Hydroponics DUTCH BUCKET OR BATO BUCKET SYSTEM

Eric  Cook  

ericccook@yahoo.com  

eccook@Alaska.edu  

907-­‐460-­‐1316  

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Elements of Hydroponic Systems

u  Water Delivery System

u  Nutrient Injection System

u  Media – Something to hold the roots

u  Irrigation Catchment

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Dutch Bucket or Bato Bucket System u  Short Irrigation times are scheduled throughout the day

u  Water is injected with Nutrients

u  The nutrient solution is distributed

u  The plants are grown in Dutch buckets in media

u  The nutrient solution is captured and reused or repurposed

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Dutch Bucket System

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Dutch Bucket System – Fertilizer Delivery System

u  Stock Tanks

u  Nutrient Solutions

u  Acid or Base for pH Adjustment beforehand

u  Injectors

u  EC and pH can be checked by hand occasionally

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Two Injector System

u  Filter before injectors

u  Injectors

u  Stock Tanks/w Stock Solution

u Optional bypass

u Backflow prevention

u Clean out valve

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pH Adjustments

u  Fertilizers often contain buffering agent to lower pH

u  pH adjustment might need to be done before reaching the fertilizer injector

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Fertilizer: Tank 1 - everything without nitrogen

Tomato Formula Magnesium Sulfate

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Fertilizer: Tank 2 – Calcium Nitrate & Potassium Nitrate

Calcium Nitrate Potassium Nitrate

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Small Pumps to Mix the Concentrated Nutrient Solution Tanks

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Pumping from a tank can also work, but is not as fun.

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Dutch Bucket System – Water Delivery System Using Injectors u  Hose End Pressure – Well or Pump or City Water

u  Filters and Clean outs

u  Solenoid Valves

u  Controller or Timer

u  Distribution Lines

u  Emitters (3 gph), spaghetti tubes, plum spray stake

u  Dutch Bucket – to hold media

u  Drain pipes

u  Catchment Tank

u  Pumps to recirculate Irrigation or use for other growing

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Solenoid Valves Automate Irrigation

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Solenoid Valves are activated by a controller or timer

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¾” Poly Tubing Lines 15

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3 gph Plum Emitter, Distribution Hose and Stake

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Valve End for Cleanout 17

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The Bucket 18

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Dutch Bucket System – Media - Desirable and essential characteristics

u  Holds the roots

u  Doesn’t clog the system

u  Sterile – clean and sanitary

u  Neutral – doesn’t give or take nutrients or change pH

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Dutch Bucket System - Media Options

u  Rockwool – slabs are commonly used in commercial vine crop operations (better control of generative vs. vegetative growth)

u  Perlite u  Potting Soil – Peat based u  Sawdust u  Coconut Coir u  Vermiculite u  Sure to Grow u  Expanded Clay Pellets u  Gravel – very heavy, avoid limestone based rocks u  Sand u  Ground Glass – heavy, porosity?

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Rockwool 21

Sure to Grow 22

Sure to Grow & Perlite 23

What Can you Grow?

u Tomatoes u Cucumbers u Peppers u Eggplants

u Just about anything can work

Greenhouse Crops

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Variety Selection: Tomatoes u  Indeterminate Long Vine Tomatoes

u  Bred for heated greenhouse or high tunnel growing

u  Commercial varieties are specifically selected for regular growth, and high yield and quality

u Beefsteak - Robelski (DRW7749)– beefsteak with a ruffle

u Truss – Komeet, Endevour

u Roma – Prunus

u Grape – Amsterdam

u Cherry – Favorita, Black Cherry

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Beefsteak - Rebelski (DRW4479) 26

