Part II: Set up your plant food and seed pods
So you have finally set up your Lyko Hydroponic System? Perfect! It’s time to think about what types of plants you want to grow.
If you’re a newbie and not sure which plants to start with, you can always go for the basics—herbs. Some of the crowd favorites are basil and thyme because they’re very easy to grow and can be harvested in no time after planting. Depending on the herbs, you can have a harvest in as fast as three weeks!
Once you have selected your plants, find seeds in online stores, or you may also check our website.
Ready, let’s get planting!
Step 1. Mix the plant food solution.
In your LYKO package, you will find two bottles labeled Bottle A and Bottle B. Fill both bottles with tap water, and then shake them to mix the plant food evenly and dissolve them. Once the contents are thoroughly mixed, Bottle A should have yellowish liquid while Bottle B should have whiteish liquid inside.
Figure 1.
Step 2. Mix the plant food solution in water.
Measure 5ml from Bottle A and Bottle B, and then mix them in 1L of water. The correct volume ratio of the solution is 5:5:1000 (A:B:Water).
For easier mixing, you may follow this process:
- Use the cap of your plant food bottle to measure 5ml from the solution.
- Use two 500ml bottles of water
- Mix Plant Food A in one of the bottles, Plant Food B in the other bottle, and then mix the two together.
Figure 2.
IMPORTANT: Please note that water quality is important when it comes to hydroponics gardening, but you can start with tap water just to let you get started.
Step 3. Pour the liquid in the water tank.
Note that a full tank requires 2L of water, so you need to prepare the solution twice. The LYKO system also comes with a meter that makes measuring the liquid volume in the water tank easier.
Figure 3
Step 4. Insert the plant pods into the plant baskets.
Take out your seeds, place them in the pods, and then place the pods in the slots through the water tank cover. As a guide, place 3-4 seeds in each pod. Once the seeds are in the pods and the pods are properly positioned, you will need a plastic lid to cover the pods.
Figure 4
Step 5. Adjust the extendable rod to the correct height.
Make sure to label the seed properly, especially if you planted different kinds of seeds in different pods.
Figure 5
Once you have the seeds planted, the pods set up, and the extendable rod in place, you’re all set!
Up next, we’ll talk about achieving proper lighting in your LYKO system to ensure that the plants will grow healthy and well.
References:
1, Kolega, S., Miras-Moreno, B., Buffagni, V., Lucini, L., Valentinuzzi, F., Maver, M., ... & Cesco, S. (2020). Nutraceutical profiles of two hydroponically grown sweet basil cultivars as affected by the composition of the nutrient solution and the inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense. Frontiers in plant science, 11, 1683.
2, Seawright, D. E., Stickney, R. R., & Walker, R. B. (1998). Nutrient dynamics in integrated aquaculture–hydroponics systems. Aquaculture, 160(3-4), 215-237.