeds & Cuttings, Plant Nutrition, System Maintenance and Common Problems & Troubleshooting plus a Glossary and handy Crop Selection Charts.
The Introduction and Equipment chapters explain what hydroponic gardening is and what equipment you will need to get going. The author then provides 9 projects to get you started from a simple bottle to a vertical garden. Each comes with a list of all the supplies needed along with the tools and colour photography of the steps taken to build the project along with the instructions.
There is information on how to start the seeds once you are ready or how to take a cutting and use that to grow onto a full plant. Plant nutrition is important, so the author provides details on how to substitute soils nutrients with fertilisers, how to maintain the correct balance and when and how to clean the reservoirs of water. There is also a whole chapter on troubleshooting, be it nutrient, pests or seeding problems.
Finally after the Glossary of terms there is an Appendix on all the different plants you could grow. It is provided in chart form and gives the best hydroponic systems that work for that plant, be it lettuce, spinach or herbs - its surprising how many vegetables, herbs or fruits you can grow this way.
Throughout the book there is full colour photography and fantastic instructions to follow. There are also tables for measurement and temperature conversations between metric and imperial.
I received this book from netgalley in return for a honest review.
There are 7 chapters in this book which are include an Introduction, Equipment, Hydroponic Growing Systems, Starting Seeds & Cuttings, Plant Nutrition, System Maintenance and Common Problems & Troubleshooting plus a Glossary and handy Crop Selection Charts.
The Introduction and Equipment chapters explain what hydroponic gardening is and what equipment you will need to get going. The author then provides 9 projects to get you started from a simple bottle to a vertical garden. Each comes with a list of all the supplies needed along with the tools and colour photography of the steps taken to build the project along with the instructions.
There is information on how to start the seeds once you are ready or how to take a cutting and use that to grow onto a full plant. Plant nutrition is important, so the author provides details on how to substitute soils nutrients with fertilisers, how to maintain the correct balance and when and how to clean the reservoirs of water. There is also a whole chapter on troubleshooting, be it nutrient, pests or seeding problems.
Finally after the Glossary of terms there is an Appendix on all the different plants you could grow. It is provided in chart form and gives the best hydroponic systems that work for that plant, be it lettuce, spinach or herbs - its surprising how many vegetables, herbs or fruits you can grow this way.
Throughout the book there is full colour photography and fantastic instructions to follow. There are also tables for measurement and temperature conversations between metric and imperial.
I received this book from netgalley in return for a honest review.
May 2, 2018
From Netgalley for review:
I am so bad at gardening, like laughably so, which is embarrassing since I come from a family of champion gardeners. Well, there was one type of gardening I was good at, keeping my aquarium plants alive, so I thought, maybe I should look into hydroponics so I can finally grow some of my own herbs and flowers. This is a great guide, letting the reader decide to go really hardcore with their garden or starting out small, I like that it gives variety for the style of garden. Starting with the basics (a bottle garden) and moving to more complex styles the book has something for everyone!
I for one cannot wait to give it a try and maybe keep some herbs alive for a while!
I am so bad at gardening, like laughably so, which is embarrassing since I come from a family of champion gardeners. Well, there was one type of gardening I was good at, keeping my aquarium plants alive, so I thought, maybe I should look into hydroponics so I can finally grow some of my own herbs and flowers. This is a great guide, letting the reader decide to go really hardcore with their garden or starting out small, I like that it gives variety for the style of garden. Starting with the basics (a bottle garden) and moving to more complex styles the book has something for everyone!
I for one cannot wait to give it a try and maybe keep some herbs alive for a while!
June 6, 2018
#DiyHydroponicGardens #NetGalley #Sustainable #SOSEarth #Hydroponic #Garden #FutureGardens
This is complete and well explained reference book about the Hydroponic gardens. The book covers step by steps projects to create hydroponic garden of different size depending on the needs. Also, the reader can have access to the charts about the PH, the harvesting time required and more technical information for a large selection of plants, flowers and legumes.
This is complete and well explained reference book about the Hydroponic gardens. The book covers step by steps projects to create hydroponic garden of different size depending on the needs. Also, the reader can have access to the charts about the PH, the harvesting time required and more technical information for a large selection of plants, flowers and legumes.
