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Deep Water Culture (DWC)

Deep Water Culture

Deep water culture hydroponic systems are a great place to start when entering the world of hydroponics. They require minimal parts and can be even further simplified if you use the Kratky method (more on that below) 

At its core deep water culture hydroponics is the process of suspending plants in a nutrient rich water solution and providing them with a source of light. The water also requires a source of oxygen often in the form of a water pump and air stone (more on air stones below)

As you can see in the picture shown, I've built a very basic deep water culture system using a small storage container, cheap LED lights from Amazon, and some small net pots (more on these below) holding clay pebbles (more on these below) all of which can be purchased easily online or from any gardening shop.

It required minimal tools, effort, and money and quite successfully yielded a small crop of delicious kale. I also think this is a great project to start off with because you will very quickly learn the fundamentals of hydroponics which can then be applied to more complex projects and systems.


So ultimately, why use deep water culture?

Short answer: 

Its easy to setup and use ðŸ’¡


How do i build a deep water culture system?

Setting up a deep water culture system is a breeze for sure, but if you are looking for an even simpler version or perhaps you are just curious, I'd suggest starting with the Kratky method. This is the perfect place to start if you have limited access to the recourses below. 

Learn more about the Kratky method here


So in order to get started with a DIY deep water culture hydroponic system you will need a few things to get started. 

What I will do is make two lists, one of essentials for learning the very basics and and additional list for those looking to take it a step further into a complete hydroponic experience. If anything bellow is not accessible or feels too complicated just jump back to the previous section and hit the Kratky method button. 


For the Basics you will need:

  • A plastic container with a lid - I'd recommend something around 10 litres

  • Net pots - these a small net cups that will support your plant while they grow. Without soil we need something to keep them straight!
  • Growing medium - I recommend hydroton clay pebbles, this also helps keep the plants supported.  

  • Air pump
  • Air hose
  • Air Stone


For the full hydroponic experience you will also need

  • Nutrients
  • pH up/down solution
  • EC metre
  • pH metre
  • Light (optional)
  • Mains power timer (optional)


Video Guide for building a deep water culture system


Why grow using a Deep water culture system?

I would argue that the main reason I like to grow using deep water culture systems is because they contain all the core elements of hydroponics without being overly technical.

Let me explain... 

Everyone has a different reason for growing hydroponically, for me its a combination of my interest in science, technology and DIY in combination with a want to produce my own food. 

When I started hydroponics I was keen to have a system that played the part of something 'techy' while not breaking the bank. I needed something that I could build using cheap parts, even household parts, where in an instance that I made a mistake or ruined the project it wouldn't be a total disaster; deep water culture was the one for me. 

It involves some moving parts like air pumps, but not too many like NFT (nutrient film technique) systems or ebb & flow systems. Additional they work with or without grow lights, but I opted to use a grow light because my first system was placed inside a dark cupboard. 

Beyond this specifically personal reason I feel deep water culture systems also reflect what we are familiar with when it coems to growing plants. It's a container with a plant in and some water, basically a pot plant without soil.

The basic principle of deep water culture is also easy to scale. If for example you wanted to grow more plants you simply get a bigger container, there a fewer considerations regarding engineering than there are with other systems that require water pumps. 

On the flip side if you do wish to make your deep water system more technically advanced this is also possible with the addition of air pumps, timers, lighting, automatic feeding and pH balance, the list goes on. I would basically say that deep water culture is the best all rounder for hydroponics for it's simplicity, scalability and accessibility. There are also many plants that can be grown successfully using deep water culture hydroponics.