I'm growing hydroponic tomatoes indoors

[Prof]

Last season I started to grow some tomatoes in large pots outside..

They were regularly watered and fertilized and I had a few tomatoes on the plants..

Then we started to get high daily temperatures reaching into the mid 40's.!!!..

Even with the plants sheltered with shade cloth..they all  died..

This was the second time that it had happened..the first being at another location..

I decided I wouldn't try again..and besides at my age it was becoming impracticable to do any further gardening..

Then one day I happened to come across an article about growing tomatoes all year round indoors.!! This perked up my interest again..

I discovered that one could grow tomatoes indoors in a hydroponic system.!!

I liked the idea because you didn't have to worry about bugs and insects getting at your plants..and the containers were at bench top height..so no bending..no watering and you can have tomatoes all year round.!!!

I've always imagined that hydroponics was just for growing Weed, with all sorts pumps and bubblers  with lights everywhere and using lots of electricity.!!

What I discovered is that with simple systems you can grow all sorts of herbs, vegetables and flowers..

There is a system called the Kratky method..It's basically having a container with liquid fertilizer and putting a seedling suspended in the liquid..That's it.!! No pumps or bubblers or expensive lighting..

Looking at you tube video's I found people were even using ice cream containers and large coffee jars to grow tomatoes in.!! Some used what they call in the US Mason jars..

The more sophisticated ones used plastic tanks and grew several plants in them..

I decided to give it a try..The best place I found was in the laundry..It's out of the way and I found that the space between the washing machine and the cupboard was ideal..

In my next post I will describe what I bought for the system and I'll show the little table I made to fit between that space..

[Dave-1]

 @Prof 

I have the same issue with the PH for my pool tho on a lot larger scale. I have used fresh tap water to lower the PH when it has been high just by chance (had to top up the 45KL pool by 15cm at least). I wouldnt have expeded the perlite to change the PH but now I know!

Dave

[Prof]

One thing I forgot to mention..

I've decided to make my own nutrient..using readily available chemicals...

I haven't worked with chemicals for a LONG time.!!  When I was in High school my best subject was Chemistry.!!

So..since many decades have past since that time..I thought I might still have it.!!

As it turns out you don't need to be an Inidustrial Chemist after all..

It's just a simple three part mixture that you can make in bulk..very cheaply..and it will last forever.!!

I know that the first part of any nutrient formulae contains many different chemicals..hence my reason for not doing it before..

The NPK formula ( Nitrogen..Phosforus..Potassium ) plus many minor chemicals..all in all totaling at least 15 different chemicals..can all be found in a product called Miracle Grow..!!!

This makes the whole process very simple..

Added to the above is..Second part...Magnesium Sulphate ( Epsom salts.!!)

and the Third part... Calcium Nitrate ( avaliable from Amazon )

This is a complete formula that  covers the whole growing process.. grow..flowering and fruiting..and this same formula is used by Commercial growers.!!

[MitchellMc]

Looking good @Prof!

Mitchell

[Prof]

Thanks Mitchell...

[robchin]

Well done @Prof 

See how you go with this. The difficulty with your approach is that it's very hard to have the exact level of each of the elements that your plants need at different stages of their life cycles and for different plants. Plants are a bit like people in that they need different rates of things at different parts of their lives eg. For root establishment, growth, fruiting and flowering. Plants that don't flower  (like lettuce or many herbs) for example don't need as much P or K. I would also note that different plants have different requirements for pH. 

So no problems with what you are doing but what you might find is that you get reasonable growth but not maximising your potential. 

You've come a long way. 

Good luck. 

[Prof]

Thanks robchin..

The amount of the three chemicals.. NPK formula..Epsom salts and Calcium Nitrate are adjusted for each stage..growth..flowering..fruiting..so the one formulae can be used from start to finish..

[Prof]

Since my last right up I discovered that if you keep adding vinegar to lower the pH level..it does the opposite..The pH rises.!!!

Obviously that's been my problem..You evidently need to use Phosphoric acid to bring pH levels down..

I purchase a bottle and added just 10mil as recommended, to my reservoir  tank..It brought the level down slightly..

I repeated the dosage 3 times and the level finally came down to 6.3.!!

Another little problem that's turned up is that too much nitrogen is getting to the plants.!!

Evidently tomatoes and cucumbers only require a small amount of nitrogen to grow and bloom.!!

The formula that I've been making is excessively high in nitrogen.!!

I should have noticed that when I was making up the formula..The Epsom salts is all nitrogen.!! NPK is 15-0-0..

There is already nitrogen in the other chemicals, so I don't really need any more..

I was under the impression that all vegetable plants needed a lot of nitrogen...obviously not.!!

I just hope that the plants will recover before the next stage..

[robchin]

Well done @Prof for persisting. By mixing your own nutrients you are taking the most challenging route here and it is risky. My experience has always been that it's not actually cheaper to make your own stuff if you can get the pre-made stuff in a concentrate form at the right price but you might need to find a good local supplier. 

I think I have also commented before on different plants needing different nutrient regimes at different parts of their life-cycle. Growing requires different levels and ratios to flowering and fruiting. pH requirements also vary. Commercially they only grow like-4-like plants on one system. Most home growers have one system set up for low requirements and one for higher one eg. foliage only versus fruiting (lettuce, spinach, herbs vs tomatoes, capsicums, chillies). This will ensure the best possible compromise. 

Keep going Prof. 

[Prof]

Thanks robchin...

The problem I have with finding commercial nutrients is that there is only one outlet within 70K of my home with one nutrient product..that's supposed cover grow..bloom..and fruiting.!

It worked well on greens like lettuce etc..but didn't help tomatoes or capsicums or cucumbers..

I have bought several other nutrient products online but one didn't work for blooming (as it stated it would) and one other type was that complicated with three separate parts and each one needing to be changed and altered on a weekly basis.!!

Hence my reason for making my own..I have better control of the NPK formula and can reduce or completely remove something like nitrogen levels..

Having recently learnt that the formula that I was following had way too much nitrogen in it..I removed the magnesium sulfate from the mix..and I now have a much better balance in the mix and the plants are responding well.. 

At the moment I have eight little cucumbers on the one and only plant and the tomatoes just keep growing up.They're now just under a metre tall.!!

It's not practical for me to have have different groups of plants with their own individual pH requirements..I just don't  have the space indoors..

I'm not growing any greens for now..so I'm keeping the pH around  6.0..Should be OK for the  tomatoes, cucumbers and capsicums (to be planted when I find a good source)

I'm slowly getting there...One thing that put me behind the eight ball from the start..(and I didn't even give it a thought) was that the water I was using to wash the Perlite in the buckets, had a pH level of 7.5 and was full of chlorine.!!!

Even though the water was drained from the buckets..the Perlite being porous..contained that water when the seedlings were added.!! And even though I was running the pH 6.0 through the buckets it was not reducing the 7.5 by very much..so the plants struggled from the start..

Lesson learned.!!

[robchin]

Simple is good so good luck. 

I don't want to state the obvious here but Bunnings do sell a limited range of hydroponic nutrients (I work for Bunnings)