I think the simplicity of what you've done is a sign of genius. Time to order more clay pebbles and toss this rockwool in the attic.

I use organic cotton balls! Over time they disintegrate as the plant grows and doesn’t have any harmful chemicals in it

Thanks for this amazing video. You did it 3 years ago and it is still very relevant today. You are my hero Tikki.

I love this lady, she is absolutely the best!

I just set up a micro green experiment yesterday using a very similar set up. I got dollar tree deli cups with lids. I put my leca in the bottom, added fert to my water and then cut a paper towel to fit the shape of the container. Spread the seed and then sprayed them. I put the lid back on and set it in my window. I’m excited to see how this works. I found your video today, after I did this. So I’m doubly excited to see the progress knowing someone else did it successfully ❤❤

You are really a good teacher. You and Urban Gardening. Its rare to see this kind of KZfaq content creators thats directly to the point and use simple and less words. Very effective instructions with real experience demonstration. I hope you wont get tired of your efforts. Thank you

Wasn't it 13 out of 12 seeds that germinated? Talk about success! Thanks for another amazing video.

Tikki, I leaned so much from you. Love your energy and method of experimentation!

Once again you have come up with a brilliant alternative to rockwool. This and the Loofah are both great ideas. Thanks so much!

you are a great teacher, so clear and practical, many thanks!

So we’ll explained! Fantastic format and easy to watch/understand. I’m definitely doing this.

Also a newb to this growing method and gardening in general. Thank you for this video and the illustrated processes. This has been immensely helpful Tikki! Thank you again!!!!

This is an incredibly useful guide! Thank you very much for the inspiration!

Great job - I dig your videos, and always struggle with Rockwool. I've had great success starting in Dirt/Coco Coir, and transferring into my system which is a real pain...I absolutely dig this, and can't wait to give it a run! Thank you for sharing!

Great video, super helpful. You just made the Kratky method even simpler.

I just saw this a few weeks ago and have been using it with great success. Thank you, Tiki, for sharing your knowledge.

YOU had all the answers to my questions!! YAY!! Thank you!! Will be watching much more of your content!

Great content! I'm just starting to use clay pebbles and so far your video is the most useful I have seen. Thanks!

Very clever idea Tikki! Thanks for sharing.

The paper towel idea was brilliant. Also thanks for taking the time and sharing your results. I often wondered whether the translucent light made a difference. Love the channel and the content

Your presentations are so good😊 Your methods also. Inspiring.

2yrs later, is this still your preferred method? It looks like a great idea!

You are a natural. Great explanation. Love you 😍

Genius!! I was looking for an alternative to rockwool. This is perfect!

Brilliant.. Loved your descriptions and detailed instruction. Especially when you stated what didn’t work for you.

Simple, elegant, fantastic! I will be experimenting with this technique when I next cycle my containers!

I really like your vids Tikki, your explanations are very easy to understand & I like the experiential nature of your explanations. Your channel along with Hoocho are my goto channels for all things hydroponics. Thank you so much.

I just started 2 tiny tims in rockwool n 2 chard tonight. Just for fun n testing different methods on hydroponics thanks for great ideas

I love this idea. I am giving it a try. Will update how it goes.

Thank You SO MUCH for this informative video!!! Its just what I needed to get started. Very clear, concise and easy to follow. Plus your method is genius!

Was looking for an alternative to the rock wool- and using the clay pebbles or Perilite. THIS answered that need. And I have Paper towels always around.!!! Thank you!!!

Thanks for doing all of this expirementing for us!🙂

This is a super idea! Thanks!

Love your creative ideas ! Folgers jars and paper towels!

Excellent video. Thanks so much. Im brand new to gardening and hydroponic. I never even heard of growing herbs and veggies in water, no soil before 1-2 yrs ago when my daughter told me a little about it. So of course curious me has to give it a try. My first 10 pod idoo kit arrivved and im about to set it up. Your well explained video is going to be a great help. Again ty so much.

I love all of your videos. You are such a great speaker and teacher. thank you.

