| Are you looking for a fun and easy way to teach | | | | local garden center. They may even have a kit of |
| your children about gardening and how plants | | | | these supplies that you can purchase. |
| grow? Then think about using hydroponics. It is a | | | | Steps for building your water bucket hydroponic |
| great way to teach your kids about how plants | | | | garden |
| grow and develop because they will see it all | | | | 1. Drill several holes into the side of the first |
| happen much more quickly than with the | | | | bucket. These should be about an inch and a half |
| traditional garden. | | | | up from the bottom of the bucket, and measure |
| Not only that, but you and your children build a | | | | no more than three eights of an inch. Then fill the |
| simple hydroponic system together. This is a | | | | bucket with your growing medium. |
| great opportunity to have that teaching moment | | | | 2. Mix your water and nutrient solution (available |
| and bonding time with your children. | | | | at garden centers and online) and add this to the |
| A simple system for your hydroponic gardening is | | | | second bucket. This is called the reservoir bucket. |
| the bucket system. It is automated and easy to | | | | 3. Next, attach a drip line to the submersible |
| build. This system is very similar to traditional | | | | pump. Place the pump into the water in the |
| gardening, but it incorporates an automated | | | | reservoir bucket. |
| watering system. Depending on the age of your | | | | 4. The air pump is placed outside of the reservoir |
| children, this may require a bit of parental | | | | bucket and is connected to an airline that is put |
| guidance. | | | | inside the reservoir bucket and attached to the air |
| Supplies needed for your water bucket | | | | stone. |
| hydroponic garden | | | | 5. Attach a timer to the submersible pump - a |
| 1. 2 five gallon buckets | | | | digital one works fine. Set the time to go off |
| 2. Growing medium | | | | once or twice a day for about one minute. |
| 3. Seed or seedlings | | | | 6. Make sure the drip line reaches the base of the |
| 4. Nutrient solution | | | | plants you are growing in the first bucket. |
| 5. Drip line and submersible pump | | | | This is an easy to build hydroponic system and |
| 6. Air pump and air stone | | | | can be a starting point for developing a larger |
| 7. Timer | | | | hydroponic system. This method works very well |
| All of these supplies should be available at your | | | | with larger plants such as tomatoes and peppers. |