Garden Lover answers:

Worm’s Way has a store in Sutton, MA. I know nothing about Massachusetts, so I have no idea if that’s anywhere near you, but you can call 1.800.274.9676 for a catalog or try www.wormsway.com. Anyway, they should have what you need. You might also want to Google Charlies Greenhouses.

Garden Lover answers:

I made a simple tiered Hydroponic set, using plastic guttering. I had six lengths of guttering 3 feet wide, supported on a standing frame. The gutters were stopped at each end with an up-turned pipe. The plants grew on top of the gutter plastic you get to stop birds dropping leaves and debris in gutter. I grew a row of Lettuce. A row of Spinach. I can’t recall the feeding mix I used. It worked quite well. But try typing in your request on the net, and see what comes up. I did get my idea from a hydroponics book. Good Luck!

Garden Lover answers:

Wormsway.com is one place to try. Or you can get most of the stuff t at the hardware store, fish supply and garden centers.

To make a DWC bucket will cost u about $25 USD< <less if you make more than one.

DWC = deep water culture. You will need to get lights (go to eBay for them), NFT mats and fertilizer. And maybe fine mist nozzles, too (garden supply for that sometimes though). The water proof tubs are nice at hydro stores – unless you make your own, but with that you would be searching for the shop who sold the size tub you wanted, it's likely to be a limited list once you decideon whatyou want.

An alternate for ready made tubs is rubbermaid if you are going small<cheap, too. And agricultural/farm animal water and feed bins if you were going bigger<not really cheap though.

Fertilizer<<u might want to buy this based on what you grow, not what shop you are at. Good ones are Advanced Nutrients (good but be careful that you do not get the wrong ones, their labels are a little confusing), Grotek (best?), Fox Farm (cheapest, maybe)…

Lights – The spectrum and strength do matter.

30W per square foot you will NEED for vegetative growth, but up to 50W is good, especially for flowering plants.

Whatever light you use, the most important thing about it is that it is kept at the right distance from the plants. The distance it should be kept is usually dependent on what distance it CAN be kept (due to heat). To cool temperatures down you can use a fan – even a computer fan can work…

Garden Lover answers:

This can be a complicated system because of the timer, switches, valves, wiring, etc…

There are much simpler systems to build like NFT and ebb and flow. But you asked for it…

1 reservoir with lid (55 gallon plastic barrel or less, whatever is reasonable for your system)
4 bases (5 gallon buckets)
4 inserts (largest size that will fit inside 5 gallon buckets)
5 water-tight fittings 1/2″ (drill holes through base buckets and controller and install fittings to buckets)
2 or more 1/2″ tees depending on your system layout.
20′ or so 1/2″ tubing
1 controller bucket with lid (5 gallon like bases)
1 120V timer with relay switch (A to B to A… Not on and off)
1 sump pump with float switch -1/2″ outlet (for the controller to drain system)
1 float valve (for controller to turn pump inside reservoir off when level is reached)
1 aquarium pump (placed in reservoir to fill system)
your choice of growing media.

Sorry, if I have forgotten anything. It is best if you draw up your system and check the list. It is a complicated system. You would get similar results with the ebb and flow system, but it is much simpler. Good luck and I hope the teacher has a big budget for your system.