new to semi-hydro (picture series)

[Boondock]

I was curious about semi-hydro and after reading for the last week, I paid a visit to my local hydroponic/indoor gardening store. (I hope it's ok to post a link to the store. It's called Indoor Garden, and they are very helpful. They have 3 locations in western Washington state)

I bought a 10 liter bag of Hydroton for $9.99.

I went to my local deli, and looked at the containers, and bought one pound of potato salad (and asked them to put it in the large container)

I soaked the Hydroton over night and rinsed it.

I assembled my tools, (propane blow torch, vise-grip pliers, nail and lighter)

I heated the nail, and made 3 holes, about 1 inch above the bottom, on the side of the container.

I then added the plant and the Hyrdroton and gave it a couple gentle squeezes and taps, to settle the Hydroton in the pot, and around the roots.

Can it be this easy? I took pictures of the process. Could I have do something better?