April 25, 2018
I had never heard of hydroponics before reading this book , whilst the book is well written and informative it is not something I am inspired to try.
The book made for interesting reading but the topic is a strange one. Great if your are about to undertake this sort of project.
The book made for interesting reading but the topic is a strange one. Great if your are about to undertake this sort of project.
August 20, 2018
This book does a vey good job in explaining the processes and variations, as it does on how to build and care for your own system.
We have an aquaponic garden and was interested to get information on other systems.
This book is easy to understand, is well illustrated with photographs. I think anyone that has any interest in hydrophonics of any type would do well to read this book to get a good understanding of the process, pitfalls. costs and benefits of running such a system
We have an aquaponic garden and was interested to get information on other systems.
This book is easy to understand, is well illustrated with photographs. I think anyone that has any interest in hydrophonics of any type would do well to read this book to get a good understanding of the process, pitfalls. costs and benefits of running such a system
October 1, 2024
The more you know, the better you grow
hydroponics is growing plants without soil.
Too much water can reduce the amount of oxygen available to the roots and inhibit biological processes necessary for the roots to uptake nutrients and water.
Often the temperature of a plant's roots is more critical to its health than the leaf temperature. It is possible to grow winter crops in 100 ° F if the root temperature is kept in an optimal range closer to 65 ° to 75 ° F.
Hydroponics uses substantially less water than traditional methods and can make farming in deserts a viable option.
Many commercial hydroponic tomato growers purposely stress their plants with high nutrient levels at key stages in their development to induce an increase in sugar content in the tomatoes.
Indoor gardeners can use various colors of light to induce specific characteristics. A popular practice is the use of blue light to grow more compact plants indoors to reduce the vertical space required for a crop.
hydroponics usually includes a pump to recirculate the mixture of water and fertilizer. The recirculating water is important because it is through movement, and in some cases an airstone with tubing, that oxygen from the ambient air is supplied to the liquid and then to the plants. These pumps, along with the tubing and joining connectors, are the heart of the system and probably the most important equipment you will buy.
Adding a check valve between the air pump and the air stone is an inexpensive way to protect your system from a potentially expensive failure. In the event of a pump failure, generally due to a power outage, water may siphon out of the reservoir down through the 1/ 4" tubing to the air pump. This can destroy the air pump and flood the area around the pump.
Clear tubing is not recommended for irrigation lines. There is always the potential for algae growth when the nutrient solution is exposed to light.
most common mistakes for beginner indoor growers are lack of adequate airflow, poor temperature control, poor humidity control, and insufficient light.
One of the most popular biological pest- management strategies for gardeners is the release of ladybugs.
The human eye is most sensitive to green and yellow, whereas plants are most sensitive to blue and red. Most of the light level recommendations for crops are not based on lux; they instead use photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), which is measured by photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) meters.
The target water temperature for most hydroponic crops is 65 ° to 70
The ratio of plants to volume of water is generally the biggest factor for estimating maintenance requirements.
Floating raft hydroponics has been used for large flowering crops like tomatoes but it is most appropriate for shorter crops with lower oxygen requirements in their root zone. Traditional DWC systems are great for these larger flowering crops because they create space for the roots to access air and they often use air pumps to heavily aerate the nutrient solution.
Wicking beds take advantage of capillary action, a natural phenomenon by which water can flow upward against gravity by using its surface tension and adhesion.
The major factors to consider when selecting a water pump are delivery height, target flow rate, and output tube size.
Coco holds more water than traditional media bed substrates, so the irrigation frequency will likely need to be reduced. Coco will trap more roots from harvest plants and cleanings may need to be more frequent. Coco also decomposes, so eventually it will need to be completely replaced.
Expanded clay pellets can be reused. Remove old plant roots after harvesting, and then sterilize the pellets with a mild bleach solution, hydrogen peroxide, isopropyl alcohol, or heat. Boiling clay pellets is a great way to sanitize them without using chemicals.
Some growers remove a thin layer from one side of the cutting to expose more cambium, a white layer inside the stem from which new roots emerge.
