Home and Garden Friday - Hydroponic Unit!

A couple of years ago I was so fortunate to be at Hobby Lobby (which I don't go to often) during the time period where their summer stuff was marked down to 90% off. I bought a couple of hydroponic units. 

I have used them on and off. Nothing sustained. In fact, they were sitting empty and needed a bit of a cleaning out - during which I lost the plug to one of the units...sigh.

But a friend of a friend had some plugs left over from an aquaponic set-up they were involved with. The plugs needed a new home and I was lucky enough to get 9 of them. The lettuces were tiny and had been started in rock wool. 

I came home, cleaned up one of the units and slipped the rock wool squares into my round cone pod holders. Actually, what I use in the cone-shaped pods doesn't really matter. It is use to hold the seed/plant as the roots grow into the water.

A couple of weeks later...

OMG!

The lettuce is such a deep green! 

There are two pods which were empty and I slipped a couple of basil seeds in each one. They are slowly growing well. I also had harvested some rosemary recently and decided to take some cutting and put them in a little jar of water to attempt to root some. 

I have to make a stop at a hardware store to get something to turn into a plug for the other unit. I want to get it going with more herbs and lettuce. 

Believe me, having a light that turns itself on and off automatically, circulates the water, has a small fan to create some air movement inside my home and out of the heat of outdoors is wonderful. 

Granted, right now, this whole unit, if harvested, would only make one bowl of salad. However, to pick a few leaves to add to my salad is great. When I get the other unit running, it will be even better. Plus, the look of the unit, with all its nice green foliage, is great. 

Now I have to brace myself to go outside this weekend and clear out the old cucumber vines and start replanting the bed with lettuces, kale and carrots.