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Tomatoes & Hydroponics
Tayberry51
Posts: 8
in Fruit & veg
Hi, has anyone grown tomatoes using a hydroponic system. I have just bought a Vitopod and would like to know if there is a specific variety of tomato that would best suit this system of growing.
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have a look on the Beechgrove garden website, if I remember right they were doing a trial of hydroponics Tomatoes either this year or last year. I don't think any one variety works better than another, but I would rather grow cordons as they are easier to get into the base to top out the liquid
Thanks Treehugger80 I have just looked at the site and they trialed Sungold and Shirley varieties. Think I will try Shirley, as you say it may prove easier growing a cordon.
I grew four varieties in a quadgrow in the conservatory as a trial, all cordon's
Amish gold - Sungold - Juanne Flamme - Sakura
They were so good I will be using six quadgrows next season in the greenhouse
I did not use the supplied fertilizer that will be a trial for next year.
In the pots mixed in the compost I used Bood Fish and Bone plus trace elements
In the water tank I used Canna grow and bloom, Seaweed extract plant magic all organic
Hydroponics is one of the reasons supermarket toms are so lacking in taste. Many, many are grown hydroponically these days because it's cheaper in terms of maintenance and being able to grow so many more in a given space. Water + chemicals is not a recipe for a tasty tomato.
I will use the fertiliser that was supplied with my Vitopod and see how I get on. As for taste, I'll wait and see but as soil is only a means of keeping the plant upright by its roots and its the nutrients that count I'm hoping for a tasty crop.
The nutrients in healthy garden soil are more complex than anything that can be supplied by Vitopod or anyone else.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
...as are all the bacteria and fungi that interact beneficially with the plant.
Ditto both of the above.
I'm sure that hydroponically grown tomatoes would produce a large crop of perfect-looking fruit, just like you get in the supermarket. Worth a try, if you have the gear.
How they taste is another matter.