Grow vegetables without soil.
365 days a year.
Fresh lettuce, herbs and tomatoes from your own HydroFlex Tower. On the balcony, on the wall or in your home. No dirt, no slugs. I’ll show you step by step how it works.
Think of this page as your hydroponics bible. Save it to look things up and to learn. It gives you real value for growing your own healthy food.
Vegetable growing
Lettuce, tomatoes & co., incl. printable growing cards.
Let’s go › 📊pH & EC values
Measure and adjust them correctly.
See the values › 🧮Nutrient calculator
The right amount for your tank.
Calculate now › 🧭Tower advisor
A few questions and you’ll know which tower suits you.
To the advisor › 💧Water hardness check
Enter your postcode or town and see how hard your water is.
Check now › 🛠️Build your own hydro tower
Material list, video and step-by-step instructions.
To the guide ›Welcome to Frankiesgarten
Welcome to the world of hydroponics
In hydroponics your plants don’t grow in soil but in water with exactly the nutrients they need. It sounds complicated, but it isn’t.
In this video I explain in a few minutes how hydroponics works and why I harvest fresh vegetables all year round. You don’t need any prior knowledge, just the urge to try it.
Why is hydroponics so special?
The benefits at a glance
That’s why I grow my vegetables almost entirely without soil.
Harvest all year
Indoors with a grow light even in winter: fresh lettuce and herbs 365 days a year.
Independent of the weather
No waiting for spring, no hail, no frost. You decide the season.
No soil, no slugs
No digging, no weeds, no dirt in your home.
Little space needed
The HydroFlex Tower grows upwards: ideal for windowsills, balconies and walls.
Water in a cycle
The water runs through the tower again and again and goes straight to the roots.
Full control
With pH and EC you know exactly what your plants are getting.
Hi, I’m Frank
I’ll show you how it really works.
I had my first experiences with plants at the age of six: on holiday at my grandparents‘ near Freiberg, riding the old Ikarus bus out to the collective farm fields. The joy of watching plants grow has stayed with me. Today a lot of my plants grow without any soil, and I’ll show you how.
If you order from my shop, you’re not on your own: you get my personal advice via WhatsApp, from the first sowing to the harvest. Here’s how:
- Take a photo of your plant or your tower.
- Send it to me via WhatsApp.
- I’ll take a look and give you a recommendation.
Not a customer yet? Then have a look at my shop, and I’ll be there for you too.
Tapping opens WhatsApp (provider: WhatsApp Ireland Ltd.). Your message is only sent when you tap send there yourself. More in the privacy policy.
My book: Step by step into hydroponics!
Simply explained for beginners and interactive with videos. On 168 pages I show you how to grow your own vegetables without soil, from sowing to harvest. The book is currently available in German.
📚 Tap a part to see all chapters:
Part 1Leafy plants and herbsFrom a tiny seed to the first harvest: lettuce, basil, pak choi & co.
Chapter 1 – Basics
- What is hydroponics?
- Where is hydroponics possible?
- How the tower works
- What do you want to grow?
- A seed is a seed
Chapter 2 – Seedlings
- How it all began
- What does a seed need to germinate?
- What do I start my seeds in?
- Plants don’t always have to start hydroponically
- How many seeds per cube?
- How I start my seedlings
- From seed to seedling
- Seed box
- Seedling station
Chapter 3 – Germination
- When seeds don’t germinate
- Tips for good germination
- The germination test
- My chamomile bath for precious seeds
Chapter 4 – Light, nutrients and water
- Whoa, something’s growing!
- Light for seedlings
- EC and pH
- Water hardness
- Making hard water softer
- What’s on the nutrient label?
- Leaf, bloom or all-purpose?
- Liquid or powder?
- My nutrient
- How much nutrient?
- Calcium and magnesium
- Mixing the nutrient solution
- How long does a bottle last?
- What is pH?
- Why 5.5 to 6.5?
- The meter
- How to measure
- Your first nutrient solution
- Why does pH change?
