A Method for Growing Hydroponically in Sand

simplyhydropo

New Member
Hello guys I'm new to this forum but I wanted to spread the word on a project I'm currently working on. It is for a hydroponic system that requires no pumps in order to operate and uses sand as a grow medium. It is able to grow a variety of herbs, fruiting plants, and houseplants. Currently, I'm trying to raise funding that would allow this product to become a reality for anyone interested in hydroponics or growing in general. I want to create something that makes hydroponics more accessible to everybody. I have successfully used these planters for growing transplants, seeds, and propagated cuttings. You can check out what I'm working on at my website at simplyhydroponicplanter.

For those who don't know, sand-culture is a method of hydroponic production using sand as a growing medium. It's actually one of the oldest hydroponic production methods around. Sand has good water retention and aeration qualities, but is packed densely enough to support root systems. It's also cheap and readily available from a variety of sources. I use a passive wick-based system to provide nutrient solution to the growing medium. The method is passive and self-regulating, which is why the planters can operate without pumps. Check it out.
 
Unfortunately my area doesn't allow me to perform that test. However, I can confirm that it can grow a variety of plant types, including heartier plants like peppers or tomatoes. In test the planters have supported a variety of roots systems thin, thick, tangled. In principle it should support the root system and deliver nutrients to cannabis like any other.

At some point in the future I could provide a few prototypes to appropriate bloggers that would be able to make a firm confirmation. But for now, I'm introducing this planter as an easy method of hydroponic production that can support a variety of plants and could plausibly support a cannabis plant as well.
 
Good aeration qualities? I would think the opposite. Sand compacts and has a far tighter matrix than other media do.
 
Yeah, i know cannabis needs to breathe. Sand holds too much water and would suffocate the roots, or cause root rot. That's why perlite, coco, and rockwool work so great. Plus, you don't need to buy a system for it, just need any old bucket
 
Let me address both of those concerns. Sand composition is very irregular and the individual particles do not form very tight matrices. This is why sand can easily slip through your fingers compared to soils or clays. The irregular particle sizes also means that there are many gaps in between particles, sand actually provides better aeration than growing in most soils.

Sand has good water infiltration qualities, which means water can enter sand easily, but low water holding capacity due to it's irregular composition, which means that it drains quickly. The primary difference between sand as a hydroponic medium compared to perlite, coco, or rockwool is that they can't use passive methods like wicking in order to water them.
 
You are wanting money and if/when this launches you will send me planters? I will agree though that I used this very similiar process to clone 15yrs ago. As far as cloning went it worked!
 
Right now we are more concerned with getting the word out than gathering preorders. But in time I think the product will speak for itself. I'm glad to hear you've had success cloning with a similar method. We don't have the ability to test with every plant so information like that is valuable for gauging the concepts capabilities and what can be expected.
 
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