Many experiment with alternatives like home hydroponic or aquaponic systems, which can increase yield, add extras like fish -- all without the need for soil. We've covered various systems that are commercially available, but it is possible to build one yourself, using off-the-shelf parts, and it's always interesting to see how other people set up their systems.

In this video, YouTube host John Kohler of Growing Your Greens visits this backyard aquaponic system that grows an abundance of different veggies and cultivates over 50 kinds of fish in the harsh climate near Las Vegas, Nevada, built using mostly plywood, and no pond liner (you can skip the preamble to 17:42 to see how these DIY tanks are made).