The entire channel needs to be enclosed everywhere except for the ends where water flows in or out. This is to block sunlight from hitting the roots directly (though using a system with a lift cover makes it easier to monitor the roots directly and to find flow blockages. Along the top you can insert netted baskets to set your seedlings into the channel. The baskets should sit above the flow of water, not inside it. This allows the roots to hang from the basket so the ends are sitting in the channel water while still leaving them partly expose to air. Beneath the channel is your nutrient reservoir with a submerged water pump. This pump pushes water to the top of the channel slope and lets gravity carry the flow back down the length of the channel before returning to the reservoir. The target here is to get roughly 0.3 to 0.5 gallons per minute (18-30 gallons per hour GPH) flowing down the channel. Remember that the flow rate of pump changes depending on how high it has to pump the water.

Once the reservoir and pump start moving water and your seedlings are in place, the system is done. It’s advisable to drain the system, clean the reservoir, and refill with fresh water and nutrients every 7 to 10 days. A larger reservoir can go longer between flushing, but you should always try to closely monitor the pH of the nutrient mix to make sure it’s at a value somewhere between 6 and 6.5.

NFT systems are easily scalable for multiple crop types and numbers, and are a great way to grow lots of leafy vegetables. NFT Systems can seem complicated at first, but they run constantly so you won’t need a timer or complicated monitoring system, which simplifies them a little. You should definitely give this one a try. Tell us about it if you do as we’d love to see what you can put together. If you have any other questions about setting up an NFT system, or have your own advice you’d like to share, comment below or drop us a line through Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, LinkedIn, or Pinterest!