A homemade hydroponics system does not have to be complex, difficult to build or require an array of pipes and pumps. The simple flood and drain, or ebb and flow system, outlined here can be operated without any electricity and requires only one tube.

This system is based on a gravity feed. You use two large pails, one for your plants and another to hold your nutrient solution. Your nutrient solution will flow into your grow medium when the nutrient pail is placed at the same level or slightly higher than the pail containing your grow medium and plants. The solution will drain, after feeding your plants, when the pail is lowered to a point below the level of your plant pail.

Here's what you need:

• A sturdy table to stand your pails on. The height is not important. If you don't have a table, use a plank and some concrete breeze blocks.
• Two large, clean buckets, about five gallons each.
• A few feet of flexible half inch tubing. How much you need depends on the height of your table. Some clean gravel.
• Some fine mesh plastic screen, like window screen.
• Grow medium of your choice.
• Nutrient solution of your choice.
• Adequate light.

Now you need to make sure that both buckets are very clean. Next cut a hole in each one about one half inch from the bottom. The half inch tubing needs to fit tightly into these holes so try to make a clean job. A drill and bit works well for this.

Connect the two buckets with the tubing. Be sure you have enough tubing so that you can lower your nutrient bucket to the floor while leaving your plant bucket on the top of the platform.

Check for leaks around the tubing. You don't want to end up with a mess on the floor so be sure the connections are water tight. You can use some silicone caulking here or if you want to get a bit more sophisticated you can use a plastic hose coupling, the kind with the serrated edges that fit tightly inside the tube.

Next put about two or three inches of gravel in your grow bucket. Lay your screen on top of the gravel. The purpose of the screen is to keep any debris from your grow media from clogging the tubing and stopping the flow f nutrient solution. Make sure the screen fits as snugly against the side of the bucket as possible.

Now add your grow medium to the grow bucket. Perlite will work well here but there are many other types of grow media available, the choice is yours. Now you can go ahead and plant your seeds or seedlings.

At this point your grow bucket should be on the top of the platform and your hydroponics nutrient bucket should be on the floor beneath the platform. Fill your nutrient bucket and then lift it onto the platform. The nutrient solution will flow through the tube and flood your plants. After the grow medium is well soaked place the nutrient bucket back on the floor and the solution will flow out of the grow bucket, draining your plants. If the solution doesn't flood high enough into the grow bucket then just adjust the height of the solution bucket.

You will need to flood your plants several times a day, depending on the type of grow medium you have chosen. You should keep the nutrient bucket covered to keep foreign matter out and be sure to give it a good stir occasionally to keep it aerated. Alternatively, if you don't mind introducing some electricity into this low tech hydroponics system, you could aerate the nutrient solution with an air stone and an aquarium pump.

This simple homemade hydroponics system can easily be located in a roomy kitchen so you can harvest your vegetables as needed.