If you know your plants will never see the outdoors and you’re secure with your current location, you can set up a hydroponic pipe system instead. In this case, instead of growing your plants in tubs, you’ll set up a nice self- contained loop made from plastic pipes. You’ll want pipes at least six inches across, preferably larger if you want to grow bigger vegetables.

Fill your plastic pipes about 1/2 of their width with your grow medium. Assemble them into a self-contained rectangle. You’ll want to cut holes in the top where your plants will grow down into the water. You’ll also want to have a hole on top for adding water, a hole on bottom for draining water (it doesn’t need to be done often), and a hole for the aerator (your industrial-sized aquarium bubbler).

Plastic pipes can make for a very efficient use of space. You can nest one rectangle inside another or set up rows next to one another. Just make sure you leave enough space for a human to get in and out when watering, feeding, and harvesting the plants.