7 Simple DIY Hydroponics Plans For Incredible Yields That Anyone Can Follow (All Under $100)

System Overview: One of the simplest DIY hydroponic systems out there, the mason jar Kratky System is a completely hands-off, self-contained way to grow small plants like lettuces and herbs.

The Kratky System is one of the easiest ways to get into hydroponics. It’s incredibly simple to set up, completely hands-off, and extremely hard to mess up as long as you choose the right growing media and mix your nutrients properly.

It’s a simplified deep water culture (DWC) system that keeps the roots constantly submerged in the nutrient solution while the plant grows from the net pot on top.

This system uses both Rockwool and Hydroton as growing media and a 3″ net pot in a standard-sized mason jar.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Put the net pot in the mason jar (it’s OK if it doesn’t go all the way down).
2. Add a small amount of Rockwool with seeds to the bottom of the net pot.
3. Fill with nutrient solution so it covers the base of the Rockwood.
4. Top off with Hydroton.
5. Paint the outside of the mason jar black with chalk paint.

Pro Tip: For nutrient solution, mix the following in a one-gallon jug of distilled water: 2g of 4-18-38 fertilizer, 2g of calcium nitrate, 1g of unscented, undyed Epsom salt.

Voila! You finished your easy, DIY hydroponic system.

Estimated Cost: $10

What You’ll Need

• Mason jar
• Net pot with appropriately-sized lid (usually 3″)
• Rockwool
• Hydroton
• Nutrient solution
• Black chalk paint

2. Simple DIY Dutch Bucket System

System Overview: The Dutch Bucket system is an inexpensive type of DIY DWC hydroponic system that lets farmers grow large crops with high nutrient needs in simple, isolated systems to prevent disease from spreading to other plants. Dutch bucket systems are popular with tomatoes and vining plants that can be trained to grow up from the bucket.

Vermiculite traditionally is the most common media for Dutch bucket systems, but Hydroton and crushed granite are popular as well.

There are two common drainage methods for Dutch bucket systems:

1. Flow-to-waste
2. Recirculating irrigation

The simplest, completely self-contained DIY Dutch bucket hydroponic system uses flow-to-waste drainage, and that’s what’s shown in the video above. In this system, a tube is installed in the side of the bucket to monitor water levels and drain the bucket as needed.

Recirculating draining systems are more complex, but they’re more water-efficient and can be scaled up to include multiple buckets on a single recirculating system. However, this setup is more involved and puts all plants on the same reservoir circuit, meaning they’re no longer isolated in the event disease hits one plant.

Estimated Cost: $20

What You’ll Need

• 5-gallon food grade bucket
• Farm kit
• Net pot
• Vermiculite, perlite, Hydroton, or other growing medium
• Nutrient solution
• Airstone or drip ring (or both)
• Air pump (if you use an airstone)
• Drill with 1/4″ bit
• Conical drill bit or paddle bit up to 13/16″

3. DIY Hydroponic Wick System

System Overview: Made from a recycled water bottle, this DIY hydroponic system doesn’t scale well, but it’s a great option for beginners. It operates using a wick, made from felt in this example, submerged in the nutrient solution, that feeds upwards into the Hydroton and seedling in an upper chamber. Capillary action pulls the nutrient solution up to the growing chamber, giving you a simple yet effective hydroponic system.

If you thought the mason jar system above was simple, wait until you see this DIY hydroponic wick system.

Made from a piece of felt, a used water bottle, and some Hydroton, it probably costs you less than a discount lunch combo.

This two-chambered system is simplified as a proof-of-concept in these how-to instructions, with a halved water bottle serving two functions:

1. Bottom half is your nutrient reservoir
2. Top half gets inverted and placed in the bottom half

A wick runs from the bottom half through the inverted top half’s narrow opening where it meets the root ball from your plant.

Capillary actions sucks water up from the reservoir to feed the plant. As the water reservoir runs dry, just keep refilling.

Estimated Cost: $7

What You’ll Need

• Used water bottle
• Hydroton
• Nutrient solution
• Seedling
• Scissors
• Sharpie
• Felt

4. DIY Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) Hydroponic System

System Overview: NFT systems are active, recirculating systems that require a pump to move water to the highest point of the system where gravity flows it down to the reservoir. A more challenging system for beginners, this NFT hydroponic tower gives you all of the advantages of NFT (check out the “Pros” section below) in what’s definitely the coolest-looking DIY hydroponic plan here.

If you’re ready to channel your inner Tim “The Toolman” Taylor (or, preferably, Al Borland) then you’ll love this DIY hydroponic system.

NFT systems are characterized by the constant recirculation of your nutrient solution through a sloped channel with several suspended plants in series.

These systems are ideal for plants that don’t require much maintenance, such as lettuces and herbs.

The shopping list is long for this one. But while there are a lot of parts and some small power tools required, this is a simple build that anyone can do as a fun Saturday project.

Estimated Cost: $60 (excluding tools…ask your neighbor if you need them)

What You’ll Need

• Submersible pump
• Nutrient solution
• (28) 2″ net pots
• Hydroton
• Seedlings
• Nutrient solution
• 5′ of 1/2″ BPA-free tubing
• 2 cable ties
• 5-gallon food grade bucket with lid
• 24′ of 1’x3′ wood boards
• 22′ of 2″ PVC pipe
• (11) 2″ 90 degree PVC elbows
• (1) 2″ PVC end cap
• (6) 2″ PVC brackets
• (2) 1/2″ PVC elbows
• PVC glue
• Wood glue
• Sandpaper
• (12) 3/4″ screws
• 24 1-3/4″ screws
• 2 bar clamps
• Hacksaw
• Handsaw
• Tape measure
• Phillips head screwdriver
• Drill with 1-7/8″ hole saw

5. DIY Vertical Hydroponic Tower

System Overview: Hydroponic towers are great because they’re extremely space-efficient with this system growing upwards of 22 plants in just one square foot.

