If you love exploring the outdoors, growing vegetable gardens, eating healthy food, camping or living off-grid, this channel is for you. I'm Christy Darlington and I've developed an easy way to grow plants with hydroponics and organic gardening. I also enjoy various off-grid gadgets and outdoor camping gear. I hope you enjoy my channel and feel free to comment on my videos. I'll look forward to chatting with you there.
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My catnip is starting to turn brown and I can’t figure out why. I use zero water so the TDS zero. I got the filter to water. My Venus fly traps. I haven’t added any nutrients because I wanted to research what they needed.. could it be lack of nutrients that’s causing the browning? some of the leaves look dried up and others just colored like they absorb brown liquid or something
*Me trying to find where my companion got stuck in Fallout*
I have my tomatoes and potatoes growing in kitty liter pails this year. Great video.
Awesome! I bet they'll work great with your tomatoes
@@GreenLivingOffGrid So far they are doing great.
Educational great work
Thanks for the video. I did something similar when we grew every type of hot pepper. We used home depot buckets and drilled holes in them. Love the water system you showed simple yet effective.
It's weird because when people have good/better sex is actually because electricity in all guys dicks # apparently someone stepped on ants bums and went in the ocean and now he has only got 1 leg because the shark took his leg off is crazy
Healthy white ruts
First off thanks for the video. Well crap, I didn’t know the city slur thing that sucks. I normally use organic garden soil 50% and organic potting mix 50% when planting anything. I also like to use green onions and garlic around my plants for bug protection. I also have clay where I’m at. We are bag reliant- Home Depot, and we do have a couple nurseries. Minus the horse manure, what would you recommend?
Chicken manure and rabbit manure are great. And I don't know if the city stuff gets into the bags of soil. The video I saw was particularly pointing to the compost and fertilizers (so-called organic). I saw the video a while ago so I'll see if I can find it again. I still buy the organic soil as I don't have a good replacement for that and I haven't seen the stringy weird stuff in that like I did with the compost bags, so they may be just fine. What I notice more with the organic soil is that it's mostly made of decomposed wood so I still use it.
Here's an article on the city sewer getting into fertilizers. Again, I don't know how much this affects compost but I do recall the bags I bought a few years ago had some definite non-organic content that I found when I pulled out the stringy stuff. It was definitely not breaking down so I questioned it then. So again, with soil you're probably fine and with compost, you just have to be cautious if you don't have any other options. Here's the article I found just now: www.sierraclub.org/sludge-garden-toxic-pfas-home-fertilizers-made-sewage-sludge
This one details with the compost issue. Perhaps you can still get truly organic compost. I just bought the cheap stuff at Walmart or Home Depot years ago when I last used it so it probably wasn't that good. - www.planetnatural.com/compost-sewage/
@@GreenLivingOffGrid ok thanks for the links I’ll watch them now- a little scared lol. I also found like blue tarp like stringy stuff in a couple bags a few years ago when I was paying attention but thought nothing of - I was very trusting then.
@@GreenLivingOffGrid damn
Great vid , very informative ........i gotten one that holds 12 pods and it has a pump to circulate the water and it has a built in timer for the lights to turn on/off and a seedling/veg/bloom selection , adjustable light brightness I need alittle help with a issue that ive been having , i started growing cherry tomatoes , it started off great and they are growing healthy but the issue that im having now is that the leaves on the bottom are starting to wilt but theres new baby stems with leaves growing , idk on how to stop it from wilting so that all the leaves are healthy ??
Cherry tomatoes need a 5-15 gallon DWC container and they grow 4 to 6 feet tall. At full size, they go through 1 gallon of nutrients per day. If your system is a small 12 pod system, it simply isn't providing enough room for plants that get that large. Might want to try my DWC course on Advanced Hydroponics to build a 5 gallon bucket system for your tomatoes.
@GreenLivingOffGrid 4 to 6 feet tall ?? I didn't know that they grow that big , the small kit that i bought came with the grow sponges with the cheery tomato seeds already in them , the 12 pod hydroponic system that I have only holds 3.8 liters ......I'll definitely check out the dwc Thank you , I appreciate the help
@@Jose.Q_ Yeah they grow real tall. These units are great to start large plants in but you need to upgrade them to a larger system as they grow.
I had the same issue - exactly the answer I was looking for. thanks for sharing!
How can I reach out to you? I have questions to ask.
Ask here
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@@GreenLivingOffGridDid you use the smaller Mr Stacky or the big Mr Stacky
@@onlinemoneyhub8513 It's the 12inch Mr. Stacky
Thanks! I’m new at this and this helped a lot!
I did you didn’t explain anything about actually cutting the trash cans to a size holes in the bottom I would’ve liked to sing that but good video you’re awesome
Thanks for your comment. I only drilled half inch holes in them. Added potting soil and manure. I'm still growing potatoes in them. They work well!
