Heath Robinson and exploding polystyrene

While (reluctantly) tidying, I found some expanded polystyrene packaging – just enough for hydro-experiment #4. This is using a raft of polystyrene floating on the nutrient solution.

I used a plastic tub from the garden, some blue plastic hoarded years ago (just in case), some plastic cups with drainage holes made with a soldering iron, two of the lettuce seedlings from hydro-experiment #1. And … the polystyrene carved to fit the tub and cups – I didn’t take a snap of the resulting mess!

Here are 5L water, with ½ tsp acid and 20ml Plant Magic Hydro Grow,

the raft in place

covered with the blue plastic sheet as a light-suppressant and the cups in their holes.

A couple of handfuls of perlite in (and around) each cup

and the lettuce seedlings and some seeds.

Heath Robinson also struck in the greenhouse as I’ve run out of space and have had to put a mid-level shelf in.

Meanwhile, in the house, hydro-experiment #1 is flourishing; the roots have grown down the wick into the nutrient solution (which needed topping up).