we used the same method.
INSIDE a wooden hut.
fitted with slanting gutters, running the length of 3 walls of the wooden hut (3 x 5 m).
we fit full spectrum tube / neon lights, but not slanting, so you have varying angled space between the beginning of a gutter and then end, so you can move the plants.
the plants themselves were planted in seedling trays, which fit snugly into the gutters.
water circulation managed by inter-connecting the levels of gutters, and completing the circuit into a reservoir drum (25 litre container).
used a water feature pump to circulate water, plugged into a cheapish timer, for 15 mins an hour.
also added in an air pump, with 6 lines out, bubbling fresh air into the circuit at various points to aerate the water, and reduce the shnotty residue formed by the wet environment and roots.
strawberries grow like mad things, lettuce, and other leafy herbs.
roots eventually break out of the seedling trays, but it isn’t uncontained enough to entangle other roots much. so you can still harvest without too much trouble.

lazy woman’s hydroponix.

That is a very cool idea!

I’ve heard of container gardens, but this is a novel use of that idea. I love the notion of reusing old gutters at all, but for this application it’s even better.

Plants in gutters? Why didn’t I think of that. Great idea. Two thumbs up!

The vegetables that I plant in my rain gutters are typically what we think of as “greens”. Things like Simpson Lettuce, Gourmet Lettuce varities, French Breakfast Radishes, Swiss Chard, etc. The root ball for these is not too large and if the plants are thinned properly they will be just fine. The biggest problem is watering them often enough. Where I live this is not much of a problem, but if you get really hot summers you would have to water each day. Again, greens are normally Spring time vegetables so the temperatures aren’t too bad anywhere. The lettuces etc., will bolt once the weather gets hot to produce their seeds.