How to grow tomatoes hydroponically at home

One of the most popular crops among gardeners are tomatoes. Thanks to its shallow root system, this vegetable is perfectly cultivated in artificial soilless systems - hydroponics. This technology for growing tomatoes allows you to regulate the growth and development of plants, which in turn makes it possible to obtain high yields of environmentally friendly products. To cultivate tomatoes at home, you need to know some of the features and subtleties of the hydroponic method, which will be discussed further.

Is it possible to grow tomatoes hydroponically?

Tomatoes are a relatively unpretentious crop. They lend themselves well to growing in soilless installations with a nutrient solution, both in a greenhouse and a simple home windowsill. Growing red, juicy tomato fruits is not an easy task, but it is quite interesting and quite feasible even for novice gardeners.

Tomatoes grown hydroponically are distinguished by abundant flower stalks and, accordingly, high fruiting.

The use of hydroponic systems significantly speeds up the ripening time of fruits. The method makes it possible to control all physical and biological processes of plant development:

• maintain the required temperature and humidity of the environment;
• determine the length of daylight hours;
• supply seedlings only with the required nutrients, etc.

Irrigation system

A special solution is used for irrigation

In addition to making a system for growing tomatoes using hydroponics, you need to take care of organizing the irrigation system. In the absence of this, the development of the tomato root system will slow down.

A special nutrient solution is used to irrigate the root system. At home, you can water the plants yourself. But this requires a lot of time. By automating the irrigation system in greenhouses, which you can do yourself, you can simplify plant care.

To reduce costs when growing tomatoes hydroponically, the irrigation solution should be collected in a reservoir installed under the hydroponic system. It is impossible to calculate how much nutrient solution for tomatoes is needed at each stage of growth. There will still be a surplus that can be reused.

To automate the irrigation system, we equip it with a pump or pump. They will return the excess solution to the irrigation system. It would also be a good idea to install a timer that allows you to irrigate after a certain time. When growing tomatoes in a greenhouse using hydroponics, we irrigate the plants every 20 minutes.

The essence of the method

Hydroponics is an alternative to the traditional method of growing plants in open ground. It was developed by scientists for the purpose of cultivating agricultural products in regions with unfavorable weather conditions. The technology is quite resource-intensive and costly, but quickly pays off due to many advantages.

When using this technique, plants completely do without soil mixture. They grow in a specially created environment that supplies the root system with the necessary micro and macronutrients from a special solution. The latter is created for each culture individually, based on its needs.

During the growing process, tomatoes are placed in a special substrate, to which nutrient water saturated with oxygen is supplied through a pump. All this together gives an excellent result, in the form of rapid development of the stem, abundant and quick harvest.

Advantages

Compared to the traditional method of growing plants, hydroponics has several advantages.

1. The plant receives the entire supply of nutrients in the required quantity. This contributes to its rapid growth and development. Plants grown this way are distinguished by good health. Fruit trees produce a good harvest, and ornamental plants delight with abundant and long-lasting flowering.
2. .When growing plants without soil, you can forget about such problems as drying out and waterlogging of the soil.
3. By controlling water consumption, the number of waterings is reduced. You can forget about daily watering by choosing the necessary container and growing system. Depending on the size of the hydroponic vessel, watering is reduced from twice a week to once a month.
4. The plant receives the exact amount of fertilizer. No need to worry about how much you need to deposit.
5. There is no need to use pesticides. A plant grown in hydroponics is not afraid of soil pests, root rot and fungal diseases.
6. Replanting a plant is easy and simple. The roots are not injured during transplantation; they do not need to be freed from the ground. It is enough to transfer the plant to another container, adding a solution.
7. Hydroponics is an economical way to grow indoor plants. They do not need an earthen substrate, which must be changed annually. Most people can afford nutritional formulas and special equipment.
8. The earth tends to accumulate harmful substances that threaten human life (radionuclides, nitrates, heavy metals, poisons). With a soilless growing method, the plant absorbs only what it needs. Fruit plants will be environmentally friendly and safe. In terms of taste, they are in no way inferior to plants grown in the traditional way.
9. Growing plants using the hydroponic method is not only economical, but also enjoyable. There is no need to get your hands dirty, as when working with soil. In addition, hydroponic vessels are light and compact. The green corner in the house will look neat, there will be no foreign odors or debris.