Rooting hormone can be very helpful when rooting challenging crops. Some gardeners use honey instead of a rooting gel.
called the soil solution, which can then be picked up by the roots. The availability of nutrients in the soil is dependent on not only the presence of nutrients, but also the moisture in the soil, pH of the soil, distribution of nutrients in the soil, the cation exchange capacity of the soil, and more.
Chlorosis is the loss of the chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants. Chlorosis can be used to describe leaf yellowing from many causes, including nutrient deficiencies or pest damage. Necrosis is plant tissue death. Plant diseases or nutrient deficiencies often start with signs of chlorosis that lead to necrosis.
chlorosis on new growth often indicates an iron deficiency or another micronutrient deficiency.
Tip burn is technically a calcium deficiency, but very often it appears even when there is calcium present in the nutrient solution.
Mushy brown roots are dead roots.
Azadirachtin: A pesticide derived from the neem tree. Effective at disrupting insect molting for long- term pest management.
Peat: A growing substrate made from partially decayed plant matter harvested from bogs. Often called sphagnum peat or sphagnum peat moss.
Pyrethrin: An organic pesticide derived from the pyrethrum chrysanthemum flower. One of the most powerful organic pesticides, it is capable of quickly killing most insects when applied at a strong concentration. Pyrethrins may potentially kill beneficial insects too.
Basil often grows best when densely seeded. Try using five to eight seeds per plug and do not thin out the seedlings after germination. Some of the plants will grow tall while others may stay short, creating a dense canopy of basil.
Tomatoes are generally grown in full sun but many can grow well in partial shade.
It is very important to keep the crown of a strawberry above the surface of the substrate. If the crown gets too wet, the plant will rot and die.
hydroponics is growing plants without soil.
Too much water can reduce the amount of oxygen available to the roots and inhibit biological processes necessary for the roots to uptake nutrients and water.
Often the temperature of a plant's roots is more critical to its health than the leaf temperature. It is possible to grow winter crops in 100 ° F if the root temperature is kept in an optimal range closer to 65 ° to 75 ° F.
Hydroponics uses substantially less water than traditional methods and can make farming in deserts a viable option.
Many commercial hydroponic tomato growers purposely stress their plants with high nutrient levels at key stages in their development to induce an increase in sugar content in the tomatoes.
Indoor gardeners can use various colors of light to induce specific characteristics. A popular practice is the use of blue light to grow more compact plants indoors to reduce the vertical space required for a crop.
hydroponics usually includes a pump to recirculate the mixture of water and fertilizer. The recirculating water is important because it is through movement, and in some cases an airstone with tubing, that oxygen from the ambient air is supplied to the liquid and then to the plants. These pumps, along with the tubing and joining connectors, are the heart of the system and probably the most important equipment you will buy.
Adding a check valve between the air pump and the air stone is an inexpensive way to protect your system from a potentially expensive failure. In the event of a pump failure, generally due to a power outage, water may siphon out of the reservoir down through the 1/ 4" tubing to the air pump. This can destroy the air pump and flood the area around the pump.
Clear tubing is not recommended for irrigation lines. There is always the potential for algae growth when the nutrient solution is exposed to light.
most common mistakes for beginner indoor growers are lack of adequate airflow, poor temperature control, poor humidity control, and insufficient light.
One of the most popular biological pest- management strategies for gardeners is the release of ladybugs.
The human eye is most sensitive to green and yellow, whereas plants are most sensitive to blue and red. Most of the light level recommendations for crops are not based on lux; they instead use photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), which is measured by photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) meters.
The target water temperature for most hydroponic crops is 65 ° to 70
The ratio of plants to volume of water is generally the biggest factor for estimating maintenance requirements.
Floating raft hydroponics has been used for large flowering crops like tomatoes but it is most appropriate for shorter crops with lower oxygen requirements in their root zone. Traditional DWC systems are great for these larger flowering crops because they create space for the roots to access air and they often use air pumps to heavily aerate the nutrient solution.
Wicking beds take advantage of capillary action, a natural phenomenon by which water can flow upward against gravity by using its surface tension and adhesion.
The major factors to consider when selecting a water pump are delivery height, target flow rate, and output tube size.
Coco holds more water than traditional media bed substrates, so the irrigation frequency will likely need to be reduced. Coco will trap more roots from harvest plants and cleanings may need to be more frequent. Coco also decomposes, so eventually it will need to be completely replaced.
