Hydroponics

[Kris^]

We just this week put two more greenhouses up on our small farm, bringing the number to 4.  We want to maximize the use of the houses.  Right now, we get about 2 1/2 seasons of use out of them.  It was suggested by a guy from Holland that we could grow vegetables hydroponically during the winter for m ore production.  (Holland is the world leader in hydroponic usage.)  Our neighbors grows and harvests hydroponic tomatoes in the early spring, before the regular field crops are ready.  But they have a dedicated greenhouse for the project, with permanent concrete channels, and their house sits empty 7 or 8 months of the year.

Can anyone suggest some references for doing greenhouse hydroponics, and plans for easily dismantled hydroponic systems?  We have rows of benches in 2 houses that stand 3 feet off the ground and are about 8 feet wide, and were thinking about laying a series of gutters the length of the house.  If we can set them up in the fall and dismantle them in the spring, that would do us well.  What does anyone here use?

-- Kris

[Brian D. Bray]

Why dismantle?  Why not design your system so that you can lay soak hoses down your rows of trays, then all you have to do is roll up the hose and hang it on a hook when you're done?

[Kris^]

We're looking to maintain our regular spring and summer production of hanging baskets, potted plants and bedding plants.  Permanently mounted equipment would prohibit that.  We only need to run something from September/October to February.  We don't yet know what crops we would grow, even.

-- Kris