What if I have rocks and stuff in the bottom of my pond where are the eggs can possibly fall and get hidden will any of them hatch possibly
I know mine didn't make it even with my rock containers where I thought they might be able to be hidden and hatch. The problem is that even if they hatch, the adult fish will eat them when they're small, unless you separate them into a separate tank for hatching and growing. They need to be separated until they are big enough the adults will not go after them.
Thanks for the video
Our pleasure!
Great video.
New here. Thanks for sharing your video. 👍
Artificial garden ain't real y'all zombies living in A.i system
💯 Promo-SM
I've been using the Patk Seeds Biodome to start my garden seeds for years! I always have very good results with that system. I almost bought a second one this year!
Yeah they are good. I've actually purchased all 3 of their sizes. Love them!
Mine doesn't say to soak pods or seeds so how long do I soak them?
I usually only soak them about an hour just to ensure everything is covered well, although my seeds have done well without soaking, the pods being soaked definitely helps keep them more moist.
Thank you!!
Thank you for this video!
Great video
I’ve been up all night thinking my usually docile goldfish (2 are 4 years old and 2 are 3 years old) we’re fighting. I’ve been absolutely worried sick. They’ve never been aggressive before. My fish are huge and they’re currently in a 75 gal (I’m going to a larger size with taxes however they still have significant room in this one). Anyway, I’ve been worried sick thinking I was going to end up with a massacre all night, and then it hit me at 530 am that maybe they’re trying to spawn. Funnily enough, it’s been in the 60’s and warmer here (and I’ve still had my heat on due to cold nights) and this video just made me realize that the added warmth may have caused them to spawn. This will be the first time though!
Yep sounds like you found the problem. You just have some very happy and lovey fish for this past Valentines week. How fun!
NERD ALERT
Great video. We have done buckets instead of trash cans. We also have planter boxes and a on ground drip system. I’m one of those that loves the 3+ hours of watering, but got overruled lol. We have grown all versions of hot peppers and almost all herbs. I love Irish moss , I was growing it in a flat plastic container for a couple years. We - my wife and I also did a tea garden, moon garden, edible garden, hummingbird and butterfly gardens at different family members houses. Thanks for the video.
Very informative. I love this video ❤️. Thanks for sharing!
You are so welcome!
I have grown hydroponics tomatoes, cilantro, peppers in the past and they have always grown great. I always use the General Hydroponics Flora series. I never adjusted the PH before. This time I got a kit and tester and adjusted it to the desired range between 5.5 and 6. This time I am getting the yellow leaves. I am just going to go back to my old ways and leave it be..
Yeah I would just go back to what was working in the past. I've had mixed results when trying to adjust PH so I too have stopped doing that. As they say, if something is working don't fix it.
Thanks so much.
Thanks for another great video!!!
Wont all that plastic leech into your plants
It is possible as plastic leaches into a lot of things. You can of course create a similar tray with glass tubs although I don't think these dimensions exist anywhere. Glass (if covered with dark paper to keep algae from growing in it) will likely work just was well.
I've always enjoyed your videos! Even though I can't really do this stuff anymore given where I live now I always enjoy hearing your voice. It is always cheerful, excited about using hydroponics and is always soothing. Thank you for continuing to upload videos!!
I'm hoping to post more videos in the near future. I'm curious why you can't do hydroponics indoors where you live now? Are you unable to get supplies?
That and not enough sunlight and electricity these days is expensive in my country due to the energy costs.. blame Russia. 😢😢😢 So the growing lights would make it an expensive hobby unfortunately.
@@Storin_of_Kel Do you have regular LED Lightbulbs in your home? If you get the daylight bulbs, they grow leafy green lettuce for cheap because they take very little energy to run. If you run them 10 hours a day, just calculate how much power cost their 14 watts take for a total of 140 watts used in a 10 hour day and you might be surprised how little they cost to actually run.
I wish it was that simple. Here we relied on the national government to help us pay our monthly bills up until January because of that energy crisis going on. This year we will not have that support anymore so to save costs, we are cutting back on a lot of energy usage. Luckily I have no family, those who do have an even bigger financial problem unfortunately. I think it is best to just wait for the nice sunny weather to arrive again and then I'll be able to grow a few things on the balcony.
Are these plans real?
No sadly there are no live plants in the fish tank (too cold in Colorado winters), but the plants above them in my aquaponics system are real.
So happy to see you like your new seed starter! Thanks for your in-depth review, keep it up!
thank you
Long time no see! Great to have you back. It's coming up to summer here in Australia, and it's going to be HOT! I really need to get my kratky set up!
Awesome! Yeah this is my first longer video in a few months, but I have been posting shorts this summer. I'm experimenting with that format too in order to see how they do. I love Kratky Hydroponics but have been using these really awesome DWC units sold on Amazon for small kitchen grows. The do really well too!