Expanded clay pellets can be reused. Remove old plant roots after harvesting, and then sterilize the pellets with a mild bleach solution, hydrogen peroxide, isopropyl alcohol, or heat. Boiling clay pellets is a great way to sanitize them without using chemicals.
Some growers remove a thin layer from one side of the cutting to expose more cambium, a white layer inside the stem from which new roots emerge.
Rooting hormone can be very helpful when rooting challenging crops. Some gardeners use honey instead of a rooting gel.
called the soil solution, which can then be picked up by the roots. The availability of nutrients in the soil is dependent on not only the presence of nutrients, but also the moisture in the soil, pH of the soil, distribution of nutrients in the soil, the cation exchange capacity of the soil, and more.
Chlorosis is the loss of the chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants. Chlorosis can be used to describe leaf yellowing from many causes, including nutrient deficiencies or pest damage. Necrosis is plant tissue death. Plant diseases or nutrient deficiencies often start with signs of chlorosis that lead to necrosis.
chlorosis on new growth often indicates an iron deficiency or another micronutrient deficiency.
Tip burn is technically a calcium deficiency, but very often it appears even when there is calcium present in the nutrient solution.
Mushy brown roots are dead roots.
Azadirachtin: A pesticide derived from the neem tree. Effective at disrupting insect molting for long- term pest management.
Peat: A growing substrate made from partially decayed plant matter harvested from bogs. Often called sphagnum peat or sphagnum peat moss.
Pyrethrin: An organic pesticide derived from the pyrethrum chrysanthemum flower. One of the most powerful organic pesticides, it is capable of quickly killing most insects when applied at a strong concentration. Pyrethrins may potentially kill beneficial insects too.
Basil often grows best when densely seeded. Try using five to eight seeds per plug and do not thin out the seedlings after germination. Some of the plants will grow tall while others may stay short, creating a dense canopy of basil.
Tomatoes are generally grown in full sun but many can grow well in partial shade.
It is very important to keep the crown of a strawberry above the surface of the substrate. If the crown gets too wet, the plant will rot and die.
November 2, 2019
An easy to follow guide to growing your own plants hydroponically. I would recommend that if you want to try a lot of the projects, you might need a large enough space indoors or outdoors to accommodate the size of the systems. Apartment dwellers seem to be out of luck based on the size of most projects unless you can build them elsewhere and bring them home. This goes into great detail about the specifications and needs plants grown in this way have, and I learned a great deal about how the hydroponics process works from this. This is an easy way to get started in this hobby if you need some help setting up without spending a lot of money.
June 7, 2021
I picked up DIY Hydroponic Gardens as a light introduction to the concept, as it was one that I’ve been interested in for a while. As I came to discover, it has the perfect structure for a beginner’s introduction to a topic.
The book opens by outlining the bare bones information that one needs to understand before diving in deeper. As it progresses, Tyler lays out plans for multiple different types of hydroponic setups. By the close, we’re learning about the intricacies of nutrient solutions, long term maintenance, and other more niche aspects that will no doubt turn into rabbit holes of their own. However, it provides just enough information that you can begin to dip your toes in, identify problems, and have more confidence in your troubleshooting steps.
I’ll most likely return to this review to update my opinions on the actual contents of the latter half, as I plan to follows Tyler’s plans for the Floating Raft/NFT combo build. But as a barebones beginner intro, I found the front half to be informative and well written. Tyler does an excellent job of breaking down complex concepts into easy to understand realities.
The book opens by outlining the bare bones information that one needs to understand before diving in deeper. As it progresses, Tyler lays out plans for multiple different types of hydroponic setups. By the close, we’re learning about the intricacies of nutrient solutions, long term maintenance, and other more niche aspects that will no doubt turn into rabbit holes of their own. However, it provides just enough information that you can begin to dip your toes in, identify problems, and have more confidence in your troubleshooting steps.
I’ll most likely return to this review to update my opinions on the actual contents of the latter half, as I plan to follows Tyler’s plans for the Floating Raft/NFT combo build. But as a barebones beginner intro, I found the front half to be informative and well written. Tyler does an excellent job of breaking down complex concepts into easy to understand realities.
