There were several things that I needed to consider when I decided to set up a hydroponic system, but to me the most important were the costs. Not only the ongoing expenses associated with this type of gardening, but the set up costs as well. Below you will find the list of parts that I used to set up my system. I have also included links to Amazon.com (quite possibly the cheapest place to buy them) for your convenience.
My first system was made up of the following items:
- Netted Pots 3.75" -20 pack...$10.94
- 27 Gallon Construction Grade Commander Storage Tote...$29.99 (used a Rubbermaid 54 gallon tote for the initial project but it will only last you 1 year, use the stronger 27 gallon)
- Hydrofarm ASCL Large Active Aqua Air Stone Cylinder...$6.87
- Beckett DP400 400 GPH Pump for Ponds and Fountains...$38.38
- 1/2" x 6" Poly Cut-off Riser...$.13
- Orbit WaterMaster Underground Pop-Up Sprinkler Head with Brass Nozzle, Full Circle...$2.98
- Hydrofarm JSEF55 Smart Float Grow Tray with Plugs...$26.11
- Hydrofarm AAPA15L 6-Watt 15-LPM Active Aqua Air Pump with 4 Outlets...$27.48
- PENN PLAX Standard Airline Tubing Air Pump Accessories, 25-Feet...$5.49
- Hydroton GMHT10L Hydroponic Grow Rocks, 10 Liter Bag...$22.79
- General Hydroponics Flora Series QT - FloraGro, FloraBloom, and FloraMicro...$38.36
So the total cost on the system before shipping was $183.41. At the time, I was able to get the totes and the sprinkler heads from Lowes, but many of the things I had to order online. This list didn't include any tools that I had to buy. (the hole saw for example)
If I were to break this cost down for each plant it would be $9.17 per plant. If I were to break it down per vegetable then the cost would likely be only a few pennies per unit. Keep in mind though that this system can be used from year to year. This will leave you only the monthly operating costs to contend with. (see my earlier post for that)
The last item on the list above are the nutrients. This will only last about 6 weeks. To save money I purchased dry hydroponic fertilizer and mixed the nutrient solution myself which I still had plenty remaining for use the next year.