Simple Homemade Hydroponic Kits and Instructions

Wicking System Kit

• 1

  Cut the top off of a soda bottle. Make the cut below the curved part, where the sides begin to straighten out.

• 2

  Cover the cut edge of the bottle with duct tape. This helps hold the top in place when the kit is assembled. Cover the edge of the top as well, to make it easier to handle.

• 3

  Drill a hole in the lid of the bottle. Be careful not to split the lid during this step.

• 4

  Fill the plastic sandwich bag with perlite. Zip it closed

• 5

  Place 2 tbsp. fertilizer and 1 tbsp. Epsom salts in a small bag and seal. Label this bag "Nutrients."

• 6

  Put several seeds in a small bag and seal. Label the bag with the seed type, such as "Peppermint."

• 7

  Assemble the kit by putting the perlite, the nutrients, the seeds and a piece of yarn wicking in the large part of the bottle. Print out a copy of the instructions for using the kit and add it to the bottle. Invert the top and place it on the bottle to keep everything together.

Using the Kit

• 8

  Remove everything from the bottle. Locate the nutrients, the seeds, the wicking and the perlite.

• 9

  Mix the nutrient solution powder into 1 gallon of water. Make sure it dissolves completely. Fill the soda bottle with the nutrient solution, stopping about 3 to 4 inches from the top.

• 10

  Feed the piece of yarn wicking through the hole in the lid. Leave half on one side and half on the other. Invert the lid and set it into the bottle. Let the bottom half of the wicking hang down into the nutrient solution.

• 11

  Pour the perlite into the top section of the bottle. Weave the wicking through the perlite as you add it. Get the perlite wet with some of the nutrient solution.

• 12

  Plant a few seeds in the perlite. Carefully cover them with some of the perlite. Place the kit in the dark until the seeds germinate, then bring it out into bright light to allow the plants to grow.