Brilliant fix, thanks 😊

What a neat idea! Please keep us advised going forward! I can’t wait to start my tiny Tim’s this way! I’m sure the towel will have no I’ll effects on roots or growth! Certainly less than rockwool! Again thanks for this tip! You are a real inspiration

That’s a great idea thanks!

Thanks for the great and timely vide

So informative! Thanks

Love it! Prefect!

What a clever idea! I have some peppers germinating in a paper towel right now, and I think I'll try to transfer them into a setup like this instead. Thanks for sharing!

Nicely explained...as always. Thanks Ma'am.

thats good science, thank you for your work.

I started lettuce in just paper towels and just spent a half hour transplanting into clay pebbles, this makes more sense, thanks

That what super informative thanks so much ❤️

Great vídeo! Great Idea! Salute from Brazil!

That was marvelous 😎

Wow. This is perfect. I’m glad I found your channel while web surfing about hydroton. It’s nice to find a method without rockwool. Just don’t like the idea of the fibers, the throwing away and buy more, and the energy cost. It takes a lot of fossil fuel most of the time to melt rock like that. A method where the only thing thrown away is a paper towel is great. I wonder if it could be more sustainable, but whatever makes thar bed is getting tangled in roots, so a brown recycled paper towel seem best.

Someone already said this genius and it truly is. I have some little seedlings already started on cotton balls but i have a terrible time getting those little roots thru the bottom of the net cup. So I will nestle my rooted seedlings on a little paper towel nest as you show and hope the roots will follow the wet paper down into the nutrient solution. Thank you again for your brilliant ideas. =Deb

Tikki, so glad I found your channel. I was getting tired every year of the knats and then I started to notice last two years when I started them in water and let them grow in the water, the gnats just drown ha, serves those pest right! What a great idea 💡👏, I am going to try your idea this year. Thanks, subscribed!

Great video.

Very clever!

I’ve been wondering if I could do this! Thank you!!!

All I gotta say is wow. I have a love hate relationship with rockwool. I feel stupid after watching this, this is outstanding idea and I must try. Thanks so much for sharing.👍

Love the hints you were giving us!! I’m thinking of starting Vegs with clay pebbles and wonder if you have lights over all of your plantings??

Genius ! Thank you for this. So helpful

You're doing great work for the hydroponic community for posting these experiments, Tikki! Great job! This is a much better method for our lungs and the environment.

Nice video I’m new to hydro 👀 to learn more

This is awesome im gonna try it, ty for the video. The rockwool drives me nuts.

Thank you for this! This helped saved me some $$$ :)

What a great idea! I'm always in favour of a more sustainable solution (i.e., I'm running out of rockwool!). Thanks again for sharing!

Great presentation 😂❤❤❤

That's brilliant! 😃 So much cheaper and eco-friendlier than a fresh piece of rockwool for each new plant. Been searching for alternatives for a while. Can't wait to try that!

You're a genius! Thanks! I was going to try a cotton ball but this works well! :)

Loved this I was buying condiment containers and starting in paper towels and moving the paper towel to netcups guessing heights lol

I'm using a plastic coffee container...and put three holes in the cover. Using your rolled up paper towel idea and applied a plastic rap for humidity...it works...!! very well actually.

thank you, i really did not want to buy rockwool. this is perfect

Great idea using paper towels. I tried using wicking twine, but it didn’t work too well 😄. I’ll give your method a go next time. 👍🏾. TFS 💗

Cool video. I'll give it a try on my first grow season 😀 What did you use to paint the milk jars?

Its really so amazing simple ideas for biggners ., i my self going to apply yrs and see Confident it working well ., trusting your clear simplicity thk u

Genius move!!

I've watched several of your videos and they're great!!! So time for me to comment. Things that I really liked: 1. I liked that you experimented and tried something new with the paper towel and shared your results. 2. Recording over time is great so we can see the outcome. 3. You did a double experiment with the tin foil and again shared the results - GREAT!! 4. If you're not sure about why something happens, you let us know. I will certainly be watching more of your videos. Question/Comment: 1. I had the same question as you as to why not use something to prevent seeds from falling down. I thought about using a mix with smaller clay pebbles, crushed clay pebbles or perlite (thinking it would float to the top and create a surface for the seeds). Your solution is much more elegant. 2. I haven't used clay pebbles before but after watching your video, I ordered a bag. I'm just curious if the pebble wick up water without the paper towel. It seems like with just the rocks the the seeds would not get adequate moisture. THANKS!!!!!!!!

