Jared, over at Inventgeek.com, has been working on a cool DIY hydro system that we wanted to share with you all. Generally speaking, we recommend using a pre-made system for the best results and highest yield. However, if you want to start out small or want to experiment with something new, you could take Jared’s approach and make your own floating raft deep water system.

With the clever use of plastic tubs, foam board and net cups, he creates his own floating raft to grow lettuce. By adding GH nutrients, he is harvesting lettuce from this system in just 4 weeks. That is pretty impressive for a homemade system! Our nutrients really kick production into high-gear, giving plants everything they need for healthy growth and high yields!

The floating raft technique is what many commercial hydroponic lettuce growers use, but on a much larger scale. (Check out this awesome video of a commercial hydroponic operation in action!) Many hydroponic businesses also count on General Hydroponics for their nutrients. Whether you are a business, a home gardener or experimenting with a DIY system like this, GH nutrients really are the universal recipe for growing success.

This homemade floating raft is really great for simple crops like salad greens. Full instructions on how to make this can be found here. However, if you want to grow bigger, heavier crops that bear fruit, we recommend a stronger system that can handle longer roots and bear more weight. Additionally, if you don’t want to spend the time (or just aren’t the DIY type), you can find all more information about General Hydroponics’ systems here.