Basil in a Kratky Can

Update: You can watch the video on the Kratky method, and how I used it to grow basil in a coffee can on YouTube: 

The Kratky Method of Hydroponics: Growing Basil in a Coffee Can

And the updated video as well:

Kratky Method of Hydroponics Update: The Basil in a Can

(2025)

Basil in March in Kratky Can

Some time back we tried a strawberry plant in a kind of miniature Kratky hydroponic system, using a coffee can. Though the strawberry plant didn't thrive, I wasn't ready to abandon the experiment. 

So now we're re-doing the experiment, this time with sweet basil.

The basil is doing well, and I'm already harvesting stems from the plants. The plants do draw up quite a bit of nutrient solution from the limited reservoir, and of course here in Phoenix, the solution is also subject to evaporation.

Basil in April in Kratky Can

To keep the water level high enough to maintain the plants, I simply dip into the fish tank in the aquaponics system and add that nutrient rich water to the can. The basil plants love this stuff.

So, I'm counting this Kratky in a Can experiment a success. The leaves are large and flavorful; the roots are dense and of good color; and the plants continue to thrive using the fish water as a nutrient solution.

Back in the Soil Garden
Meanwhile, back in the beds in the soil garden, the veggies are coming in agonizingly slow. I've put up the sunshades so the beds don't get overly warm in the mid-day sun. Just a few weeks ago, I was covering them in blankets to protect them against the frosts.


Sun Shades for the Garden

I've talked with other gardeners here in the valley of the sun, and I'm hearing the same thing. We're looking to start harvesting some of the early veggies - the first batch of tomatoes, an eggplant or two, a few peppers. Instead, our tomatoes are just starting to think about turning red; our peppers aren't fattening up yet; and the squash is still half asleep.

We're all blaming it on the late winter cold snaps.

But the temperatures are climbing quickly now, with daytime temps in the 80s and 90s. The nights, though, are still cool; I'm hoping everything kicks into high gear before the dreaded summer heat settles in.

Thinking about the Fall Garden

Emerging Eggplant

So while I wait for the spring garden to come to harvest, I'm thinking about what I want to plant in September and October, when the weather cools and it's time once again to plant the seedlings started weeks ago, when the weather was so hot we used oven mitts to drive until the air conditioning kicked in.

It's May, so I want to start seeds in about a month. I want to start some pumpkin and spaghetti squash, leeks and broccoli, and of course, tomatoes. I'll use a fast growing tomato, such as Early Girl, to get a harvest before it's a little too chilly.

And I'm thinking about some pinto beans and snap beans, and maybe some peas and carrots, along with cucumbers. I'm thinking the cucumbers just might thrive during the still warm, but not blazingly hot days in September and October. If we have a good November -sunny and warm- I'll have cucumber salad for Thanksgiving.

And by then, I'll be ready to put in the winter garden.  

Welcome to just az gardens

First Published Jan 2, 2013

Update: The just az gardens have changed quite a bit since this post. The aquaponic bed has been replaced with a sleeker version, and the back garden has undergone a renovation, a conversion to container gardening. But the post is still relevant, and as good a place as any to start.

Thanks for reading. October, 2025

An original aquaponics bed

Gardening is as much an art form as it is a science. It is a hobby and a means of survival. You can grow fruit and vegetables, herbs, flowers, shrubs and trees. You can grow plants in soil, as we do in our own vegetable garden, or you can use hydroponic methods, in which the plants are nourished with nutrient rich water - no soil required.

And then there is aquaponics, the system based on a symbiotic relationship between fish and plants, in which fish water is used to nourish plants installed in a grow bed. You can learn more about aquaponics in our video series on YouTube.

For us, gardening isn't just about growing plants. It's about finding different ways to grow them. At just az hydroponics, we focus on soilless methods of growing plants. We believe it's important to understand and utilize these methods because in places like the southwest desert, soil gardening is a challenge.

But we also have a backyard garden, because I like the feel of soil in my hands, and the way gardening in soil creates a connection to the earth itself. My backyard garden is akin to a meditation room, except my journey to inner piece includes calluses and cuts and bug bites.

The video in this first post of just az gardens is our experiment with the Kratky method of hydroponics. You can read more about this method on the justaz.com website. Over the next few weeks or so, we'll track the progress of the experiment and post the results in this blog.

Next week, we're going to look at what to plant in January in your soil garden in Phoenix, and preparing for a container garden on the front porch.