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How can I grow a hydroponic tomato garden in a limited space of 2'x2'?
Your best bet would be the 5 gallon Gurgle Garden with one or two plants at the most in
that small of a space.
Ron
Hi Ron. Here at unc charlotte scanning last years questions and comments pages. my assignment is to write a paper on growing a hydroponics garden in a limited space such as a small section like 3x3 ft. What would be the beginers garden and what to expect out of it when following instructions precisely. My example is using bean plants and what kind of maximum yield can I expect from using the basic elements. Food light pump water. sincerely henry ridenhour
If I could answer all those damn questions I would write a book and make a
million dollars.
Ron
Can I use Shultz Fertilizer in an EBB and flow system. Like the 10-60-10 stuff.
Thanks
No If it doesn't say for hydroponics on the box or bag then it's fertilizer for dirt
only but some members say they have used Miracle Grow but I
will give it a try if I run out of hydro solution.
Ron
Ron, Brown mold....it is killing me. Please help!!! So far Ive only used sulfur dust in liquid concentration. That was very little help. Thanks for your time.
With all the rain lately here in Florida I had black mold so bad that I had to use
fungicide for the first time in 5 years and I still didn't get rid of it. Maybe some other
members out their can help both of us.
Ron
Does anyone know anything about a volmatic valve system? It is widely used by the Danish people for their ebb and flow hydroponic systems. I am curious as to how it works. Does it have the same function as the American drain/fill and overflow fittings? If so, what are the advantages of using a volmatic valve system? Whatever info you share with us is greatly appreciated. Thanks!!
can some one please tell me how long do i leave the lights on for at the start and when do i cut them back ??
18 on and 6 off for vegetative stage
then 12 on and 12 off for budding
Hi All,
Great page,love the pictures.I have a heat problem. Here's my G-room specs: room size 6 x 10 x 8 , light LumenArc® III 1000 watt. Venting Dayton 4C447 4" tubing running out side, Dayton 4C442 4" fresh air return. Temps are running at 98º, Humidity At 60%.If I go to the LumenArc II vent hood,the only thing I can salvage is my bulb & ballast. I'm hoping one of you brilliant people will help solve this dilemma before I have to spend some more money. Their asking $157.00 +tax for the hood and socket.
Is anyone using the ARGI-COOL lights? If so tell me what you think. They sound like their a pain.
Thanks Freebird98
One thing some of the grow store people don't tell you about is the heating problem.
Living here in Florida I can't imagine trying to grow in any size room without air
conditioning. The bigger the better and you still should vent the heat from the light hood
with a squirrel fan to help cut down on the electric bill .
You people with basements up north can use fans to vent the hood heat out a window or the
chimney and forego the air conditioning. you lucky buggers.
Ron
Ron,
I built your 11 plant system. The only ? i have is, How do you get the glue off of the 2 liter bottles ?
Thanks again for the site, Wil G.
With lighter fluid for small jobs and mineral spirits if you need a lot.
Ron
We are a group of engineering students and we have been asked to submit a proposal for an urban gardening center. Where would be the best place to find information on hydroponics and where hydroponics will be in the twenty first century? We would apperciate your reply. Thanks, Team Solutions
The Hydroponic Society of America would be a good first start. I know their is a
university that specializes in hydroponics but I can't remember the name. When I found it
on the internet I look at their archives and found it a little to technical for my brain.
Ron
I have been wanting to start with hydroponics for some time now and bought some nutrient off the shelf 3 years ago. I eventually built a experimental plant now and used the nutrient,planting cabbage without success.
Does the stuff go off
Hannes Richard
I think nutrient solution will brake down that long on the shelf especially the
liquid kind.
I would try another kind of plant before you discard it because maybe you just can't grow
cabbage.
I have never been able to take cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower to completion so I don't
try any more.
Ron
This is one of the most comprehensive sites about hydroponics I have run across yet! Glad I found you but I have been looking so long my eyes are swimming and I can serach no longer.
Can you reccommend an approach for a classroom hydroponics system? We already have equipment and basic understanding of the technology. I am looking for guidance on plant selection and the mixing of several plants in one table. I want the middle school students to track growth rates, adjust pH etc but last years group just had a tomato plant race.....seems like underutilization of the benefits of hydroponics (and I do not like tomatoes anyway).
I am thinking that a kitchen garden would be a practical application which could easily be replicated in a students home life. If I have four groups each grow a different plant and compare growth rates among groups, what plants would work well. Since we are in a school situation, fast growers are critical in order to have mature plant beofre the semester ends. Any ideas? This is a teachnology class in Idaho with a space station simulation which is an excellent application of the technology and the the primary educational link in the class to hydroponics.
Thanks, Gina Sartor gsartor@geocities.com
Hi Gina
I have found that herbs and spices grow fast as you can see in these week by week pictures.
