Which Hydroponic System is right for you?

Kratky is the easiest: no pump, no timer, no electricity beyond the grow light. Fill a container with nutrient solution, suspend the plant in a net cup, let it drink as the water level drops. Simple DWC with a single air pump is a close second — better yields, slightly more monitoring. Both suit leafy greens and herbs perfectly.

NFT is the commercial standard for lettuce — water-efficient, scalable, and easy to harvest across multiple channels. For home growers, DWC produces 8–13% higher fresh-weight yield per plant in our trials and is simpler to manage. Kratky works for occasional harvests with minimal investment. All three produce excellent lettuce under adequate light.

Yes. Tomatoes thrive hydroponically but need deeper root zones and structural support for their vines. Dutch Bucket is the most common commercial choice — individual substrate-filled buckets, drip-fed from a central reservoir. Large-format DWC (40L+ containers) also works well. NFT channels are too shallow for established tomato root masses.

A Kratky setup for 4–6 lettuce plants can cost under £20 (container, net cups, nutrients). A 4-channel NFT system with pump and reservoir is £80–£150. A Dutch Bucket system for 4 tomato plants runs £120–£200. The main ongoing cost is nutrients (typically £30–£60/year at home scale) and electricity for the pump and lights.