How to Build a Hydro Box

Hydro boxes -- another name for hydroponic grow boxes -- are used for indoor gardening. Hydroponic gardening uses little or no soil. Instead, the roots of the plant are fed by a nutrient-rich solution. Building a hydro box requires a leak-proof container with some simple modifications made to it.

5-gallon plastic storage container
1-inch Styrofoam sheet
Utility knife
Four 5-inch plastic flower pots
Drill
1/4-inch drill bit
Vermiculite
Air pump
Air stone
Fertilizer

Instructions

- 1
  Trim your sheet of Styrofoam so it will fit into the storage container 4 inches below the top lip of the container.
- 2
  Cut four round openings, evenly spaced, into the Styrofoam sheet with a utility knife. Size the openings so your flower pots will fit into them with 1 inch of the top of each pot extending above the top edge of the sheet.
- 3
  Drill a series of 1/4-inch holes, spaced about 1 inch apart, into the bottom of each of the pots.
- 4
  Fill the pots with vermiculite to within an inch of the top of the pot. Place your plants into the vermiculite.
- 5
  Place an air stone, connected to an air pump, on the bottom of the container. Fill the container to within about 6 inches of the top with water and fertilizer. The type of fertilizer and proper mixture depends on what you're growing.
- 6
  Place the Styrofoam sheet and pots into the container. Turn on the air pump.

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