Ron
Hey Ron great site; Just built 11 planter useing gen. hydro.nutrients liquid form. Have motherplant in phototron. ??Can I use my nutrients in the TRON. The medium is a mixture 1/2 fine milled spagnum moss ®. spag. moss. Macro 5- 0 -2 floragro 2- 1- 6. Also waiting on TDS pen,system uses 5 gal. nutrients if I change nutients every 7 days will I be pretty safe
Yes you can use General Nutrients. It's probably the most used hydro solution used by
home growers.
I would change the solution every 14 days. 7 seems like a lot of work.
If you measure carefully by teaspoon what it says on the bottle then you should be ok till
your TDS pen comes
Ron
Do I Have To Germinate a seed before planting it in a seed cube?
Sometimes it helps but no you don't have to as long as you keep the rockwool cube
moist.
Ron
Ron, I'm about to start my first hydroponic garden and I have a few questions
1. I want to grow roses and I would like to know which type of lights would be the best?
2. The set up I have right now is the cascade system is that good for roses?
thats it for now but I'll some more later for sure.
I have tried to root cuttings from a rose bush in my ebb and flow garden without
success. I haven't tried bulbs yet.
I am not familiar with the cascade system.
Metal Halide or High Pressure Sodium lights are the only efficient lights to use. Ether
400 or 1000 watt depending on the size of your grow room.
Ron
Hi. We are students at Providence College working on a hydroponics website for our environmental politics class. We are unable to find information on large-scale hydroponics operations. If anyone could be of assistance in providing us with information about publications or websites pertaining to this, please e-mail us at jyande00@providence.edu Thanks so much!!!
Hi, i´m very impressed of your work with bottles and pvc pipes, but how many pounds of tomatoes do you get for each plant a harvest ? , and how many harvest do you obtain a year crop ?. I´m thinking like you, that the hydroponics crop could be a very good business for now and especial in my country (Venezuela) where every thing is becoming expensive and bad quality. I´be happy if you answer me the question before, because is very important the fiel data in a system like yours.
from venezuela, please to meet you,
rob.
P.D. if the system don´t work, e-mail me: rclerc@telcel.net.ve
I'm in 8th grade, and I need to build a hydroponic garden for $25.00, or less, for my science fair project. I looked EVERYWHERE and found nothing for that price range. The garden isn't supposed to be the latest model, but it's supposed to GROW!!!!! If anyone has any information, or can donate, or lend something, PLEASE ANSWER. Leave your e-mail address, or something. THANKYOU FOR AT LEAST READING!!! Sincerly, I.M. Clueless
The gurgle garden is your only hope for that much money.
Ron
I am in Northern Maine, USA and I am interested in visiting a comercial or hobby hydroponic garden. Does anyone know of a place to visit near Camden, ME that would be willing to show me around? I am interested in starting an operation in the Republic of Panama. I will be in town till 2 October. Thanks I woulkd appreciate any response.
Hi Ron! I fell over your site by accident :) And I really got hooked up on this. Now I have to try this. The problem is the climate here in Sweden but I will have to do it small scale. Anyway, thanx for putting all this wonderful info on-line. I'm gonna come back again and again!!! Peter.
There is a better way to attach 2 liter pop bottles to the pipe-type hydro system. It is suggested that you use 1 inch couplers and drill out the cap, glued into the coupler. This is a bit of a problem if one isn't familiar with cutting thin sheet materials. I can see a bunch of cut fingers from this. (I'm a toolmaker, I know about cut fingers)... My system uses 1/2 inch MNPT to 1/2 inch Female slip-on adapters with a 1.5 inch long 1/2 inch pipe glued into it. Sched. 40 PVC 1/2 inch inside just fits into the neck of the bottles. With a little silicon it's watertight. The good thing about this is that the threaded couplers are easily removed and replaced with MNPT pipe plugs to seal unused outlets. The bottles can easily be replaced as silicon dosen't stick to PVC or PET (what the bottles are made of) very well (providing it's smooth and shiny) but well enough to be secure and watertight.All you have to do is give the bottle a good twist when it's installed in the rig to break the silicon, then with a wrench, remove the coupler for cleaning, bottle replacement, etc. It's a simpler system to get going for the "mechanically (plumbingly) challenged" and dosen't rely on lots of glue to keep things together. The bill for the materials for an 8 plant system (canadian Home Depot, Vancouver) was $16.27 and that includes a can of glue, and an extra length of PVC pipe. All external apparatus is secured to the system using threaded couplers... It makes more sense to waste a few feet of teflon tape every cleaning than replacing pieces you have to cut off.
It's going to be up and running as soon as my skunk clones root... Hope this helps...
Smoke one for me!!!
I found a good product to seal the 1/2 " PVC pipe inside the cups. A 2 part Epoxy Mix that sticks to everything.
After I mix the two parts I put it in the corner off a baggie
with a small hole and squeeze the mix around the PVC pipe
in the bottom of the 2 liter bottles.
I use a chop saw to cut all my pipe to prevent finger
loss.
Ron
is there anyone in this online group that is familiar with suplimenting tomato growth using estrogen? And if so what would be the proper dosage in ppm?
What is the ideal temperture in a hydro room???
The closer you can keep your room to 72 degrees the better.
