CropKing 8-Bucket Bato Hydroponics Bundle

A complete recirculating hydroponic growing system, sized for tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and other vining crops as well as cut flowers and other longterm crops.

• Complete deep water culture (DWC) hydroponic growing system for tomatoes and other fruiting crops Included curriculum supports hands-on instruction in hydroponics, controlled environment agriculture (CEA), plant science, and agricultural education Integrated lighting, irrigation, and nutrient management components provide everything needed to establish a productive indoor growing environment Heavy-duty mobile bench with locking casters fits through a standard doorway for flexible classroom and greenhouse use Complete recirculating irrigation system delivers filtered nutrient solution to all eight growing buckets Annual Re-supply Kit contains one school year's worth of consumable supplies Aligned to NGSS standards (K-5: LS, ESS, PS, ETS; MS: LS1, LS2, ESS3, ETS1; HS: LS1, LS2, LS4, ESS3, PS3, ETS1)

Only through Ward's! The Bato Bucket System brings tomatoes and other fruiting crops into the classroom with an 8-bucket, recirculating hydroponic setup that's easy for students to observe and maintain throughout the school year. Mounted on a mobile steel bench frame, the system uses individual buckets connected to a 30 gallon reservoir, a submersible pump, drip irrigation, and trellis netting to support healthy plant growth. The system gives students a hands-on understanding of root development, nutrient uptake, irrigation management, and crop production from seed to harvest.

The included classroom kit provides everything needed to launch the unit on day one. Rockwool cubes, a seed tray, humidity dome, heat mat, and thermostat support reliable germination, while a complete nutrient package and professional-grade pH and conductivity testing equipment allow students to monitor and adjust the growing environment as they collect real-world data. Tomato seeds are included so the first crop can be planted immediately, creating opportunities to explore farm-to-school initiatives, cafeteria taste tests, local food systems, and agribusiness concepts.

The included Hydropocalypse K-12 curriculum transforms routine greenhouse maintenance into part of the learning experience by guiding students through system setup, monitoring, cleaning, troubleshooting, and crop management. By making day-to-day operation a student responsibility, the curriculum reduces teacher workload while reinforcing teamwork, recordkeeping, problem-solving, and the practical skills used in commercial greenhouse and controlled environment agriculture (CEA) operations.

The Bato Bucket Annual Re-supply Bundle provides the essential consumables needed to prepare the Bato Bucket System for another successful growing season. By combining fertilizers, pH management supplies, calibration solutions, growing media, and seeds into one convenient package, it eliminates the guesswork of sourcing individual components and keeps classroom growing projects on schedule.

Ordering information: Kit includes: Heavy-duty steel bench frame with locking casters; Complete 8-bucket recirculating hydroponic system with buckets, drain, and irrigation tubing; 30 gallon reservoir with two-piece lid; 400 GPH submersible pump with filter bag; AC Infinity IonBoard S24 grow light (220 W); Milwaukee Instruments pH tester; Milwaukee Instruments conductivity (EC) tester; 5 lb. Hydro-Gro Vine fertilizer; 5 lb. Calcium nitrate; 5 lb. Potassium nitrate; pH Control Kit with pH Up and pH Down solutions; pH and EC calibration solutions; Half pad of 1.5" Rockwool propagation cubes; 10×20" propagation tray; 2" humidity dome; Propagation heat mat with thermostat; 20 dwarf tomato seeds; and Hydropocalypse K-12 curriculum. Annual Re-supply Bundle includes: 15 lb. Hydro-Gro Vine fertilizer; 15 lb. Calcium nitrate; 1 lb. Potassium nitrate; pH Control Kit with pH Up and pH Down solutions; pH and EC calibration solutions; Half pad of 49 Rockwool 1.5" propagation cubes; Four 20 qt. bags of perlite; and 20 dwarf tomato seeds.