May 14, 2019
If you're a DIY project-oriented person, this is a wonderful book! It is a how-to book for building various types of hydroponic and aeroponic systems for the home gardener, starting from simplest to more complex. Our family made the Bottle Hydroponic project and the Floating Raft one, though we made substitutions (mason jars for the plastic bottles, and a cement mixing tub for the Floating Raft reservoir). We're beginners at hydroponics, but we are getting wonderful results so far. The book is in color and there are plenty of photos. There are great crop charts at the back of the book, with suggested varieties that work well hydroponically. There is good introductory info about meters, grow tents, lighting, fertilizers and other items you're likely to come across. There is a troubleshooting section as well. Highly recommended for the adventurous gardener who is tired of weeding in the heat!
November 15, 2024
I requested this on NetGalley years ago, shortly after my first (incorrect, or at least insufficient) allergy diagnosis: I'm sensitive to the nickel content in foods, and many fruits and vegetables vary in their content levels, depending on where they were grown and the soils in those areas. My overachiever self thought it would be a great idea to hydroponically grown my own vegetables, so I could control the content more closely. Ha!
This seems like a great book-- clear instructions, lots of photos, examples of set-ups from simple through complex. Users can't just be gardeners, though-- you have to be handy with tools and a bit of a chemist, too. I don't have the bandwidth to take this on right now, or maybe ever.
This seems like a great book-- clear instructions, lots of photos, examples of set-ups from simple through complex. Users can't just be gardeners, though-- you have to be handy with tools and a bit of a chemist, too. I don't have the bandwidth to take this on right now, or maybe ever.
January 15, 2022
I'm just getting started on hydroponics although I have some basic familiarity with the idea through friends and family.
I really enjoyed this book and the DIY part of it. The explanations of the various systems that one can build with the detailed instructions and equipment lists is all super helpful. It helped get my head wrapped around what my goals were for my own systems and how I was going to get there.
I'll be using this book as a reference for some time to come. Oddly enough, I'm really comfortable using the web as a resource but I find the way this book is laid out to be really helpful to have in hand.
I really enjoyed this book and the DIY part of it. The explanations of the various systems that one can build with the detailed instructions and equipment lists is all super helpful. It helped get my head wrapped around what my goals were for my own systems and how I was going to get there.
I'll be using this book as a reference for some time to come. Oddly enough, I'm really comfortable using the web as a resource but I find the way this book is laid out to be really helpful to have in hand.
February 16, 2019
This is a very practical guide to building a hydroponic system. For those of us who just need the materials list and the step-by-step instructions, this is a great resource. I was hoping to get more information on some of the science behind growing the plants, but it wasn't as in-depth as I had hoped. There is definitely enough information here for someone just getting started, and there is some great troubleshooting advice to be had. It's worth a read if you need to know what types of hydroponics systems exist, pros and cons, and how to build each one.
September 3, 2018
Crazy cool methods to creating hydroponic gardens in the comfort of practically anywhere you may be! From household items to industrial appliances, this book will lead you through the various methods, materials, and various vitamins and minerals behind the art of propagating healthy, happy plants and crops indoors. It is the book for botany enthusiasts and survivors! Go for it, this book is very fun :)
April 15, 2018
Excellent!
Tyler has created an excellent book for DIYers.
His chapters cover the whole area with good advice and clearly written instructions for projects.
If you want a broad overview this book is it!
It shows how to create virtually every type of hydroponic system and goes over advantages and drawbacks of each.
I am sure I will refer to it many times.
Tyler has created an excellent book for DIYers.
His chapters cover the whole area with good advice and clearly written instructions for projects.
If you want a broad overview this book is it!
It shows how to create virtually every type of hydroponic system and goes over advantages and drawbacks of each.
I am sure I will refer to it many times.
March 30, 2019
I wanted to learn more about hydroponic gardening and this book was a good source for step-by-step instructions on a variety of systems. It has information to help beginners to more experienced gardeners. Great pictures and advice for possible problems you may experience.
August 7, 2019
Great introduction to hydroponics
Great book! Teaches you the basics behind the systems and nutrients that go into these systems. Would definitely recommend this book for beginners.
Great book! Teaches you the basics behind the systems and nutrients that go into these systems. Would definitely recommend this book for beginners.
