How to build a hanging herb garden in your kitchen

Want to set up a garden in some out-of-the-way place in your kitchen, to get fresh herbs for the dinner table? Herb gardens are some of the most popular hydroponic gardens around, because the herbs take up such little space, and can be used on ongoing basis. Here are some of the elements of what you need to do to get a hanging herb garden installed in your kitchen.

Evaluate Fasteners and Structural Components

You want to make sure that your gardening system will support the weight of all of your plants, materials and tubing, and everything else that goes into your hydroponics project. That means getting adequate fasteners, whether it's ceiling-mounted screws or shelving.

Figure Out Plant Pots

In a hanging garden, your plants will be suspended in midair. You have to figure out how you will support the container of the sterile media for plants. Some designs use PVC pipe with holes cut in the top - this way, the plant pots are situated correctly, stable and able to grow upward. You can also get the same effect with wood designs by cutting out circles where plant pots should be.

Figure Out Lighting

One of the biggest problems with hanging gardens in the kitchen is light. The lights have to be in a place where they can reach the plants, but if the plants are too far up, that can be a problem. You can, of course, rack-mount the lights to the ceiling, but you might also be able to build them off of the hanging structure to get everything on one installation.

Set Up Irrigation Tubing

Another possible problem with hanging gardens is getting that nutrient-rich water up to where it can nurse plant roots. This doesn't need to be a problem, as long as you have a well-rated pump and some thin tubing that will deliver water where it needs to go periodically - but if you can't handle the load rates or push the water up near the ceiling, you won't get the results you want out of your hanging garden.

Light, Temperature and Humidity

You'll also have to think about how to give plants the environment they need, while also using the kitchen for cooking. Sometimes, that can get pretty hot, and that can be a little bit detrimental to plants in some situations. Figure out if you can coexist with the plant environment to get green herbs in the same places that you prepare your meals.

For more on what's possible in hydroponics, look at what modern retailers offer to help you build your customized projects.