Deep Water Culture vs Kratky Hydroponics

Hoocho tests DWC vs Kratky trying to find out the Definitive Answer: Which is best?

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If you have personal queries about hydroponics or other matters please join me on the Hoocho’s facebook group and there are a lot of friendly helpful likeminded people that may have answers for you.

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Happy Hydroponicing!

[trishapomeroy]

I grow lettuce Kratky style for our farmers market. I always wondered if adding air stones would be beneficial, but we are off grid and don't have the spare power for it. Even though I am a huge fan of Kratky, I am surprised at the results. Thank you so much for running this experiment!

[stevepretorius]

Thanks for doing this, basil grows really well in a Kratky system...

[MB-wiwo]

Love it❤. I feel even luckier that my outdoor Kratky lettuce tubs do so well. Light, ventilation for free, minimal pest control with organic (spinosad) spray and ant control outside of the tubs. A sheet of typical corrugated white plastic panel give perfect light/rain protection. My only downside is the heads are not tight, but rather snakey likely due to ambient heat and humidity near the beach in Hawaii. But they taste great and have fantastic roots. My kratky cucumbers, though, steel the show. I’ve learned so much from Mr. Hoocho, thank you so much 💚

[milkybaravenger]

Hi Hoocho, new here, loving the channel. You’re correct about 3d printing being cheaper, I wanted a hydroponic tower but in the uk a decent one is around £800. I brought a secondhand p1p for £300 and some filament and designed my own. Currently printing it at the moment and I recon with the coast of the printer and filament it’s going to coast me around £400 for the tower and I’ll have a 3d printer out of it to make more stuff.

[anitrawalker]

My lettuce is in DWC. I keep my water level the same through the entire grow.

[aussieauto]

Im doing lettuce in a foam broccoli box it has four holes net cups have biodegradable nursery bag in them filled with coco coir and perlite and then topped up with anarchy nutrients

[mitchellbauer]

Further improvement, add a hole to the 3D print lid, so you can insert a support rod for veggies that require it. Can start off with a small hole. So if someone needs a larger one for a garden stake, they can take a large drill bit, and the small hole would be a good guide.

Fantastic video as always.

[DAI.HRD]

Thanks for inspiring me to design and 3d print my own net cups. I never realised bunnings buckets were so cheap!

[youtubetruthlife]

I have grown tomatoes and peppers successfully using Kratky method. I do not see any reason to use DWC, it just adds more complexity into the mix. I got about 1000 tomatoes and peppers from 6 containers. I forgot to use a fan, and that was the reason I have to start over. The production of fruits are great.

[joelepack]

Always keep your air pump above the water line. No additional parts needed. And ya, you need to top up DWC.

[andrerodon]

I can buy bucket lids waaaay cheaper here in the US than I can print them, but I still love 3d printing in general. Fun video - thanks

[reconhalcyon]

Amazing results and great testing. The 3d printed lids are among my favorites of your designs. Will be trying them out soon!

[ShewanJanith]

The episode I wanted. Thank you.

Edited: I think DWC should be kept topped up, In very warm cultivations like mine the Kratky does not do well, The root rot occurs. Maybe there is not that of a different for leafy greens, but for bigger plants like Peppers the extra oxygen do a large benefit (found from my experiments). I don't think home growers need DWC but for commercial growers need it .

I don't think this is a fair comparison. Please try to do a one more comparison with lower mistakes(don't forget to top up) and with few different plant types. :)

[SeamusHarper]

Isn't it kind of important to keep the water level in a DWC system? At about 80%...

[TomHiggins]

As always, thanks for the great vid! I live in an apt with limited indoor grow space. Kratky has been my go to for ease of setup and ease of maintenance. For much of what im growing a no refill set and forget Dr Kratky special hits the sweet spot of space and ease. I do have a few aeroclone/dwc boxes and those are great for longer growing projects but those need more care across the grow.
I recently 3d printed the Hooc Vertical Light Saber Of Leafy Greens and am about ready to set it up, im curios to see how that fairs.
Thanks again for the inspiration.

[Yahawah_]

I’m loving the first person camera angles.

[sogden]

Thanks for the information learned from your experiment. Much appreciated.

[PaintedOregon]

Loving all your content. Wonderful and helpful

[TheCassenator]

I think the biggest issue people are going to take is that you setup and ran the kratky systems the way they are supposed to be run but didn’t run the DWC systems the way they are supposed to be run. It shouldn’t be called a comparison between the 2 methods and more so a test to see if a bubbler aids kratky production, which in this example it doesn’t. That being said I like the prints and that’s what I’m really here for. It would be cool if you could find a way for us to use the prints for even smaller beds. Like some kinda modular setup

[horsinurbanfarmer]

That i agree sir, lower nutrient in the beginning as the seedlings does not need so much when they are young. As grow and forget occurs, evaporation take place, the nutrients get concentrated and is just nice for the adult veg.