DIY Hydroponic Grapes

Grapes will grow in a hydroponic system, provided they are well-supported and get an adequate flow of nutrients. The container for growing grapes must be large enough to hold the mature plant and arranged so the weight of the plant and fruit won’t tip it over. A good hydroponic growing system for grapes is an ebb-and-flow system. This system fills the planter nearly full of liquid nutrients several times a day and then drains the liquid so the plant roots can get air.

Plastic storage bin with lid, at least 18 qt.

5-gallon bucket

Submersible pump

?-inch hose or tubing

Fiberglass screen, 3-by-3 inches

Caulking, food-grade

Hose clip

Drill with ?-inch bit

Timer

Perlite

Clay pellets or silica stones (optional)

Nutrient solution

Grape vine transplant

Drill a 1/2-inch hole in the bottom of the bucket. Fit in a short section of the hose. Caulk around it to prevent leaks and allow it to dry for at least 24 hours. This will allow the nutrient liquid to drain back into the reservoir.

Make two ?-inch holes in one end of the plastic storage bin, near the top. The holes will allow both the cord from a submersible pump and a filler hose to pass out of the reservoir while the lid is on. Drill a ?-inch hole in the lid of the bin to allow the drain hose access to the bin. This bin will be the nutrient reservoir.

Place a piece of screen over the drain hole to prevent perlite from leaking out. Fill the bucket with perlite. Add a thick layer of clay pellets or silica stones at the bottom to give it some weight. Be sure to use new, sterile pellets, stones and perlite to avoid contaminating the hydroponic system.

Plant the grape vine in the perlite to the depth recommended on the plant tag. Be sure the plant is secure in the perlite. Place the bucket on a shelf or table in a sunny location next to a trellis, arbor, fence or netting where you can secure the grape vine as it grows.

Set the reservoir in a spot lower than the planting bucket. Attach a filler hose to a submersible pump and place the pump in the reservoir. Run both the pump's power cord and the hose out of the reservoir through the holes in the end. Fill the container about two-thirds full of nutrient solution. Put the lid on it.

Fit the plant bucket’s drain hose into the hole in the reservoir lid. Bring the filler hose up from the reservoir and clip it securely to the inside of the bucket’s rim.

Set the timer to run three or four times per day, just long enough to fill the bucket to about an inch from the tip of the perlite. Plug the pump into the time and plug the timer into an outlet to complete your setup for growing hydroponic grapes.

You can use a splitter on the filler hose and grow two grape vines instead of one or you can fill one bucket and let it flow into another container before it drains back into the reservoir. This lets you increase yield while using a single pump and reservoir.

Protect all electrical connections from contact with water to prevent shock and fire hazard.

Change the nutrient solution completely every two weeks; the recirculated liquid will not be good longer than that.