First Rhubarb Leaves

First leaves on the rhubarb are visible, just three days after placing the plant crowns in the bucket.

Planted Rhubarb and Cucumber

Place three rhubarb root crowns and four cucumber plants in Hydro Buckets today.

Fired Up The Second Set Of Hydro Buckets.

Turn the pump on my second set of Hydro Buckets today. This one has no water filter on it. This way I can compare the operation of both sets of buckets to each other.

Water Flow In Hydro Buckets Slows Down.

Check the water flow in the first set of hydro buckets thus morning and found the flow had almost stopped. This is the set with the filter on it. Found the filter closed to being fully clogged. This tells me the filter will need to be cleaned out twiced weekly, was hoping to only clean weekly. This explains why last season the drip heads I were using always plugged up in couple of days.

Tomatoe plants added in the late afternoon today.

Valves Added To Hydro Buckets

Added two valves to regulate the water flow and to help mix up the plant food with the water.

Fired Up The Pump On The Hydro Buckets

I put a larger pump on the hydro buckets this season. Today I turn the pump on, put have way to much water press at each bucket. Will have to install a valve on the output feed line to regulate it.

Water Filter Mounted

Got the water filter mounted. Also placed pineapple, sausage, brandy wine red and mortage lifter tomatoes plants in the NFT tubes today.

Plumbing Hydro Buckets

Started working on plumbing the pump to the Hydro Buckets. Still have not found a way to mount the water filter that I like yet. Going to stop at Lowes tomorrow and buy some 3/4 inch plastic pipe hangers and give them a try. Did completed running 1/2 inch PVC between the buckets with two 1/4 inch feeds to each bucket. The forecast calls for thunderstorms tomorrow night. So most likely I have to wait til Thursday night to mount the filter.

Leaking End Caps

I been using the cheap end caps that should be glue into place. Which I didn't do, so the caps could be removed for easy cleaning of the tubes. This results in water leaking from the caps once the plants get larger. So this season I replace them with pressure testing caps. When you turn the wing nuts clockwise, a rubber gasket expands making a air tight seal. Turn them counter clockwise, the cap becomes loose and removeable. Lowes sell them for approx. $6.00 each.

Place Plants In The First NFT Tube

Place seven better boy tomatoe plants in NFT tube one today. Hoping to startup the first
channel of Hydro Buckets tomorrow.

NFT Tubes Turn On Today

Turn on

Turn on the NFT tube system today. No plants in it yet.

New Pavers Around The Nutrient Tank

To reduce the chance of slipping on wet grass. I replces the grass around the nutrient tank with three new pavers.

To Wet To Work In Yard

This has been bad week to get any work done in back yard. By the time I get home from work, it either to wet out or there are other prior commitments. Hopefully I can get in the yard this Saturday.

Took down a large branch from my neighbor tree that growing directly over my NFT system. This allow lot more sun light to reach the my plants this year.

Eliminating the grass

Got tried of coping with the grass that was growing under the NFT support structure. So this year a placed brick pavers under the whole structure.