Medium sized and large sized plants start to have problems with hydroponic wick systems due to the inherent capillary flow limitations that physics impose on the flow of nutrient solution. The absorbent fibers on capillary systems are also often clogged because of nutrient salt buildup (due to water evaporation because of the large surface area of the fibers). Water evaporation increases the concentration of salts along the fiber and starts to precipitate insoluble calcium and other metal phosphates. These are very hard to redissolve and often cause the system to stop working.
However, as I said before, wick systems such as the one built here are very appropriate for experimentation, growing a single hydroponic plant or doing school projects. The system is very easy and cheap to build.(below, a photograph of plants being grown on this system, note that they are very etiolated due to lack of proper lighting)
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