Hydroponically Grown Tomatoes

Hydroponic Tomatoes

Image by kkimpel via Flickr

Hydroponics is the science of growing plants in a mixture of water nutrients. It can be done either with or without a growing medium. Tomatoes are privileged to be produced on large scale using this method. Hydroponic tomatoes are superior in quality and taste in contrast to the tomatoes raised in soil..

The hydroponic process solves many of the problems of traditional growing methods. As it does not need soil there is no risk of weeds or parasites. Similarly it allows the growers to provide the required nutrition to the plants in a controlled environment that ensures the best, quickest and healthiest yield.

The tomato plant is privileged to be the biggest crop that is produced hydroponically all over the world. One of the major benefits of hydroponic tomatoes is their availability throughout the year. Moreover the yield is 30% to 50% more than the traditional method of growing tomatoes.

Tips to get maximum yield of hydroponic tomatoes:

Hydroponic tomatoes are really worth growing. By following certain tips one can have quick and beautiful yields.

  • To save space, it is advisable to use the opaque plastic bins in which to place the pots
  • Place the plants in a row. Use Perlite and Rockwool as a medium of growth.
  • Place supporting sticks to keep the plant in an upright position – tying the plants to an upright stake is an important step in the plant producing a lot of luscious fruit.
  • Check the PH of water on regular basis.
  • Choose the sunny area to grow the tomatoes hydroponically or if you do not have a sunny area consider growing them indoors with hydroponic LED lighting

Growth influencing factors:

The yield of hydroponic tomatoes is greatly influenced by certain factors. It is important to control these factors to get the maximum yield. These factors include:

  • Light: Tomato plants require 6 to 8 hours of light at maturity. Artificial halide light can be used to give the appropriate amount of light.
  • PH: The PH level of solution for tomato plant is from 5.8 to 6.3. It is important to maintain the PH level to ensure the proper growth. If the PH level decreases, then use potassium hydroxide to increase it, and if it increases, then use phosphoric acid to decrease it.
  • Temperature: The best temperature for tomato plants during the daytime is 18oC to 25oC and is between 12oC to 18oC during the night time.
  • Electrical conductivity: For tomato growing, electrical conductivity should be from 2.0 to 3.5 mmMhos.  It measures the dissolved nutrients in the solution.

Symptoms of improper growth:

To get the maximum benefits, the process of growing hydroponic tomatoes should be monitored carefully. Following are some of the symptoms that indicate abnormal growth.

  • Colour of leaves is important in assessment of growth. Yellow leaves symbolize high PH and weak solution.
  • If the tips of leaves curls up or the stem appears red then it is the indication of lack of magnesium and low PH level.
  • If the tips of the leaves curl down, this can be the indication of too high level of nutrients.
  • If the fruits fall before setting the fruit, it shows lack of potassium.

For any of these symptoms, change and filter the solution. For the high nutrient level, add water having 6 PH.

These steps to growing hydroponic tomatoes are relatively easy compared to growing tomatoes in soil where they have to be watered every day and disease and pests have to be monitored on a more consistent basis.