- Adjusting pH
- Water temperature
- Oxygen in the water
Chapter 5 – Young plants
- Moving into the station
- Caring for young plants
- Typical problems
Chapter 6 – In the HydroFlex Tower
- The right tower
- Pump times
- Preparing the tower
- Into the tower
- Planting into the tower
- Indoors or outdoors?
- Hardening off before the sun
- Care in the tower
- When deficiencies appear
- Pests in the tower
- Harvesting in the tower
- Roots, algae and mishaps
- Harvest 365 days a year
Part 2Flowers and fruitFrom sowing to harvest, using the tomato as an example.
Chapter 7 – Sowing and moving
- What we’ve learned
- Tomato
- Don’t sow too early
- Cubes or coco?
- Coco directly in the net pot
- Into the seedling station
- Moving into the greenhouse
- The right tower
- Who goes where?
- Giving support
- Plenty of water
Chapter 8 – Feeding
- Now it gets exciting
- Three bottles: Grow, Bloom, Micro
- Why I use powder
- My feeding plan until flowering
- From flowering: the powder nutrient
- Before you start: your water
- Nutrients for hard and soft water
- The nutrient for flowering
- My feeding plan: flowering
- How I mix it
- EC, leeway and measuring
- Pollination
- Nutrients for fruit and ripening
- My feeding plan: fruit and ripening
- My mix: 70 to 30
- When something’s not right
Chapter 9 – Flowering and summer
- Your summer rhythm
- Removing side shoots and topping
- Heat and air
- Holidays without worries
- The fruiting stage
- Already thinking of next year
Chapter 10 – Harvest and end of season
- Harvesting
- End of season
- Carrying on indoors
- What to look for in an indoor tower
Chapter 11 – Solving problems
- Spider mites and thrips
- Rot and mildew
Part 3For referenceTables and overviews you’ll need again and again.
Chapter 12 – pH and EC for all plants
Chapter 13 – Germination and light
Chapter 14 – Calibrating the meter
Chapter 15 – Nutrients
Chapter 16 – Brown leaf edges
Index
📱 There are videos for the pages: scan the QR code in the book, enter the page number, watch the video.
🛒 Available in my shop and on Amazon. You can see how far along it is below in the status.
My book
Status: how far along my book is
Proofreading is done and the book has been uploaded to Amazon. My printed proof copy is ordered and arrives on 17 November. I’ll check every page once more on paper. If everything is right, you can order it straight away.
All 168 pages checked, word by word.
The book has been uploaded and checked.
Ordered, arriving on 17 November. Then I’ll check the printed book.
Then you can order it in my shop and on Amazon.
At the same time I’m building the interactive part: for the topics in the book you’ll get lots of videos, neatly sorted by chapter. To start with, you’ll find my existing videos there. Step by step I’ll take on each chapter, shoot a new video for it and replace the old ones.
It takes a lot of time, and I’ve never done anything like this before. It’s a real challenge, but I’m working hard on it and I’ll see it through.
For me it’s also about independence for the future. Everything is getting more expensive, and I want to be able to provide for myself.
For me that includes my own solar power and a growing room under the roof, so I can grow indoors in summer too.
My garden year 2026
This is what my harvest looks like
A short look back at my garden year: lettuce, herbs, tomatoes and more, all from my HydroFlex Towers. It can look like this for you too.
Start yourself now ›
From my shop
Grow it yourself. Eat it yourself. Be proud of it yourself.
You’ll find everything you need with me, from the first seed to the harvest. My HydroFlex Tower is well thought out, sturdy and modular. Once made entirely by hand, today improved by 3D printing: more durable, more stable and a precise fit. No glue, no fixed connections. You set it up the way it suits you. To get started there’s also a DIY guide with all dimensions and photos from practice.
From my shop
HydroFlex Tower and seedlings for your start
HydroFlex Tower Classic 3+
Compact with a round 8 litre tank, from 9 planting spots, for the windowsill.
Details ›
HydroFlex Tower Largo Uno
The wide tomato tower on a 37 litre box for tomatoes, cucumbers and peas.
Details ›
Seedling station set
Seedling stations for 100 plants in foam cubes, with labels and lettuce seeds.
