Deep water Hydroponics in recycled tins

prusaprinters

<p>Recycling the tins from your canned tomatoes to grow new tomatoes is a great way to reduce your impact on the environment and let's not kid ourselves: Homegrown always tastes better.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>This print-in-place lid for the standard sized food tins holds one cube of rockwool and can be used in all stages of plantgrowth.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Materials needed:</p><ul><li>“Rockwool starter cube” 3cm (1.2in) from your favourite supplyer</li><li>Seeds</li><li>Old tin ~10cm (3.9in) diameter</li><li>(Optional) ~5g epoxy or some waterproof paint</li><li>This Print</li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Food tins are coated with a very thin layer of plastic from the inside to prevent rusting. Depending on how rough you have been when taking the food out you might need to re-seal the insinde with some epoxy or paint, otherwise your hydroponics might get a high iron content ;)</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Usage:</p><p>Fill up your resealed tin with water until at least some of the net-cup on the lid is below the waterline, plug in your rockwool cube so that it soaks up the water and plant the seed.</p><p>If everything works out perfectly evaporation and root-growth hold a balance and the waterline goes down over time. It is important that some bits of the root are aired all the time so don't fill up the tin to the top once the roots have grown out of the rockwool.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>My tomatoes like a slightly acidic environment so I've mixed up a 5l container with water, hydroponic fertilizer and a tiny amount of phosphorous acid to get the PH down to ~6. Once enough roots have grown, I recommend refilling the tin to about half with the mixture of fertilizer and water.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Happy Growing.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Edit: Printing these parts in black or a dark color is recommended, because algae might start to grow in your nutrient solution and roots generally do not like the light.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p>