Home Vertical Tower Hydroponics System MATERIALS: ­​
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4 5­gallon round buckets $12 ­ 2’’ PVC pipe (at least 7’) $15 ­ food grade silicone $6 ­ 9 stainless­steel s­hooks $10 ­ 1 14­gallon recycling bin and lid $15 ­ aquarium submersible pump (needs hmax ≥ 3 m) $22 ­ 10’ vinyl tubing­ ½’’ ID $6 ­ 2 ½’’ plastic 90­degree barb elbows $5 ­ 18’’x 24’’ plastic sheet $6 ­ 25 2’’ net pots $6 ­ 25­pack stone rockwool growing medium $3 ­ 4 40mm x 40mm L­brackets $5 ­ 2 1’’ construit strap w/ 2 holes $1 ­ liquid fertilizer nutrient $15 ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ total estimated cost: $127 INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Trace a circle on the bottom of each bucket 1’’ in from the circumference. Drill holes staggered 1’’ apart throughout this area on each bucket. 2. Cut one of the buckets horizontally 4’’ from the bottom. This will become the top reservoir to act as a shower head. 3. Take two of the other buckets and drill 8 2’’ holes staggered around the outside of the bucket. 4. Take the fourth bucket and cut the entire bottom out. This will become the bottom bucket. 5. Cut the 2’’ PVC pipe into 25 pieces roughly 2’’ long on a 45­degree angle. 6. Silicone the PVC pipe pieces into the holes on the sides of the buckets. (Tip: duct tape the PVC pieces into place from the inside before siliconing so they stay in place) 7. Trace the recycling bin lid on to the plastic sheet and cut the plastic sheet to be the same size. 8. Trace the bottom of a bucket in the center of the plastic sheet and recycling bin lid and cut out the hole. 9. Place the plastic sheet on top on the recycling bin lid and drill 6 holes along the sides. We used rivets to hold in place, but nuts and bolts will work too. As you put the bolts in place, run a line of silicone between each bolt. 10. Fill the gap between the recycling bin lid and the plastic sheet where the center hole was cut out with silicone. 11. Place the bucket that you cut the bottom out of into the center hole in the lid. Use the L­brackets to attach the bucket to the underside of the lid. 12. Drill a 1’’ hole through the lid next to the bucket. This is for the pump tubing to feed through. 13. Stack the buckets using the s­hooks. Use 3 hooks for each bucket to sit on. As you stack the buckets, fill the buckets with holes in the bottom ¾ of the way will biomedia. Use 3 s­hooks to place the top reservoir on top of the buckets. 14. Attach the vinyl tubing to the aquarium pump and place the pump in the recycling bin. Feed the tubing through the hole in the lid. Attach a construit strap to the side of the top bucket and feed the tubing through. 15. Cut the tubing once it reaches the top of the tower and attach a barb elbow. Cut it again when it reaches across the top of the reservoir and add another barb elbow. Attach a construit strap to the inside of the top reservoir to hold the barb elbow in place. 16. Fill the recycling bin with water and liquid fertilizer. 17. Place your net pots with rockwool into the PVC pieces in the buckets. Turn it on and watch your plants grow!