Seeing as how my home garden has utterly failed for the last 5 years, I wanted to come up with a solution where I could have a high output of vegetables without having to break the bank. I looked at several options and designs online, but they all seemed overly complex and, often, expensive to undertake. With the setup I came up with, it’s possible to have a decent sized hydroponic garden for less than $170 (less than that if you’re a craigslist wizard). So check out the video and then reference the materials and cost list to build your own!
Materials List and Costs:
3 x 55 gallon plastic Drums ($17-$30): $51-$90
1 x 50 gallon plastic tub from Walmart ($15.00): $15.00
3 x 3/4 PVC Pipe ($3): $9
9 x 3/4 90 deg angle ($0.50): $4.50
10 x 3/4-3/4-3/4 T ($0.65): $6.50
1 x tube of caulk: $2.50
1 x 1/2-3/4 thread hose adapter ($1.50): $1.50
1 x 3/4 thread to 3/4 PVC adapter ($0.65): $0.65
1 x 3ft of 1/2″ inner diameter clear hose ($1.00/ft): $3.00
1 x ECO185 Submersible pump with 1/2″ hose adapter: $16 on amazon.com
1 x Deep Cycle Marine Battery: $40
1 x 200 watt inverter: $20-$25
1 x 68watt solar panel: $100 (now you can find 70 watt panels for less)
1 x Jack’s water soluble plant food: $25
3 x 2×6’s: $12 (mine were left over from a project)
1 cubic yard of river gravel: $34
My total Cost of Garden, including solar equipment: $328.65
Total Cost of Garden Build only: $168.85