You should not pay attention to the stereotypes that have developed over centuries that the plant can only be grown in the ground. This is not an artificial method using pesticides. The hydroponics method is absolutely safe

The hydroponics method is absolutely safe

The hydroponics method is absolutely safe.

Hydroponics made easy

Once you have mastered the basic concepts, you can start growing plants. This method does not require special labor costs. It will be much easier to care for indoor flowers. Especially if you use automated circulation systems, which in some cases can be assembled yourself. You can make your life easier by reducing the amount of watering and fertilizing.

Hydroponics is inexpensive

To make a hydroponic vessel, you will need an ordinary plastic pot and any suitable larger container. The main thing is that it does not allow light to pass through, holds a certain amount of water and is chemically inert. A regular paper milk or juice bag intended for long-term storage will do. From the side of the seam, a hole is cut in it for the pot. The container is turned on its side. The pot with the substrate is immersed in the solution by 1-2 centimeters.

The substrate should include vermiculite, perlite, expanded clay, mineral wool, and coconut fiber. We should not forget about inert chemical fiber, which can be used as foam rubber, nylon, nylon or polypropylene threads. These materials will cost no more than the soil mixture. If the soil substrate needs to be changed every year when replanting, then the hydroponic substrate will last for several years.

To grow one small plant, you need to prepare one liter of nutrient solution. The concentrate is designed for 50 liters of hydroponic solution. Thanks to it, you can take care of 50 plants a year or stretch the liquid over 50 years.

Technology Highlights

To grow tomatoes hydroponically at home, you need to take into account some of their features:

• the feeding area of ​​the roots is sharply limited, as a result of which the correct selection of the container and the substrate that will be placed in it is important;
• the illumination should optimally cover the needs of the plant - if there is a lack of light, it may develop incorrectly and die;
• the nutrient solution is the basis, the choice of which must be approached with all seriousness and scrupulousness.

If the green corner is part of your room, then the appearance of the hydroponic installation will also be an important aspect.

When cultivating plants in the house, temperature indicators can be adjusted, due to which you can do without the standard method of germinating seedlings. The time of planting seeds directly depends on when the tomato harvest is planned.

Tomatoes are very sensitive to light intensity and its quality composition.

Numerous experiments have shown that adding blue color to the spectrum significantly increases fruit set.

Features of growing in vermiculite

Tomatoes have a long growing season - from three and a half to five months. When grown in vermiculite, the first harvest begins after 10 weeks and ends four months after planting the seedlings. Plants cannot tolerate the slightest frost and die even at a few degrees above zero. In cold weather, tomato growth almost stops. If the air is hot and dry, the flowers fall off.

Tomatoes do best with continuous growth, so seedlings should be grown in pots. You can use pots with a diameter of 7.5 cm, filling them with vermiculite, a saturated nutrient solution. Two seeds are sown in each pot. When the seedlings reach a height of 2.5 cm, the weaker plant is removed from the pot. The seedlings are kept in pots until the roots form a lump. When tapped, the plant with the root ball is easily separated from the pot. Each plant with a lump is transplanted into a pot with a diameter of 12.5 cm, on the bottom of which I pour vermiculite so that the upper surface of the lump is at a distance of 2.5 cm from the top edge of the pot. After transferring the coma with the plant, the pot is filled with vermiculite and watered with a nutrient solution diluted in half.

After the plant has completely filled the pot with roots, the seedlings with the root ball are planted on pallets, covering the stem up to the first leaves. Seedlings of early varieties should be planted after the sun has warmed the vermiculite well for 2-3 days.

Tomatoes are placed on pallets much thicker than on the soil. All experiments indicate that with a single-stem crop with supports, the most advantageous feeding area is 40X45 cm. Three rows are planted on a standard pallet with 33 plants in each row. A good variety should yield 450 kg of fruit in four months. By alternating early and late varieties, you can get two harvests of tomatoes per year on the same pallet.

