SNAP for Hydroponics
September 4, 2008 by Leo 6,987 Views
Simple Nutrient Additional Program (SNAP) for HYDROPONICS
What it is?
- A low-cost hydroponics system
- A soil-less vegetable production system
Features of SNAP Hydroponics
- Best for home-based vegetable production
- Ideal for small spaces typical in urban area as long as there is enough sunlight, air movement and rain shelter
Advantages Over Other Systems
- Beginner-friendly
- Simple to set-up, maintain, and operate
- Needs no electricity because it incorporates passive aeration of the nutrient solution
- Low manpower requirement
- About 90% of the supplies needed to set-up the system comes from recycled materials
- Vegetables can be grown right in your doorstep
- Improves the ability of the crop to adapt to waterlogged condition
- Hastens the arowth and maturitv of croos
Thinking of Business?
- Can be used for commercial scale production of lettuce and other vegetables
- Return of investment can be realized as early as in the first year of operation
Setting-Up Snap Hydroponics
A. Establish the Seedlings
Materials:
- sowing tray – shallow box/basin with holes for drainage at the bottom
- growing media -aged (not the new one) coconut coir dust or charcoaled rice hull or their mixture; sawdust (possible with the old stock -not the new ones), fine sand (can be combined with coir dust and/or charcoaled rice hull)
- seeds (buy from your local agri store)
- watering solution (water with SNAP nutrient solution)
Procedure
- Fill the sowing tray with a layer of the growing media (about 1 inch thick).
- Level the media.
- Scatter the small seeds uniformly and thinly (the amount depending on your need).
- Water liberally as needed (expect germination in 3 to 5 days).
- Grow the seedlings for 10 days before transferring to individual growing cups (called seedling plugs).
B. Prepare the Seedling Plugs
Materials:
- styrofoam cups (8 to 10 oz)
- cutter or knife or hack saw blade
- growing media (coconut coir dust charcoaled rice hull
- seedlings
- BBQ stick or the like
Procedure
- Prepare the styrofoam cups by making 8 holes (about 1″ long at the side and 1/2″ at the bottom) using a  knife or a cutter.
- Fill the prepared holding cups with the growing media (about 1/2 inch thick).
- Transplant the seedlings from the sowing tray. Dig a hole in the middle of growing media in the cup. Use BBQ stick to uproot the seedlings from the sowing tray with care.
- Transfer only 1 seedling per cup. Make the transferred seedling stand firmly by replacing the ‘dug’ media to the base of the seedling.
- Water the seedling plug lightly and carefully.
C. Prepare the Growing Boxes
Materials:
- styrofoam boxes (example: boxes of imported grapes}
- cutter or knife or used/broken hacksaw blade
Procedure
- Draw 5 to 6 (for small styrofoam box) or 8 (for big styrofoam box) circles on the lid/ cover of the box. The diameter of the circle should be 1/4 inch smaller than the top diameter of the styrofoam cup of the  seedling plug.
- Cut out the drawn circles using a saw-toothed knife or blade to make holes that will hold the seedling plugs in place.
D. Running the SNAP Hydroponics
Materials:
- seedling plugs
- SNAP nutrient solution
- growing boxes with 10 liters of water each
- polyethylene plastic sheet
- benches or stand (optional) – where the growing boxes will be placed under a shelter
- rain shelter (optional during dry season) or roof awning facing east for the earliest and longest sunlight duration possible)
Procedure
- Choose a location where the SNAP hydroponics will be established. The place should receive the morning sunlight, the earlier and the longer, the better. Otherwise, do not expect good growth of vegetables when the plants will just receive sunlight late in the day. Also, the place should be protected from the rains (e.g., roof awning) particularly during wet season.
- Arrange the growing boxes on the bench (optional). Take off the cover/lid.
- Lay in the plastic liner to cover the bottom and all the sides of the box.
- Fill each growing box with about 10 liters of tap water.
- Add 75 ml of SNAP A to each box with water then stir well.
- Add 75 ml of SNAP B to each box then stir well.
- Put back the cover of the box.
- Place the seedling plugs on the holes of the cover. See to it that all cups are ‘inserted’ evenly and snuggly.
- See to it that the bottom of the cup is touching the nutrient solution by 1/2 inch deep, not any deeper or shallower. If not, add more water until the desired depth is reached.
- Examine the boxes for leaks and make some troubleshooting if needed.
