The larger the system, the more powerful the submersible pump must be. In a small system, a small submersible pump is usually adequate for delivering the nutrient solution to the buckets. A timer is also used to activate the delivery system on a desirable schedule. It involves only a little extra time being invested every week or month to make up the liquid fertilizer concentrates.įertilizer solution is delivered to the Dutch Buckets through a distribution system made up of a pump, a feed line, emitters, emitter lines, and stabilizer stakes. Having the concentrate solution pre-made and at hand will minimize the time required for fertilizer mixing in the reservoir. When dry fertilizers are purchased for the system, they can be diluted into a concentrate solution, which is then diluted to the final feed solution in the reservoir as needed. If you prefer not to mix fertilizer every day, make the reservoir large enough to mix two or three days’ worth of fertilizer solution at one time. When determining the size of a reservoir for a Dutch Bucket system, provide for one to two gallons of reservoir capacity per bucket per day. In a smaller hobby-sized system, frequency will range from a few days to every day to ensure that the plants will be fed as needed. The frequency of mixing and diluting fertilizer in a reservoir system depends on the size of the reservoir and the number of buckets and plants in the system. A reservoir system is much more economical than the injector systems often used to feed larger commercial Dutch Bucket systems.
Small Dutch Bucket production systems are fed using a central fertilizer reservoir. When the nutrient solution is run through the system, the reservoir in each bucket is refilled and overrun just enough to ensure that only fresh solution is present in the reservoir. As the solution in the bucket is absorbed by the plants, the perlite in the buckets wicks it up from the reservoir to ensure a steady supply of nutrients to the plants. The area below the drain in each bucket serves as a reservoir of fertilizer to provide nutrients to the plants between feedings. It can be applied to trees, bushes, or other landscape plants growing in the soil outside the greenhouse. Any drainage is conducted out of the greenhouse for disposal. Excess nutrient solution is conducted away from the plants via the drain line, preventing it from flowing onto the floor of the greenhouse, where it could encourage the growth of algae and provide a slipping hazard for the grower or greenhouse visitors. Holes are drilled in the drain line to accommodate the drainage nipple of the Dutch Bucket. Their design incorporates many features that allow them to be the central part of a very plant- and grower-friendly system.ĭutch Buckets sit on a drain line made out of 1-1/2-in. They contain the media in which the plants grow and they can be positioned to provide the plant spacing required for the crop being grown. The Dutch Buckets are the heart of the system. Because the size of the plants in the buckets will be large, you will want to place the buckets so that you can get next to each plant in the system to perform the needed cultural work and pick the fruit it produces. The system can be configured to fit a relatively small area in your hobby greenhouse, and will easily accommodate a few to several large fruiting plants that you can grow in the greenhouse for a few months up to a year.
THE DUTCH BUCKET plant production system offers flexibility in size and layout.
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