A Project for Kids and Adults Alike
A fun project that will help kids understand how a plant grows. This will help them see how the seed turns into a seedling, which then turns into a full-grown plant

A brand-new, unused, unopened, undamaged item in its original packaging (where packaging is applicable). Packaging should be the same as what is found in a retail store, unless the item is handmade or was packaged by the manufacturer in non-retail packagings, such as an unprinted box or plastic bag. See the seller's listing for full  details. Color of Hydro Box my vary.

It is made out of LDPE #4 and is food safe. LDPE # 4 is among the safest plastics numbers
How to tell if Plastic is BPA Free
1.Turn the item upside down, and look at the bottom to see if it contains a plastic resin identification code (commonly referred to as a recycling code). ... 
2.If you see 1, 2, 4, 5, or 6, you can comfortably assume the item is BPA-free.


The Grouchy Gardener Hydro Box Kit
INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:

INCLUDES:

1. 1 “Grouchy Gardener Hydro Box”. (14" x 10.25" x 7")

2. 9 - 2" net pots.

3. 9 - One inch Rockwool Starter Plugs 

4.  Hydroton Clay Pebbles

5. 2 bags of Nutrients.(1-40 gram bag of Masterblend/Epson Salt mixture & 1- 30 gram bag of Calcium Nitrate). Enough nutrients to make 5 gals.

6. Step by step instructions.

Free: 1 Algae blocker sleeve that inserts over the water gauge. 

Grouchy Gardener Hydro Box Kit

The Grouchy Gardener Hydro Box is ideal for beginners.
 It’s perfect for growing herbs and leafy green vegetables on the patio or balcony. 

It would be nice to find a way to grow leafy vegetables in a hydroponic setup without any concern about the power going out in a true off-grid manner. Well here it is, “The Grouchy Gardener Hydro Box”.

The Grouchy Gardener Hydro Box doesn't use any type of aeration or water pump. Therefore, no electricity is required. The only thing required is at least 4 hours of sunlight.

Here’s how it works. Take a seedling and place it in one of the provided net pots then place the net pot in the top of the container, making sure that it is submerged about a ¼ of inch into the nutrient solution and give it time to start growing.

Due to the fact that all the roots are not submerged in the water the plant will still get the oxygen it needs to continue growing. It will start to set roots down in the solution and begin to use up the water that is in the reservoir.

As the plant begins to grow the water level will begin to drop and there will be a gap between the surface of the water and the bottom of the net pot.

The plant will begin to grow oxygen absorbent roots in that gap area. The lower roots grow to get the water and the nutrients.

That way you can bypass having aeration or any type of water circulation system.

This approach removes the need for air stones in the reservoir, as sufficient amounts of oxygen in the air is supplied to the roots.

Another advantage of this method is the avoidance of direct contact of the plants with water, which reduces the risks of plant diseases at the collar zone (between root and leaf). Further more the increased ventilation due to the space favors the heat dissipation from   the water, which is ideal in hot climates.

INSTRUCTIONS:  As simple as 1, 2,  3
     

1.     Fill a water container, preferable a 1 gallon container (milk jug) about half way with plain tap water.  Add Nutrient mix"A" to the bottle and shake well. Let the nutrients dissolved completely (about 2 minutes), then add nutrient mix "B" and shake well. Let the mix dissolve completely (about 5 minutes).  Pour the mixture into the reservoir. Add a little more water to the gallon jug shake and rinse it well and so as to get all the nutrients out before adding it to the reservoir. NOTE: It will take 2 gals of mix for the first filling so use 2 tsps of nutrient mix "A" and 1 tsp. of nutrient "B". At this time place the “Grouchy Gardener Hydro Box” in the location where you want it to be (make sure that the ‘Hydro Box” is level). Then add the rest of the water into the reservoir until the plastic water gauge starts to overflow.



2.      If you buy your seedlings from a box store, gently wash as much dirt from the roots as possible. Do not worry about getting rid of all the dirt.


3.      Take the seedling and place into the provided net cups allowing the ends of the roots to reach the bottom of the cup. Gently fill the remaining space in the net cup with the provided clay pebbles, giving support to the seedling. Afterwards, place the filled net cup into one of the holes in the top.


4.      That’s it.   PLANT IT - FORGET IT – ENJOY IT

How to Start From Seed with Rockwool Cubes

 Insert the Rockwool Cubes into a container filled with plain tap water and let them soak for roughly 1hour. Once the hour is up, the cubes will be big and fat with water. Take them out of the bowl of water and put them somewhere you don’t mind getting a little wet. Do not squeeze them to drain any water.

all 3 picsMost Rockwool cubes come with holes in them, if yours did not, than create a hole in one side that is approximately a quarter inch(0.75 cm) deep. I like to make about 3 holes. Take  1-3 seeds and insert them carefully into the holes. Use a toothpick or similar object to push them down about 1-2 cm,depending upon the seeds. . Rip or push a piece of the Rockwool over the hole (you don’t have to fill it completely), so that the seed can germinate in a dark moist environment.

Now, if you can, place them in a tray with a dome on it. This will help create a little humidity in there which seedlings like. This is not mandatory, but it helps. Whichever you choose, take your cubes and put them in a cool dark place, and leave them alone. The temperature should be roughly 68 degrees F, though my house stays at about 72 and they do fine there. I usually place them above my refrigerator and just leave them fora day or two. My lettuce seedlings sprouted with a quickly the last time I tried, and by the 3rd day they had grown so tall that I had to take the plastic dome off of my container because they were bumping up against the ceiling.
Leave Them Alone and Let Them Grow     

If you put more than one seed in your cube(just in case one didn’t make it), than you probably have several seeds sprouting up in each cube. Once the first true leaves emerge, we want to select the strongest one (the one that grew the tallest), and cut off the tops of all other seeds that are growing next to it. Do not pluck them out, as you may uproot its neighbors. Simply cut it off as close to the hole as you can without messing with the stronger one that you plan on keeping alive.

Move to the Hydro Box.

Place the rockwool cube in the provided net cups and move to the Hydro Box filled to the proper level with the nutrient solution.

That’s it.  PLANT IT - FORGET IT – ENJOY IT.

Think of how nice it would be to always have access to a sprig of basil or other fresh herbs all year long.

When harvesting, make sure you remove the whole plant (including roots) from the Hydro Box.



Note: It is recommended to sterilize the net cups and the “Grouchy Gardener Hydro Box” by soaking them with weak bleach for a couple of hours every 6 months.

 How his Method Works

As your seedling draws water up into the net pot, the water level in your container will start to decrease. This lower water level will then fill with air providing oxygen for the roots of the plant.

When th