Recycled Containers
There is a variety of food grade quality containers that one may experiment with in home grown Set and Forget hydroponics. The capacity of the container should be at least one gallon for growing a lettuce plant to harvest. Kale should be in a container that is at least two gallons as it consumes the nutrient solution at a faster rate. Five gallon and even up to 10 gallon containers can be used, but the weight of the container with the nutrient solution becomes a limiting factor when attempting to move the container. One gallon of water weighs 8.34 pounds!
The container needs to be opaque, or the container needs to be covered so that light does not permeate through. This is where you can get creative! Containers can be simply wrapped in foil, but a number of other materials have proven to be effective: paper bags, newspaper, contact paper and dark fabrics.