How to make a Bamboo Frame Hydroponics System

Bamboo can be a great material for creating hydroponics gardens. Here are five of the most common steps involved.

Dry Bamboo Thoroughly

You have to dry the bamboo before using it. If you don't, there's a good chance that it will crack or warp after it's installed. That's one of the biggest problems with this material, and it's something that people don't often think about. Drying and curing will take time, so harvest the stuff weeks or months before you plan to use it.

Cut Holes in the Top

One of the first steps for a common bamboo frame hydroponics system is to cut small holes about 4 to 5 inches in diameter on the top of the bamboo segments, which should be at least 6 to 7 inches in diameter. This is where the plants will sit in a bamboo frame.

Set Plant Pots

After the holes are made, you can put plant pots in place that are full of sterile media. Materials like coco coir, rockwool, clay pallets and vermiculite are common additions to these small pots. This is where the root systems will take in water as the plants mature.

Route Irrigation

When plant pots are in place, you can start to route irrigation around the system. This for going to require piping or tubing through each bamboo segment. Here's where the water with the nutrients is going to come into contact with plant roots. You want to find the best ways to set this up to make delivery efficient. One common idea is to create a vertical system instead of one that is spread out over a broad area. Here, you stack the bamboo pieces vertically. Then you take water up to the top and let it trickle down through piping or other structures. This makes some use of natural gravity, and decreases the amount of energy you have to spend on keeping your plants well fed.

Hang the Bamboo

You want to hang bamboo segments or otherwise install them in the space. Another idea is to have a bamboo or wood side frame that you can simply stack the pieces on. You want to make sure that plants have room to grow vertically up from the plant pots and that they are not obstructed.

These are just some of the beginning steps for bamboo in a hydroponic project. For more, check out all the research Dealzer offers growers.