tom has been gathering parts and working to put together an indoor ebb and flow hydroponic setup for growing lettuce and herbs through the winter.

want a tour? i thought so.

first, the seeds of the plants that grew the tastiest stuff this summer get planted and nurtured under a little light on a warming mat, so they can grow some roots:

each little plant grows in a small cup with slots for the roots to grow and hang down through.

then they get transferred into the system:

the water is pumped up from the container on the floor, flows into each of the three black blocks, tickles the plant roots and then flows out the other side of the blocks back into the container on the floor. all the while the leaves bask in the glow of the big white light above. the whole system will be run by timers and the light can be raised and lowered. fancy, no?

everything in the system was obtained either at yard sales for a few dollars, for free (like the ginormous light) or from the hardware store. no off-the-shelf hydroponics for us!

and no more store-bought lettuce, hopefully.