Almost immediately after planting the seedlings, side shoots, or stepsons, begin to develop. Some varieties have more of them, others have less. In some varieties they appear at a very young age. Side shoots should be pinched as early as possible. If pinching is delayed, dense bushes are formed, which bear many small fruits that do not have time to ripen before the end of the season.

Tomato plants should have one stem. In this case, they can be easily tied to supports installed outside the pallet. With a single-stem crop, the plants receive the maximum amount of air and light, they produce high yields of good quality fruits, and are less affected by diseases. Stepchildren appear in the axils of the leaves. They should not be confused with fruit clusters, which develop on the stem between two adjacent leaves. If you pinch all the stepsons, the plant will have only one apical growth point and 5-6 fruit clusters will form. High-quality fruits on these clusters will ripen early. Late pinching is harmful because the plant spent its juices on the formation of stepsons. In addition, wound healing with late pinching is slow, and infection enters the plant.

After removing the stepsons, the growth of plants in height is stopped by cutting off the apical point of growth of the main stem with a sharp knife. After this operation, all the energy of the plant is spent on the development of fruits set on 5-6 clusters.

Each raceme can have from four to 20 or more flowers. Tomatoes are self-pollinating plants. The progress of pollination depends on heavy rains, too low or too high temperatures. Very often, fruits do not set due to a lack of potassium, since it is potassium that stimulates the development of the reproductive organs. The nutritional mixture should always be rich in available potassium. It is also important to maintain high humidity during the flowering period. It is quite justified to supply the solution twice a day instead of the usual once.

In recent years, growth substances have been released that stimulate fruit set. They must be used exactly according to the instructions. Many vegetable growers are convinced that spraying plants early in the morning with a simple, warm spray bottle increases the number of ovaries.

In many tropical areas of Africa, tomatoes can be grown all year round, but where night temperatures exceed 15°C, yields are reduced due to poor fruit set. Tomatoes grow best in areas with daytime temperatures between 21-26° and night temperatures between 7-10°.

Good foliage is important because the leaves produce the food the plant needs. Excessive defoliation can reduce yield. However, defoliation is sometimes necessary. The first few leaves are removed to allow free air circulation at the base of the plant. This is very helpful in the fight against infectious diseases. Defoliation is best done in the evening, and the first time it is enough to cut two leaves from the plant. Defoliation should only begin once the plants reach a height of approximately 90 cm.

As the plant and its leaf surface grow, the roots need more and more water. Defoliation has some effect on the amount of water plants need. However, more important is the fact that the plant has the maximum number of fruits at this time and needs abundant sunlight for their ripening. However, by the end of the season there is no need to remove all the leaves.

Unfortunately, in South Africa, unripe tomatoes often have to be picked due to the long distance to market. But where the farm is located near the market, it is necessary to pick fruits with good color, slightly soft to the touch and always with a stalk. During final packaging in boxes, the stalks are torn off.

If at the end of the season there are a lot of green fruits left, they need to be artificially brought to a ripe state. To do this, each fruit is wrapped in paper and stored in cabinets or boxes in 3-4 layers so that air circulates freely between them. It is necessary to periodically inspect the fruits and remove ripe and diseased ones. To accelerate the ripening of green fruits on the plant, use a sharp knife to cut off all the roots at a distance of 10 cm from the stem and carefully lift the plant up to slightly disturb the remaining roots. At the same time, reduce the daily water supply.

It has been established that plants tied to supports produce higher yields and suffer less from pests and diseases. At the same time, the quality of the fruit improves and the risk of sunburn decreases. With tied plants, it is easier to see and remove ripe fruit without damaging the remaining fruit. In addition, when sprayed, solutions are better distributed on the plant. A new method of constructing shelters should be explored, in which crossbars are attached to support posts and wire is stretched across them along the bed; plants are tied to wire.

The best material for garter is raffia, but it must be slightly moistened before use. The easiest and fastest way is to first make a loop of raffia around the stem, and then around the kata and tie it with a double knot on the other side. New growth needs to be staked at least once a week. By the end of the growing season, individual fruit clusters should also be tied up.

