# I Built a Walmart Hydroponic System… Here’s the 4-Week Update Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgFd-mV9CK0 Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/ZgFd-mV9CK0 Generated: 2026-01-27T22:00:45.172+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview After four weeks, the $49 Walmart hydroponic system performed adequately, but the creator identified three main issues: insufficient oxygen to the root zone leading to root rot, lack of plant support causing stems to droop (especially basil), and grow lights being too short, causing phototropism as plants stretched toward them. **Key Points:** - The $49 hydroponic system showed decent growth after four weeks, but required modifications to address issues. - The initial problem was a lack of oxygen at the root zone because the roots were fully submerged in water, which the creator corrected by draining some water to expose the roots to air. - The included net cup supports were inadequate; basil plants slumped over, requiring additional support, which the creator suggests could be improved by using net cups instead of the provided foam cubes. - The included dual LED grow lights were too short, causing plants like kale and basil to exhibit phototropism (reaching for light), resulting in weaker stems. - The nutrient/pH stability was excellent, requiring only a shake every few days and showing no significant change in pH over the four-week period. - The creator plans to experiment with adjusting the light height on other systems to see if it yields better results. ![Screenshot at 00:37: The creator lifts the red lid to show the roots submerged in dark reddish nutrient solution, illustrating the initial problem of insufficient oxygen at the root zone.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/ZgFd-mV9CK0/00-00-37.jpg) **Context:** The video documents a four-week progress report on a self-built hydroponic system assembled using components sourced primarily from Walmart, costing $49. The creator, who focuses on aquaponics, hydroponics, and agriculture content, assesses the system's performance based on plant health (kale and basil) and operational challenges encountered during the initial testing phase. ## Detailed Analysis The creator provides a four-week update on the budget $49 hydroponic system. He identifies three primary issues encountered. First, there was a lack of oxygen at the root zone because the roots were initially fully submerged in the nutrient solution, which he corrected by draining some water to expose the roots to air for a week, resulting in healthier root growth. Second, the system suffered from a lack of adequate plant support; the basil plants, in particular, sagged because the provided net cup cubes offered insufficient support, suggesting that using actual net cups would be superior. Third, the included dual LED grow lights were too short. Because the lights were positioned too close to the plants, they caused the kale to grow upward toward the light source (phototropism), leading to weakened stems, while the basil leaned toward the light source. Conversely, the system showed excellent nutrient/pH stability, requiring only minor mixing every few days as the pH remained constant. The creator concludes by stating he will experiment with positioning the lights higher on other systems to mitigate the phototropism issue. ### Initial Setup & Growth Period - System cost $49; plants observed after four weeks include kale and basil - Initial root growth showed signs of issues due to full submersion. ### Identified Problems - Issue 1: Oxygen deprivation at the root zone corrected by lowering water level - Issue 2: Lack of plant support causing stems (especially basil) to lean/sag - Issue 3: Grow lights too short, causing phototropism and weak stems. ### Positive Outcomes - Nutrient/pH stability was excellent, requiring only minor mixing every few days with no pH drift. ### Future Adjustments - Creator plans to test longer light bulbs or adjust height on future systems to correct phototropism. ![Screenshot at 00:04: The creator introduces the $49 hydroponic system setup with kale and basil plants under purple LED lights.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/ZgFd-mV9CK0/00-00-04.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:35: On-screen text highlights the first issue: "Oxygen at the root zone," showing the roots submerged in the nutrient solution.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/ZgFd-mV9CK0/00-00-35.jpg) ![Screenshot at 01:15: The creator holds up a basil plant to demonstrate the second issue: "Lack of plant support," showing how the foam cube did not keep the plant upright.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/ZgFd-mV9CK0/00-01-15.jpg) ![Screenshot at 01:33: The creator points to the short grow lights, indicating the issue of "Lights too short" causing the plants to stretch.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/ZgFd-mV9CK0/00-01-33.jpg) ![Screenshot at 02:52: The creator checks a digital meter, noting the "Nutrient/pH Stability" was excellent, with the reading remaining constant over four weeks.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/ZgFd-mV9CK0/00-02-52.jpg)