This Rooftop Hotel in Bali Becomes a Gardening Place

Dream - Hydroponic planting media is known to not use soil but utilizes water and solid media such as styrofoam, cocopeat, and sponge.

This hydroponic garden is adopted by one of the resorts in Bali, The Apurva Kempinski Bali. Some collections of traditional plants taken from Samsara are cultivated hydroponically located on the resort's rooftop.

“We utilize the rooftop area to create a hydroponic garden. There are plants like cherry tomatoes and chili, and these can be used internally (in the kitchen),” explained Danti Yuliandari, Director of Marketing The Apurva Kempinski Bali, at the virtual event The Apurva Kempinski Bali & Samsara Living Museum, Wednesday, April 26, 2023.

Providing Agricultural Education to the Locals

Apurva Kempinski also supports the Samsara Living Museum agricultural team to overcome agricultural challenges through teaching programs on sustainable farming to the local community.

This program will encourage increased production of sustainable products in Bali and strengthen the business management skills of the community.

“Aiming to strengthen sustainable economy in Bali as well as enhance the potential of the region and livelihoods of the farmers,” explained Vincent Guironnet, General Manager of The Apurva Kempinski Bali.

Additionally, education will also be provided to the farmers to cultivate chili, cherry tomatoes, and other food ingredients that can later be sold to The Apurva Kempinski Bali resort for kitchen supplies.

5 Ways to Grow Hydroponics at Home with Simple Tools

Dream - Hydroponics is one of the methods of planting and cultivation using water, without using soil. This planting method is very suitable for narrow areas.

Although it does not use soil, we still need to provide plant nutrients by adding nutrients and fertilizers to the water.

Almost all types of vegetables and fruits can be cultivated using hydroponic methods. The most commonly cultivated plants with hydroponics are lettuce and water spinach.

The equipment needed to create hydroponics can be quite complicated, especially if you want to cultivate in large quantities.

But don't worry, for Dream friends who want to try hydroponics, you can try the following 5 ways to grow hydroponics with simple tools:

How to Grow Hydroponics for Beginners

Before starting to grow hydroponics, it is important to understand the main concept of hydroponic methods.

The most important thing in hydroponic cultivation is proper irrigation and meeting the plant's nutritional needs.

For beginners, there is no need to start with a large hydroponic system with complicated irrigation.

Start with simple hydroponic cultivation first. Prepare the following materials and equipment:

-    Plant seeds
-    Rockwool
-    Used bottles
-    Water
-    Nutrient solution

After all the materials and equipment are ready, start with seed sowing. Make the seeds grow into seedlings.

The sowing process may take some time and there may be difficulties if the seeds do not sprout. Follow the following sowing steps.

How to Grow Hydroponics, Germination Stage

The materials for seed sowing are quite easy, almost the same as the materials above. Additional equipment such as:
-    Scissors
-    Square-shaped plastic tray

Then, follow these steps:

1. Cut the rockwool into square pieces measuring approximately 3 cm x 3 cm.
2. Arrange the cut rockwool with a concave shape into the square tray.
3. Then, wet the rockwool using water. Do not make the rockwool too wet. Just moisten it with a spray.
4. After that, create a concave in the middle of the rockwool with a depth of approximately 0.25 cm. Or you can make a small hole using a toothpick.
5. Insert the seed into the small hole using a toothpick. Just one seed is enough.
6. Cover the tray with a black plastic and store it for 2-3 days, and the seeds will start to sprout.
7. Once the leaves appear, immediately transfer the seedlings to a place with sufficient light.
8. Check the condition of the seedlings every day. Don't forget to water the rockwool with a small spray of water.
9. Wait until the seedlings grow true leaves. After that, transfer the seedlings to the hydroponic media. You can try 3 media below.

How to Grow Hydroponics with Bottles

Growing hydroponics with bottles is the easiest way. In addition, there are many advantages, such as saving space.

No need to grow many plants and can be adjusted to our preferences. Prepare the following materials:

-    Used 1-liter drinking bottles
-    Water
-    Nutrient solution
-    Used flannel cloth
-    Scissors or cutter

How to make a bottle hydroponic media:

1. The first step is to cut the used bottle in half. Remove the bottle cap.
2. Create a nutrient solution by mixing water with hydroponic plant nutrients that can be purchased on the market, such as AB-MIX. Follow the instructions for making it.
3. After that, pour the nutrient solution into the bottom part of the bottle.
4. Take the top part of the bottle and provide a water wick using a used flannel cloth.
5. Place the top part of the bottle upside down into the bottle containing the nutrient solution.
6. Then, take the hydroponic seedlings that have been sown and place them on the flannel cloth inside the bottle.
7. Don't forget to replace and refill the water supply in the bottom part of the bottle.