There are smaller, 11-liter buckets made specifically for growing strawberries. Standard Bato buckets are great for growing large plants such as tomatoes and cucumbers. What are the advantages of a Bato bucket system for growing strawberries? Commercially viable examples of this approach are not known, however. It’s also possible to raise strawberries by aquaponics, with plant nutrients coming from a fish tank connected to the system. Some setups include an air line to make sure the roots are constantly surrounded by high-humidity air to keep them from drying out. In nutrient film technique, the strawberry plants’ roots are constantly bathed in a nutrient solution that drains out the bottom of the pot, so the roots stay aerated.
Only the lowest tips of the strawberry’s roots are ever in contact with the water, while the rest of the root mass is kept hydrated by the wicking action of the growing medium. Other growers prefer for their plants to float over a constant bath of nutrient solution. The “flood” leaves the perlite, coconut husks (coir), peat moss, or other growing medium around the roots of the plant moist and nutrient-rich, but the growing medium is loose enough that the roots are quickly aerated again after the 10-to-15 minute flood. Several times a day the trough is filled with nutrient solution to the brim of the pot and then allowed to drain down and out of the row of pots. Some indoor strawberry growers plant strawberries in porous pots that placed in a trough. How is a Bato bucket system different from other hydroponic systems?īato buckets are a hybrid of several other hydroponic growing systems for strawberries.
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Learn how to build a Bato bucket system from the video below: Sometimes Bato buckets are set up in a “run to waste” system that does not return spent nutrient solution to the reservoir, but this is not recommended practice. This would make it impossible to remove a bucket for pest control or replanting. The tips of the drip lines are placed below the level of the growing medium at the top of the bucket, one line for each plant, the tip near the plant’s roots.īato buckets are not connected by continuous irrigation lines. A drain line connects to each bucket and runs back to the nutrient reservoir, both to conserve water and fertilizer and avoid making a slippery mess on the floor of the grow house. Irrigation line diameters range from ¼ inch to 1 inch (5 to 25 mm), depending on the number of buckets being irrigated. The irrigation line is usually PVC of a diameter wide enough to deliver enough irrigation solution for all the buckets. Supplies and Systems to Use for Your Setupīuy on Amazon Setting up a Dutch bucket (Bato bucket) system is simple.ĭutch buckets are arranged in a row with their irrigation lines running beside them. We’ll also discuss these irrigation systems in more detail later in this article. The only other component of the system is either a nutrient reservoir connected to the irrigation line for smaller setups or an injection system for each bucket in larger, commercial greenhouses. We’ll discuss irrigation and drainage lines in more detail a little later. Most commercial Bato bucket systems connect hundreds or even thousands of buckets with irrigation lines and drainage lines. Standard Bato buckets for growing strawberries are 11 liters (a little under 3 gallons), but there are Bato buckets with capacities of 10 to 20 liters (a little under 3 to a little over 5 gallons). This container is called a bucket because it’s about the size of an average water bucket. A Bato bucket isn’t a “bucket” in the traditional sense of being a pail with a handle for carrying it. They are small containers that typically hold three or four strawberry plants. Buy your nutrient reservoir with scaling up in mind.īato buckets were developed by hydroponics specialists in the Netherlands and first released to the general public in 1989.What are some cost-saving approaches for setting up Bato buckets?.What kind of growing medium do strawberry growers use with Bato buckets?.
What are the disadvantages of a Bato bucket system?.What are the advantages of a Bato bucket system for growing strawberries?.How is a Bato bucket system different from other hydroponic systems?.Setting up a Dutch bucket (Bato bucket) system is simple.
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