Details ›
🌱 Why hydroponics is worth it
Vegetables all year without soil
Start now: grow vegetables all year without soil
Imagine harvesting fresh lettuce, crunchy herbs or sweet cherry tomatoes right at home. No soil, no dirt, no slugs. That’s exactly what a hydroponic system makes possible.
I’ll show you how to get off to a successful start, not with theory but with real hands-on knowledge, proven products and support from the community. Whether you start on the balcony or in the kitchen, you don’t need any prior knowledge, just the urge to try it.
Frank Wagner
Welcome to the world of hydroponics!
Hydroponics is more than a trend. It’s a smart way to grow vegetables with little space, little effort and full success. Your plants‘ roots grow without soil and are supplied directly with water, with exactly what they need. The result? Healthy plants, clean growing, full control. Here on my website you’ll find everything for it: step-by-step guides, honest experience reports, everyday tips, simply explained and easy to follow.
Why without soil?
Why hydroponics is worth it for you
Why is hydroponics so special?
Because it gives you something everyday life often lacks: independence. You don’t depend on good weather, fertile soil or a garden. You create your own mini greenhouse with a system, know-how and the right technology. It’s fun, it’s clean and along the way you learn a lot about nutrients, water quality and plant care. In short: with every little plant you become a bit more self-sufficient.
The benefits of hydroponics
Hydroponics is efficient. You don’t have to haul soil, dig beds or pull weeds. Instead you get a system in which water and nutrient solution are used precisely. You can check pH and EC yourself and set the conditions to suit your plants.
What makes this website so special?
This is not about show, it’s about doing. I’ll show you how to build your own hydroponic system, without any hocus-pocus. With guides, honest feedback, concrete recommendations and real exchange. You’ll find everything in one place: products that work. Content that really helps you. And a community that doesn’t judge but supports.
📚 Basics and explainer video
Hydroponics simply explained
Discover the magic of growing without soil
Hydroponics sounds complicated to many people, but it isn’t. In my YouTube video I show you step by step what it all looks like. No studio, no staging, just real insights into my everyday life. See how the systems work and why so many people now have their own little green oasis at home.
What makes hydroponics so interesting?
Because it makes you your own supplier. You know exactly what you eat and where it comes from. It’s fascinating to see how plants react to water, how they develop and how little you actually need to create something big. Hydroponics sharpens your eye for what matters and makes you really proud.
Harvest fresh vegetables all year with LED light and hydroponics
Vegetable growing ›
What do you need to get started?
You don’t have to know everything at once. It’s enough to understand how the basics work: pH, EC, water quality, light, temperature and nutrients. With my basic knowledge I show you exactly that: simply explained, ready to use. That’s how you build your own system step by step.
Fresh vegetables even at Christmas thanks to indoor growing in a DWC system
To the advisor ›
Build your own hydroponic system
Whether Kratky, NFT or my hydro tower made from bent pipe: if you like building things yourself, you’ll find everything you need here. My guides are practical, with material tips, plans and real experience from my own trials. You can start right away, without hours of research.
Pak choi and more straight from your own hydro system
To the building guide ›
Basic knowledge for success
Success starts with understanding. That’s why you’ll learn here how to use meters correctly, how to adjust pH and EC and which types of water are best. I explain how to adjust nutrients, use light correctly and what matters in each growth stage, from germination to harvest.
With a hydro tower you always have fresh parsley and more at hand
Check water hardness ›
All the important info at a glance!
In my info section you’ll find compact tables, tips on calculating nutrients, explanations of light and water quality, and help with typical problems. I also tackle critical questions, such as the use of mineral nutrients or dealing with pests. Easy to understand, ready to use.
Full harvest in summer with strong plants and lots of fruit
To the nutrient calculator ›Frequently asked questions
Questions about hydroponics and the HydroFlex Tower
What is hydroponics?
Which HydroFlex Tower suits me?
How often does the pump run in the tower?
What pH does the nutrient solution need?
Which nutrient suits my water?
Can I harvest in winter too?
Will I get help after buying?
Basic knowledge to read up on
Ready for your first harvest?
Start now with your HydroFlex Tower. I’ll accompany you from sowing to harvest.
Start now ›