- Visit the set up every morning as early as you can to catch any insect larva that may eat the plants (the larva is visible in the early morning; after that they tend to hide from the sun and may be harder to find).
Expect the nutrient solution level to recede faster when the plants are much bigger than when they were still seedlings. Replenish the solution when its level is more than 1 inch below the cup bottom. However, NEVER allow the level of the solution to again reach the bottom of the cup. Replenish until the solution level has reached about 1/2 inch below the cup’s bottom.
NOTE: It is more practical to prepare the nutrient solution in a drum and then distribute the prepared solution to each growing box and use the left-over solution for replenishing.
For further information and training, contact:
Physiology Section, Institute of Plant Breeding
Crop Science Cluster, College of Agriculture UP Los Banos
Tel No. (049) 576-0024, (049) 536-5287
2009 · All Rights Reversed ·
to those looking for SNAP Nutrients, Growing Media and Styro boxes, we have our stocks in Marikina City. for those living in the nearby provinces we can arrange the delivery for you. text +639192182273 or email donruancarlo@yahoo.com for queries. you can also visit http://www.donruancarlo.multiply.com.
I am very grateful to the publisher of these technology and to the sponsors of this site. However, it would be best and better if you will attach illustrations of different events for the preparation of all the materials needed in doing so and a bit detailed instruction. Thank you and more power.
hi, i am at abu dhabi rigth now, and planning to be back home for good and want to invest our hard earned money in hydrophonic farming but, i want to have a traning regarding this can you please help me
Saan po ba puwede makabili ng watering solution (water with SNAP nutrient solution)?
Location ko po sa Dapitan City Zamboanga Del Norte.
emil timoteo, visit mo site ko. http://www.donruancarlo.multiply.com. maybe i can help you with your problem. God Bless….
markjun santamina, dropby ka sa ramgo seeds. #53 Gen Luna St. Heroes Hills Q.C. at Allied Botanical sa # 15 21st Ave. Cubao Q.C. goodluck…
i just want to say that im interested in hydroponic system, I’m in Quezon city can you give me some information where i can buy a lettuce and other plan seeds near my place…. thanks
@markjun santamina, seeds are available at any Ace hardware or any hardware shops inside mall, you can find it on the garden section.
dear little kahuna,
it is available at the UPLB
i also sell them. email me if your’e interested.
thank you.
ramil_raule@yahoo.com
dear emil,
please see instructuions on SNAP hydro. you don’t need to recirculate the nutrient solution in SNAP. also please check if indeed your nutrient solution is specifically for SNAP. Good Luck.
ramil_raule@yahoo.com
Hello
Gusto ko lang po mag inquire kung saan available ang Snap solution so I can try it, sa Olongapo City po ako base.
Thanks,
Little Kahuna
Bossing puedi ba mag tanong kase sinunod ko ang instruction tungkol sa snap solution mixture pero parang hinde ako success dito naka bile ako snap solution from aani yung solution a at b ang mixture ay 70 ml per twenty litters of water at interval ng fifteen minutes off at on ng pumps ang tanim ko ay talong at sile pero pag karaan ng five days nag simula mamatay ang aking tanim saan ako nag kamali at pakitulongan mo ako kung ano ang tamang paraan ng pag simula ng snap hydroponics dito sa garden ko Maraming salamat bossing kung matulongan mo ako tungkol dito
it’s amazing. i got good result on this SNAP. i am here in mid east and started a small hydroponic garden. now i am planning to expand. visit donruancarlo.multiply.com. tnx and more power…
I would like to learn more about SNAP hydroponics. I am based in Dubai UAE but willing to travel back to the philippines to establish a business. How many days of training is required and how much is the cost? If I have just 60 sqm space, how much initial capital would be required to start? Thanks
Mon,
According to studies made by the developers of this technology in UPLB-IPB (Los Banos, Laguna) a 50 to 70% is attainable. If innovation, good management and production, crop protection and right choice of crops are practiced, it can be up to 400% (rumor but with good basis).
In any venture dedication, passion and know-how plays a lot.
Good luck.
Sir Ramil,
hi! Ask ko lang po in one year, mga more or less how much is the ROI ng pagtatanim ng lettuce using SNAP solution. I am thinking to go into large scale planting lettuce with SNAP SOLUTION. Pls help me. Thanks and God Bless!
Mon