April 5, 2020
DIY does not necessarily mean that it will be easy. Clear instructions and detailed lists and illustrations, but a bit more than I'm willing to tackle right now. I priced some of the systems out, cost ranges from less than $100 to thousands.
Overall good book.
Overall good book.
August 8, 2020
The book was easy to read and had helpful pictures. It did a great job at breadth and depth.
The layout of the book was slightly confusing. I'd recommend skipping chapter 3 "hydroponic growing systems" and then reading it after learning about starting seeds and nutrition.
The layout of the book was slightly confusing. I'd recommend skipping chapter 3 "hydroponic growing systems" and then reading it after learning about starting seeds and nutrition.
November 26, 2021
If you want to build your own hydroponics set up this book is an excellent place to start - information on what hydroponics is, how to get started and what you need to know to succeed, then plans for several different types of hydroponics set ups from really cheap to quite expensive.
November 12, 2022
This definitely discussed exactly what it said it was going to do! Lots of information about building inexpensive hydroponic systems. I wish it were bigger, but this really is for beginners I believe.
December 28, 2021
Good instructional book. Great illustrations/photos and ideas.
Read
November 15, 2022This book has good recommendations on equipment, esp about pH meters.
August 22, 2019
Really good intro to the basics with lots of pictures and good explanations. I haven't done any of the builds yet but they seem pretty thorough.
June 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I received a free review copy via NetGalley.
Very thorough intro to hydroponic gardening. They start with the very basics for those, like me, who know nothing about hydroponics. There's a wealth of information on equipment options, different types of hydroponic setups and the pros and cons of each, how to get started with plants once your setup is ready, maintenance, and a really handy troubleshooting section. If you're not a beginner, I still think it would be a really handy reference because of the depth of coverage.
While reading the beginning, I kept thinking, "Too bad I don't have room for a system like that!" and then, SURPRISE! there's a section on an ideal setup for those without much room to spare. Nice! I still need to consider toddler-proof options, but if I can get that figured out, I'm going to give it a try.
Highly recommended!
Very thorough intro to hydroponic gardening. They start with the very basics for those, like me, who know nothing about hydroponics. There's a wealth of information on equipment options, different types of hydroponic setups and the pros and cons of each, how to get started with plants once your setup is ready, maintenance, and a really handy troubleshooting section. If you're not a beginner, I still think it would be a really handy reference because of the depth of coverage.
While reading the beginning, I kept thinking, "Too bad I don't have room for a system like that!" and then, SURPRISE! there's a section on an ideal setup for those without much room to spare. Nice! I still need to consider toddler-proof options, but if I can get that figured out, I'm going to give it a try.
Highly recommended!
May 12, 2018
I love this book. I am interested in hydroponic gardening but didn't know where to start. This book answered many of my questions. The beautiful pictures and the clearly written text made it very easy to understand how to do it.
I received an ARC from NetGalley to review and plan to buy a copy for reference.
I received an ARC from NetGalley to review and plan to buy a copy for reference.
May 29, 2018
DIY Hydroponic Gardens covers the basics, advantages and supply options for hydroponic gardens in detail. I chose this book because my child was learning about hydroponic systems in school and thought this would be a great way to enrich the learning they were doing in class. This book didn’t disappoint. There is a copious amount of information to be gleaned from this book. I like that they list so many different options and arrange these options in terms of levels of difficulty. The projects contain detailed instructions, complete with lots of pictures. The book also covers problems with hydroponic systems in terms of pests and seedling problems and how to correct these problems. The back of the book has a collection of charts that covers different topics such as the recommended plant varieties and metric conversions. This is a good book for anyone interesting in learning more about growing their produce hydroponically.
I received an advance reading copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.
I received an advance reading copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.
May 4, 2019
Fricking Awesome Book!
This book is great! Lots of photos helps the descriptions , author did a great job with his descriptions, this is not a theory book, but an hands on one , I highly recommend it to the person who wants hands on, rather than a chat about hydroponics! Way more then 5 stars!
This book is great! Lots of photos helps the descriptions , author did a great job with his descriptions, this is not a theory book, but an hands on one , I highly recommend it to the person who wants hands on, rather than a chat about hydroponics! Way more then 5 stars!
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