Awesome. Unfortunately for me, i had one out of 6 various types yellow but it's too late to fix it i believe but i must say it was a very short veg compared to my dirt. Still, I'm now convinced a recirculating 1 reservoir system is the easiest way, i tried just DWC and 4 was far too much trouble to change water weekly. I'm so over it unless i can find a true affordablec rdwc. DutchbBuckets ate badically the same thing, more labor yet they also arent very affordable. It's all gravity fed which is nice so very easy changes compared to tons of individual buckets. I do not know all the details on how those Buckets work, just that they are great as well.
Yeah I too found it difficult to change water weekly, especially when my plants became full grown, but in non-recirculating systems, I can usually get a month of growth in the beginning stages without needing to change the water and then I just re-add nutrient water already premixed as needed in the later stages. If my grow is only 2 or 3 months total, I can usually get by this way without needing to do a full water change. The key is to set it up properly with the right mixture of nutrients the first time. This particular grow was using a different nutrient mixture than what I usually used on these plants and this is why they ran low on cal-mag. So I just boosted that and everything turned out well for me, but I did catch it early and that is key!
Thank you! This helped me so much. My tomatoes started doing this and followed your steps. 😊
I have a question. I thought in these systems you need seperation between your plant root and nutrient level for proper airation as a kratky method. But you submerged it almost fully and it seems to work. Your root wont rot in this way? I have similar system abd need your answer. Thanks in advance
With my lettuce plants, they're fine for the first week or two to have roots submerged as long as you provide an air gap of about 1/4 inch when they get large, but when you first start them, full submersion is fine. They will naturally use the nutrients up and provide their own gap within a couple weeks. In my video, I filled them up to the normal level you start with which is all the way up. And at this size (on the left) they were using the water up so quickly that they had no problem with root rot as long as I didn't refill them more than once every week or two. Lettuce grows so quickly so I usually only have to refill them once before harvesting them in this size planter.
😅👌🌹
I love that drip system can you provide a link please
Yes it's one of the things I teach how to create with my gardening courses at greenlivingoffgrid.com - www.greenlivingoffgrid.com/courses/
My cherry tomatos and my pepper plants are only grown with grow lights. If you're plants are turning spindly and yellow (versus new growth being yellow and veins are dark green like hers are) your light isn't strong enough. I use Mars Hydro TS1000. Cheap lights can be the problem and be warned that the "watts" listed on them is usually bullcrap. The Mars Hydro TS1000 can run (right now) around $110, while the cheapy lights you can easily pay that much when you buy several and end up with a lot less plant lights for the money. The TS1000 will have a whole range of prices from $102 to $160, just keep checking Walmart and AMZ and you get it at a good price on sale. I paid $108 at Walmart in June of 2023.
True lights "can" cause yellow, splinley growth, but in this example, when I added more Calcium Nitrate, my plants improved without changing my lights. So in my video example, it was a nutrient problem, not a lighting issue.
Check PH and EC levels. High PH can result in plants being unable to take up certain nutrients, which can give yellow leaves on new growth. Check PH first and lower it if its too high for the type of plant you're growing. If not cured after (?) a week or so, then go to adding iron for yellow leaves with deep green veins. I don't see what dumping the water will do. I use masterblend 3 part formula and I'd just be putting the same nutrients in the new water, why waste nutrient water?
Your way may work. Personally, on small trays when they get messed up, I have found water dumping the easiest way to fix the problem, but other times, I've been able to fix the situation with adding the Cal-mag, etc. So it really depends on your situation and what you are able to work with and how large our plants are, etc. It is easier if you have a PH meter to adjust issues, but if you don't have one, perhaps the dump of water and restart is the best option, especially if your plants are small anyway. And you can always throw nutrient water on your outdoor plants so it's not really wasted. So it all depends on what you have to work with and what you want to do.
@@GreenLivingOffGrid can't dump nutf water on any plants outside cause I have none. I'm in an apt, so no more yard for me. man, I loved having my yard! :(
That's sad you lost your yard. Yeah having an apartment is tough. Well hopefully you won't need to dump much out with good monitoring, although whenever I start a new grow, I always dump the old and start fresh. Maybe its time for some deck plants or garden window trays so you can have a few soil plants that can use the leftover nutrients. Just an idea. Happy growing indoors.@@montanateri6889
@@GreenLivingOffGrid nah, I choose it. Just too creaky in later life to bend and tend to a yard. I do have house plants and can use nut water in those, hey, I've even got some snapdragons blooming in two pots by a window in Montana December!
Don't take water from the surface, deep water is cleaner and your filter will last longer.
Very helpful information for beginners. .thanks 😂
I'm just starting out with hydroponics; this video was really helpful. Thank you!
So when you see the first truss flower fully, then stop the Calcium Nitrate? Or sooner/later?
Yes for most vegetables you can lower the calcium/nitrate to about about 25% of your formula when you're wanting to encourage flowers and fruit.
Thanks--very helpful. As an operating room RN, I need to clarify that "sanitize" is what you are doing . To "sterilize," a more specific process would need to be used. I agree that sanitizing is what is needed for this product :) This information is what I needed!
Mylar is better than tin foil and is not that expensive.
You didn't invent anything. You're just using something that's been around for a very long time. 😂