Love your videos, you are concise and thorough! What size seed cups did you use for the gallon milk jugs and how did you get them to fit? P.S., use an eye dropper to moisten your paper towel instead of a sprayer.

Thanks for sharing, when should i remove the paper towel?

Great idea and a good $ saver too!!

I'm gonna try this. Rock wool was way too complicated for me as a first timer. I did do a single direct sowing recently and my garlic is doing great.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!! It seemed like EVERYONE used rockwool in their hydroponic systems, until I decided to actually look up "Hydroponics without rockwool". This video was basically MADE for me. I thought I would have to come up with a genius solution myself! Thanks so much for this video!!

Thank you!

I love your videos :) About the milk jugs... what is the purpose of the blue tape?

Great video. I have been propagating from seed in separate media (50/50 perlite and vermiculite mix, which is reusable) and then transferring to net cups when the seedling is slightly bigger...mainly because I didn't like the idea of rockwool from a sustainability perspective. This idea of yours is really good though and I think there are probably a few ways to achieve the same end using scrap fabric instead of the paper towel (I never buy paper towel, we use cloth that can be either washed or rags that can be thrown away if the mess is really yukky). I'm going to give it a try, thankyou for your great video :)

Sure gonna try out this method

Great video! Did you cut the paper towel below the net cup after the roots grew in?

The paper towel wicking is interesting

Awesome video, this is essentially how the 'botanium' system works, seeds are started in miniature clay pebbles, and a pump goes off every few hours to keep them moist. I've grown bok choi, lettuce, and peppers in the original kickstarter botanium model. I've done the same thing as this video with kratky and just clay pebbles inspired by the botanium. I will say the mini pebbles work best but are hard to come by, I've only seen them offered by botanium, I'm sure you could essentially do the same thing growing in pure perlite.

i found a black drawstring bag on Amazon that easily slips over bottom of wide mouth mason jar and has a neat draw string on top. I think they were a dozen for just over $1 each and so much easier than dealing with foil. (10/30/22). Haven't tried them yet but soon will use your clay pebble idea and let you know.

❤😂very good ideas well spoken video

Thank you! I don’t want to feel guilty about adding to land waste

Very very interesting! Thanks for the video. You moved the tomatoes to a larger reservoir - I assume they stay in their net cup forever? My understanding is a rockwool plug can be placed in a larger rockwool cube which can then later be dropped into a much larger net basket. Will your tomato plant reach full productivity in its original net cup?

I'm super new to Kratky and I like your videos the best of many I've watched. Nicely paced, informative, to the point. Thank you! Do you know if the Masterblend nutrient solution might be harmful to dogs? I unfortunately don't know anything about chemicals /fertilizer. I would have more space if i wasn't worried my two dogs might get into any containers I put on the floor

This is great! Has this became your standard practice?

Growing made simple. Would of liked more info on your watering, how often you changed or topped up. I'm following similar method, but with a bubbler. Yes your paper towel method, like it. Thank you.

Thanks for sharing

Did you paint the gallon milk jugs for the tiny Tim plants black? Will you need to transplant them again before they produce tomatoes? Thanks for your great videos!

That was excellent. Can I ask about the lights? Do you use them so that you can grow indoors all year round? I'm very new to this subject of hydroponics

Good idea. I will try with cotton balls and kerosene lantern wick.

Would you mind sharing particulars about the environment (temp, light, etc. on the countertop/to/wire shelving with mylar? More lighting option suggestions?

Do you leep them under lights while waiting for them to germinate? Also at what temperature?

Brand new to hydroponics and stumbled upon your channel. Love the explanations, straight and to the point. My only question is... is there harm in not thinning out the smaller plants and letting them coexist in the same net cup?