Gerardo (Gerry) Spinelli
Production Horticulture Advisor for San Diego County
530-304-3738
Hydroponics
Kratky Hydroponics Factsheet Download
Hydroponic Organic Basil
Video: Hydroponic Organic Basil with the Kratky system
The Kratky method is a simple system to grow leafy greens in hydroponics without soil, using a tank with water and fertilizer. It’s perfectly suited for hyperlocal food production and to grow healthy and nutritious greens without pesticides. In our other videos we showed how to grow lettuce and tomatoes with conventional fertilizer. This video is our first attempt to grow basil with organic fertilizer.
Grow Lettuce with the Kratky System
This project was inspired by the idea of promoting hyperlocal food production in food deserts. The goal is to grow leafy greens in 50 days for (less than) 50 cents per lettuce head with a minimal initial investment cost. This series of how-to videos explains how to build a scaled-down version of the Kratky system (https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/vc-1.pdf) to grow hydroponic vegetables outdoors. This is a non-circulating system, so there are no moving parts (pumps, blowers, pipes). It’s also called the set-and-forget system, because you just have to prepare the nutrient solution, plant your seeds and come back after 50 days to harvest. Organic version coming soon!