Truss - Komeet or Endeavor 27

Roma - Prunus 28

Cherry - Favorita 29

Variety Selection: Cucumbers

u  Parthenocarpic – Self pollinating

u  Gynoecious – all female flowers

u  Powdery Mildew Resistant

u  Specifically bred for heated greenhouses and high tunnels

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Variety Selection: Cucumbers

u English Cumbers(need to be wrapped) – Denali, Cumlaude-Bio

u Mini’s and Cocktail – Rocky, Manar, Unistars

u Pickling Cucumbers -Excelsior

u Standard Slicers - Corinto

u Lemon Cucumber (susceptible to powdery mildew)

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European Cucumber – Cumlaude-Bio, Denali

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Mini or Cocktail – Rocky, Manar, Unistars / Slicer - Corinto

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Slicer - Corinto

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Pickling - Excelsior

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Lemon 36

Variety Selection: Peppers u  Specifically bread for greenhouse culture (Hydrogardens,

Crop King, Paramount Seed)

u Red Bell – Fantasy

u Orange Bell – Oragela

u Yellow Bell – Tenato

u  Not specifically for greenhouse production

u Sweet Long – Aconcogua, Marconi Red

u Sweet Frying – Carmen

u Sweet Mini – Lipstick, Aura, Glow

u Hot Peppers – Havasu, any kind you like

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Bell peppers are usually green before they change color

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Blocky Bell: Orangela

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Purple Bell - Islander

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Cayenne, Havasu, Poblano 41

Hot Chili Peppers 42

Eggplants 43

Eggplants – Oriental Express, Hansel, Dancer

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Trellising Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Peppers u  Stings with rills are commonly used, hooked to a wire or cable overhead

u  One or two indeterminate leaders are selected and all the other side shoots are pinched out

u  Clips are placed under a strong leaf and clipped to a string to hold the plant up

u  Tomato fruit trusses can be hooked with J-hooks for support.

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One or two indeterminate leaders are selected and all the other side shoots are pinched out.

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Trellising Cucumbers: Rules to follow u  Remove all cucumbers until the plant is 2.5 to 3 Feet tall; don’t

get impatient or greedy here! u  Don’t remove more than 3 leaves at a time u  Don’t remove leaves above the lowest fruit u  Leave fruits in only half to two thirds of the nodes depending

on plant health for European Varieties u  Leave one fruit per node on pickles and mini’s. Productive

Mini varieties with kill themselves with over production, if you don’t remove fruit; unless you just have time for one burst

u  Cucumbers can be lowered, but the season is still shorter than tomatoes

u  Make sure your fertilizer levels are plenty high.

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Trellising Cucumbers

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Clipping to Strings, Leaf Removal 49

European and Mini Cucumbers need to be wrapped or packaged.

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Trellising Peppers: Rules to follow

u  Keep two to four leaders (usually two)

u  Remove the king bloom, the secondary bloom and possibly the third bloom to give the plant time to strengthen before production

u  Peppers are too brittle to lower, so you grow them straight up the string

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Pollination u  Tomato benefit in size and yield

u  Peppers benefit in size and yield

u  Parthenocarpic Cucumbers don’t need pollination

u  Strawberries need pollination

u  Handheld Electric Pollinators

u  Insect Pollinators – Bumble Bees

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Pollination

u  When humidity is 60-80% u  Morning is a good time

u  Pollinate two to three times a week or every other day

u  Touch the stock of the flower cluster briefly – 1 second or less – you can see the pollen disperse

u  Visually observe each plant. This is a good time to look for problems in the crop

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Tomato Grafting

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Tomato Grafting

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Splice or Tube Grafting

u  Fastest Method

u  Easiest Method

u  Most Economical Method

u  High Success Potential

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Cleft Grafting 57

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Side Graft

u  This one was a bit more difficult for me

u  It’s hard not to cut or break the top off

u  You need an extra hand

u  Can be beneficial if you can’t keep environmental conditions well regulated

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So, is grafting worth it?

u  Short Answer – Maybe & Sometimes

u  In presence of disease or high salts – yes

u  Some studies have demonstrated greater yields without disease pressure

u  It may depend on the graft combination, growing system, or other dynamics

u  Less productive varieties may benefit more

u  More research is needed

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Thanks for coming! 60