Like the NFT hydroponic system above, this DIY vertical hydroponic tower is a bit of a project, but it’s something anyone can make with a little time and effort (even the less handy among us).

Vertical hydroponic towers also have many of the same advantages of NFT systems, including recirculating water reservoirs that are both efficient and environmentally-friendly, but they have the major advantage of being the most economical in terms of space.

If you live in an apartment with a small balcony, have a small porch, have a small backyard (seeing a theme here?) or want to grow hydroponic plants in other small spaces, then a vertical system might be your best solution.

Pre-assembled hydroponic towers can run you well into the hundreds of dollars. This system can be built for less than $100 with a little heavy lifting.

Estimated Cost: $80 (excluding tools…again, ask your neighbor)

What You’ll Need

• Submersible pump capable of pumping to 6′ height
• 5-gallon food grade bucket with two lids
• Hydroton
• Seedlings
• Airstone
• Airpump
• Nutrient solution
• (22) 2″ net pots
• 6′ of 1/2″ BPA-free tubing
• 7′ of 4″ PVC pipe
• 10′ of 1-1/2″ PVC pipe
• PVC solvent cement
• (1) 4″ PVC collar
• (1) 4″ PVC bracket
• (1) 5″ PVC square
• (1) 1/2″ barbed T
• (2) 1-1/2″ bolts with nuts
• Aquarium-safe silicone
• Drill with 3/8″ bit
• Mitre box or mitre saw
• Jigsaw

6. DIY Ebb and Flow Hydroponic System

System Overview: Ebb and flow systems, also known as flood and drain systems, are more complex than most of the systems here but offer distinct advantages. In this DIY ebb and flow hydroponic system, a reservoir on the bottom pumps water into a tray on top with the help of a pump and timer setup. The upper tray repeatedly floods and drains on a set schedule, which strengthens the roots and efficiently aerates the growing media through suction as water flows back into the reservoir.

The other five DIY hydroponic plans subject the plants’ roots to constant contact with water. An ebb and flow system is much different.

This two-tiered system consists of a lower reservoir filled with nutrient solution and an upper growing tray. The growing tray can be configured in one of two ways:

1. Filled with Hydroton with plants growing directly in the tray
2. Filled with net pots, each individually filled with Hydroton and plants

The advantage to the first: It’s easier. The advantage to the second is more efficient use of Hydroton and easier isolation of individual plants in case you want to switch one out or move them around for better lighting.

Ebb and flow systems require the use of a pump and timer. Typically, you don’t flood overnight or when the grow lights aren’t on. That means, for your typical 12-16 hour day, you flood and drain 4-8 times if using Hydroton. If you use finer growing media, like coco coir or Rockwool, you cycle less frequently to give the media proper time to drain.

While slightly more complex to operate, these systems actually are relatively inexpensive (though nothing beats the cost-effectiveness of the two DWC DIY hydroponic plans at the top of this list).

Estimated Cost: $60

What You’ll Need

• Submersible water pump
• Shallow plastic tub
• Large water reservoir (15 gallons in the video above)
• Hydroton
• Seedlings
• Nutrient solution
• 3″-5″ net pots (whatever size and quantity you want)
• 5′ of 1/2″ BPA-free tubing
• (2) 1/2″ grommets
• (1) 1/2″ barbed fitting
• Airstone
• Air pump
• Timer
• Drill with 3/8″ bit
• Jigsaw or razor blade
• Aquarium-safe silicone

System Overview: Aeroponics offers some of the best efficiency and yield of any hydroponic system. They work by misting the root ball on a set schedule, never fully submerging the roots in water and thus allowed for superb oxygenation, efficient nutrient use, low risk of disease, and subsequently high yields. While they can be complicated and expensive to set up, but this DIY low-pressure aeroponic system is relatively easy, straight-forward, and affordable.

Aeroponic systems are more complicated than all other types of hydroponic systems. They have more moving parts and require a lot of fine-tuning, monitoring, and maintenance.

Case in point: This whole setup is just for a single 3″ net pot!

(Though you can scale it up with multiple plants if you’d like.)

And it’s just for a low-pressure aeroponic system. High-pressure aeroponic systems require more pressure, better sprayer heads, a finer mist, and a more advanced pumping system that actually does away with the pump and replaces it with a pressurized water tank, air compressor, and solenoid valves.

You can read more about these advanced systems in our Aeroponics vs Hydroponics guide.

I wouldn’t jump straight to this DIY aeroponic system if you’re completely new to the world of hydroponics, but it’s a great starting point for those looking to give aeroponics a try.

Estimated Cost: $50

What You’ll Need

• Submersible water pump (stronger is better)
• Seedling
• Nutrient solution
• 5-gallon food safe bucket with lid
• (1) 3″ net pot
• (4) 1/2″ PVC elbows
• (4) 1/2″ pieces of PVC cut to 6″ lengths
• (2) 1/2″ pieces of PVC cut to 2-1/2″ lengths
• (5) 1/2″ pieces of PVC cut to 1-3/4″ lengths
• (1) 1/2″ piece of PVC cut to 1-1/4″ length
• (2) 1/2″ PVC T joints
• (1) 1/2″ PVC 4-way joint
• (5) 1/2″ PVC end caps
• 1 threaded 1/2″ PVC adapter
• 360 degree spray nozzles
• Drill with 5/32″ bit
• 3″ hole saw
• 10/32″ tap
• Neoprene collar