A Kratky garden is a simple way to grow a plant. There is no pump and no electricity.
Simple Kratky Method
Grow a plant with just water and a jar. There is no pump and no electricity.
The fun thing about the Simple Kratky Method is the containers. You can use virtually any container. Check it out.
What are the best things to grow with the Simple Kratky Method? From tomatoes to herbs and flowers, check it out.
Now that you have your containers and seeds, you have to give your plants the proper nutrients to thrive.
How to choose and mix a hydroponic nutrient, check pH, keep the water cool and work safely.
Beginner friendly
Simple Kratky hydroponics is a beginner-friendly method of gardening that requires minimal equipment and maintenance. With this approach, nutrient solution levels are not replenished, relying instead on the initial nutrient solution to sustain plant growth throughout the growing cycle. Kratky hydroponics is ideal for growing leafy greens, herbs, and some fruiting vegetables, making it popular among urban gardeners and those with limited space.
This innovative technique utilizes mason jars, containers, or any watertight vessel to suspend plant roots directly into the nutrient solution, allowing for efficient nutrient uptake. Additionally, hydroponic gardening eliminates the need for electricity or water pumps, making it a cost-effective and sustainable option for home growers.
You'll learn everything you need to know about the Simple Kratky Hydroponic Gardening Method below.
Start HereMake a Kratky Garden
A Kratky garden is a simple way to grow a plant. There is no pump and no electricity. The plant sits above a container of nutrient water, and its roots take up the water as they grow. Follow these six steps:
Tip: Read all six steps once before you start, so you have the supplies ready.
Learn the basics
The simple Kratky method is named after Bernard Kratky, a horticulture researcher at the University of Hawaii who wanted a way to grow vegetables in water without pumps, power or much upkeep. Here is how it works, and why it is such a good first hydroponic garden. All you need is a jar, some water and a little patience.
Roots need water with nutrients in it, and they need oxygen. In a Kratky jar, the water starts just under the plant. As the plant drinks, the level slowly drops and leaves an air gap at the top. The lower roots stay in the solution and feed, and the upper roots hang in the air gap and take in oxygen. That is why there is no pump: the plant creates its own air space as it grows.
Setting up a jar takes only a few minutes, and fast leafy plants can be ready to harvest within a few weeks. There is no daily watering, no pump to clean and nothing to plug in, and you can see the roots at work, which is hard to do in soil. It is an easy, low-cost way to find out whether hydroponics suits you. Read more on Start Here.
Leafy plants that grow fast and stay small are the easiest: lettuce, basil, mint, parsley, green onions, spinach and bok choy. Plants that make fruit, like tomatoes and peppers, can be grown too, but they need much bigger containers and more care. See Plants to Grow and Kratky Vegetables to pick your first plant.
A container that holds water and keeps out light, like a mason jar wrapped in foil. A lid with a net pot, a few clay pellets, clean water and a hydroponic nutrient. A seedling, and a sunny window or a grow light. Many kitchens already have the jar. The full list is on Supplies.
The water needs to stay dark, because light makes algae grow in it. The leaves need to stay bright, because plants make their food from light. So cover the container, and put the plant in the brightest spot you have, away from heaters and very hot windowsills that can warm the water.
A Kratky jar is quiet, needs no power and fits on a windowsill, a kitchen counter or a balcony, so it suits apartments and homes without a garden. A few jars can keep fresh herbs and greens within reach. The Nutrients, pH and Safety page covers mixing, pH and safe handling, and the FAQ answers the questions beginners ask most.