Geoff Hackett has been featured in Kitchen Garden magazine before he won a special commendation after entering our Passionate Plotter competition in 2018. His veg plot in his garden in Tyne and Wear (Hebburn) is only 4m by 5m yet he packs so much into this small space. In time Geoff wanted more growing area and so his only alternative was to use the vertical fences around his plot and a home-made hydroponics system.
We asked Geoff a few questions about his set-up.
Is your set-up based on hydroponic principles?
The vertical system is a water-only hydroponic set-up, using an electric pump to deliver the nutrient water at set times and durations using a simple household plug-in timer.
Did you buy kits or design and create the whole system yourself?
After a lot of research on Google etc, to see what options and designs were available, I took aspects from different systems and amalgamated them into the system I have now. Gumtree is a great resource for used parts that can be adapted.
How do you start the plants off?
The plants are started off mostly in the greenhouse/window ledge in rock wool cells, some in seed trays, till a strong root structure has formed. For some plants the roots are then rinsed and grown on in clay balls held in growing baskets.
As this was the first year trying hydroponics outside, I went with mostly lettuce as an easy option. These are sown two to three seeds per cell. Once the second set of leaves appears the rock wool cube is cut in half and placed in growing baskets in the vertical pipe system.
Is water running through continuously or intermittently and then returned to a feeder tank?
Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av Kitchen Garden.
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Denne historien er fra September 2023-utgaven av Kitchen Garden.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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SEPTEMBER SPECIALS
This month, with sweetcorn, figs and blackberries on the menu, Anna Cairns Pettigrew is not only serving up something sweet and something savoury, but all things scrumptious
FLAVOURSOME FRUIT AUTUMN RASPBERRIES
September - is it late summer or the start of autumn? David Patch ponders the question and says whatever the season, it's time to harvest autumn raspberries
SOW GREEN THIS AUTUMN
Covering the soil with a green manure in winter offers many benefits and this is a good time to sow hardy types, says KG editor Steve Ott
A HISTORICAL HAVEN OF FRUIT AND FLOWERS
KG's Martin Fish takes time out from his own plot to visit a walled garden in Lincolnshire which has been home to the same family for more than 400 years
RESTORING THE BALANCE
The phrase regenerative gardening is often heard in gardening circles, but what is it? Can it help you to grow better veg? Ecologist Becky Searle thinks so, and tells us why
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT
Garden Organic's Anton Rosenfeld shares his expertise on using compost made from green bin collections with handy tips on getting the right consistency and quality
Celebrating Organic September!
In this special section we bring you four great features aimed at improving your crops and allowing nature to thrive
SEEING RED
Do your tomatoes have a habit of remaining stubbornly green? Or perhaps you're lucky to enjoy lots of lovely fruits - just all at once. Either way, Benedict Vanheems is here with some top tips to ripen and process the nation's favourite summer staple
NEW KIDS ON THE BROCCOLI!
Rob Smith is talking broccoli this month with a review of the different types available and suggestions for some exciting new varieties to try
A NEW kitchen garden
Martin Fish is getting down to plenty of picking and planting on the garden veg plot, while Jill is rustling up something pepper-licking good!