Against diseases, the same measures are used as when growing tomatoes in the soil. Using sterilized vermiculite reduces the likelihood of soil infection. Every day after supplying the nutrient solution, you need to lightly loosen the surface of the vermiculite without damaging the roots of the stems.

Trays filled with vermiculite can also be very convenient for growing seedlings. By carefully selecting a nutrient mixture with a high concentration of potassium, you can obtain hardened seedlings that can withstand transportation and transplantation to a permanent location.

It is beneficial to arrange deep trays for tomatoes. Seedlings are planted deep. Plants are covered with vermiculite as they grow. The first time after planting seedlings, the vermiculite layer is increased by 15 cm. Later, vermiculite is added so that its surface is 2.5 cm from the top edge of the pan.

Tomatoes occupy trays for approximately four months, so as soon as the fruit on the lower cluster has formed, the lower leaves can be removed and a cover crop can be planted, which will provide significant income.

Containers for planting seedlings

For optimal development of vegetative mass, pots with substrate with a volume of at least 10 liters are required. The best shape for the latter would be a cone or cylinder, since in square or rectangular containers the root system of green crops will not be able to completely occupy all the free space.

The substrate in hydroponics is not a nutrient mixture, as in traditional soil cultivation, but a base and foundation in which the plant rests. Fillers can be of natural or artificial origin. With the soilless method, expanded clay, perlite, flax shreds, coconut substrate, buckwheat waste, mineral wool, vermiculite and other analogues are most often used.

Necessary materials

With proper design and installation of hydroponics, the structures allow you to use any free space in the room effectively, growing a large number of plants even on a windowsill or in a closet. To do this you will need:

• plastic or glass opaque container with a volume of 3-20 liters for containing water and nutrients,
• substrate containers,
• peristaltic or drainage hose pump for filling water into the system,
• substrate filler,
• sanding paper for finishing edges,
• construction knife.

If you want to make your own hydroponic system without large financial investments, you can integrate drip irrigation into it. This system is well suited for beginners, and the environment inside the structure will protect the root system from sudden changes in temperature conditions and user errors. For this you will need:

• rectangular plastic troughs,
• mineral wool bars or coconut substrate in briquettes,
• mini pump,
• budget watering line with secondary plastic spaghetti pipes.

Mature plants

When growing tomatoes using the hydroponic method, you will need: materials depending on the type of system, pots for placing tomatoes with a volume of at least 4 liters, large containers-reservoirs for containing a nutrient solution.

1. Pour boiling water over the prepared pots, fill with substrate, and plant tomatoes using one of the hydroponic methods.
2. Water the planted plants.
3. Having ensured the air temperature in the room or greenhouse is 25 - 28 degrees and the daylight hours are 14-15 hours, carry out all the necessary agrotechnical measures.
4. Provide a supply of nutrient solution consisting of: 100 mg nitrogen, 80 mg phosphorus, 150 mg potassium, 190 mg calcium, 30 mg magnesium per 1000 ml of water.
5. Throughout the entire cultivation season, remove the stepsons in a timely manner and loosen the substrate after each supply of the nutrient solution.

Temperature

This is one of the most important factors influencing plant development. During the first time after sowing the seeds, the containers must be placed in a dark place where the air temperature will be between 28-30 degrees.

Next, after the sprouts appear, they are moved to the light, with an ambient temperature of about +18 degrees.

If the seedlings stretch upward strongly, you need to increase the lighting. After the sprouts have become stronger, for further development they need to be provided with a suitable microclimate - 14-15 hours of daylight and air temperature in the range from +22 to +28 degrees.

Nutrient solution

The correct composition of the nutrient fluid is the key to effective cultivation. The concentration of useful micro and macroelements in a solution is determined by its ability to conduct small electrical currents. An electrical conductivity indicator is used for accurate measurements. Its readings should be within 1.5-3.0 mS.

An important point is daily monitoring of the concentration of nutrients in the supplied water. Over time, their number decreases and the liquid needs to be renewed or individual elements added to it. Once every 20-30 days, a complete replacement of the solution is recommended.

Ready-made mixtures can be purchased at almost any plant growing store.

If you are wondering how to prepare a nutritious base yourself, then it is worth noting that the accuracy of the proportions is very important in this matter. Each gram of all components of the solution must be used in strict dosage. Otherwise, an incorrectly made mixture can lead to detrimental consequences for the plant.

How to make hydroponics for cucumbers and tomatoes at home?

Growing plants without soil is called hydroponics. The exclusion of this component from the process made it possible to make the production of vegetables compact, able to fit even at home. In addition, in hydroponics there is no need to control weeds. It’s easy to build such a system for cucumbers and tomatoes with your own hands.

In conditions of lack of nutrition with useful substances dissolved in the soil, it is important to use balanced compositions of chemical elements necessary for the formation of the root system, stems, leaves and fruits of the plant. For each type of vegetable, the components of the nutrient solution are individual - you can make them yourself or buy a ready-made composition. The method of growing vegetable crops without soil involves obtaining minerals from the root system directly from solutions.

The system itself consists of a container with a liquid enriched with chemicals and oxygenated, in the upper part of which glasses with plants are installed

The method of growing vegetable crops without soil involves obtaining minerals from the root system directly from solutions. The system itself consists of a container with a liquid enriched with chemicals and oxygenated, in the upper part of which glasses with plants are installed.

Hydroponics for vegetables is used outdoors, in greenhouses and at home. Advantages of soilless technology for residential use:

• ease of self-production of a hydroponic device;
• intensive growth of vegetable crops and no problem of soil depletion;
• no need for watering - you just need to ensure that the balance of minerals is maintained;
• year-round presence on the table of tomatoes and cucumbers grown with your own hands directly at home;
• the possibility of relocating plants to natural soil;
• absence of pests - animals (insects and rodents) and plants (weeds).

To ensure an uninterrupted supply of vegetables from the “apartment garden”, new plants are planted 45 days before the removal of obsolete bushes

It is important to fix the stems in a vertical position in a timely manner - to do this, stretch the wire and use hooks and clothespins. Artificial pollination of flowers is carried out manually. There are several types of hydroponics:

There are several types of hydroponics:

1. 1. Wick, or capillary system - is simple and easy to construct, based on the ability of liquid to rise through narrow channels, the role of which is played by the wick. One end is immersed in the solution, and the other is in the substrate (coconut fiber or mineral wool) with the root system of the plant placed in the pot. This scheme is effective for small crops. The wick cannot cope with providing nutrition to large vegetables. The main advantage is that the installation of active control devices and a pump for delivering the solution is not required.
2. 2. Deep water culture system or raft method, floating platform. It is often used in greenhouses: foam rafts with plants planted on them are placed on the surface of the solutions filling the pools. The roots are constantly in a nutrient medium, which is aerated by a compressor. The mineral balance of the solution is controlled and the required composition is maintained by adding water and salts.
3. 3. Periodic flooding method - the substrate with the root system is briefly immersed in the solution, and then dried and the cycle is repeated. In this case, pumps controlled by timers are activated, and the liquid is drained into the tank by gravity. The roots can be suspended or immersed in a substrate - expanded clay, gravel, perlite, vermiculite, coconut fiber.
4. 4. Nutrient layer technique - a compact design that consists of irrigation channels with a constant water flow and small pots filled with substrate. Usually these are pipes with glasses inserted into them and constant forced movement of the nutrient medium through a pump. Timers are not used in this scheme.
5. 5. The aeroponic system is the most technologically advanced and produces high yields in a short time. The roots hang above a reservoir with a solution, and a mist of nutrients is sprayed onto them using ultrasound or nozzles. Thus, air is used as a substrate, which is humidified once every few minutes.

Tomato seeds

The choice of seeds depends on the individual taste preferences of the gardener. Theoretically, all tomato varieties are suitable for growing hydroponically. But you will get the highest yields from specially bred greenhouse and early ripening varieties. The following types of tomatoes are ideal for fruiting and less demanding to care for:

Friend F1; Newbie; Alaska; Sweetness F1; Gavroche; Florida F1; Bon Appetit and others.

These plants rarely get sick and do not require pinching, staking or bush shaping. They have medium and large fruits, deep red in color. The time from planting to ripening is just over two months.