Ron
HydroRon I dig your site. I built a 9 bottle (2 liter) pvc system. It works killer. Thanks for the plans. Heres the question. Since the cups are circular and the cubes are of course square the rockwool doesn't fill the lower portion of the cup. Should there be air in the bottom of the cups or should the rockwool fill the cup? Also how high should the nutrient rise in the cups?
Thanks stork
You can take a few rockwool cubes and brake them apart to fill the bottom of your cups
but wet them first because you shouldn't breath any rockwool particles.
That's the reason I use only grow rocks.
Because rockwool acts like a sponge I don't think the water would have to rise very high
to work My guess is about 1/2 inch up your cube.
With grow rocks the height should be about this
high.
Ron
I just found your web page yesturday and think it it outstanding!!! Today I came back thinking of ordering your kit to get started ( wanted to have a working model). Now it is not there to order or see. Do you still sell the kit? Let me know, I want to get started soon!!
Mike
Sorry Mike
Because I have to buy the pump, timer. nutrient solution, grow rocks, PVC tees and
everything else at retail I just can't afford to build and sell complete gardens any more.
I don't have a hydroponic business so I have to pay the same price for supplies that
everybody else does. I hope that will change in the future but until it does I will still
continue to help people build their own.
I am working on a computer CD that will have step by step instructions on building and
maintaining home hydroponic gardens from small to commercial size so stay tuned.
Ron
can i get info on hydroponics
Yes
Hey Ron. Can one use an algae destroyer, like the kind you use in a fishtank? It seems to be nontoxic to fish & marine plants. Also I've never noticed an increase in PH levels. Do you know if this would effect veggie/herbal type plants in your system? Active ingredients SIMAZINE 2-chloro-4, 6-bis-(ethylamino)-s-triazine 0.60% inert ingredients 99.40% . Calls for 1 teaspoon per 10 gal. of h2o.KEEP UP THE EXCELLENT WORK....
I don't know about an algae destroyer but if you try it please let me know if it works.
pH levels will change over time so it is important to adjust them
periodically for optimum performance.
Between 5 and 7 your plants will grow with around 6 being the best for most plants.
Ron
Do you have any "how to" videos available for sale? It would help me a lot to be able to see how to build one of your units.
I am working on videos and a CD for do it yourself home hydroponics. It's not easy with
no financing to speak of.
Maybe by next year I might have something.
Ron
Hi Ron,
Do you know of a website I could order "Pure Blend" growth formula?
Thanks,
Cat
Haven't heard of Pure Blend. Maybe other members have.
Ron
RON, WHERE'S THE BEST PLACE FOR A CD-3 GENORATOR. ROOM 10X10 11PLANT SYSTEM. ANYWHERE, OR AS CLOSE TO THE PLANTS AS POSSIBLE
I assume you are talking about a co2 generator. Since
carbon dioxide is heavier than air right above the plants will do the most good. But
beware you can give your plants to much co2 and do more harm than good.
Ron
I presently grow tomatoes commercially hydroponically. I want to expand into peppers and cucumbers. Does anyone have any information on growing these crops on a large commercial basis, or any suggestions on alternative crops which have proven to be lucrative. We mainly wholesale to stores in our area and would like to enlarge our product line. I can be reached by e-mail at tbiaggi98@yahoo.com THANKS!!
Here in Florida peppers of all kinds are one of the easiest plants I can grow
hydroponicly but I haven't been able to grow cucumbers to completion without a problem
with whitefly's.
Ron
Ron how much Ph should be in the water for tomatoes? Also how often do I fertilize? Your input would be great. And no I'm not completely stupid I'm just a highschool student in an Ag class with an IDIOT for a teacher. Thnaks a bunch!
Your pH should always be between 5.5 and 6.5 For hydroponic tomatoes start with a low
PPM around 500 and increase about 100 PPM every couple weeks to as much as 1500 at harvest
time.
Ron
hey ron, i have an emilys garden by hydrofarm.i am trying to grow all sorts of vegetables in a 2'X4' closet. recently i have noticed that the second pair of leaves+the cotyledon are turning yellow.i have checked the ph and its at 6.0. is the change in color of the leaves a bad sign?
I have never grown plants without the lower leaves turning yellow. Just pinch all the
bad leaves off and as long as your new growth is healthy they should be OK. Make sure your
nutrient solution isn't to high because that will turn your plants yellow also.
Ron
what is the right temperature during flowering
The closer you can keep your temperature at 72 degrees the better.
Ron
for those that suffer mould and fungus, a couple of ways to battle this problem. One way is to have continuos fans blowing and blowing out. The other is if you go to your local paint shop and ask for paint with anti fungucide and there is one other, humidity beads, they collect moisture out of the atmosophere. You drain the botton of the bucket everyday.
IF U READ THE PREVIOUS PAGES U WILL LEARN ALL YOUR ?????????????????????????????????'S
Thank you. Sometimes I feel like a broken record.
Ron
MOLD and FUNGUS promblem. Yes,I have one. Wish not to paint the plants. I am interested in humidity beads.
I think he meant painting your room or the bottles with antifungus paint not your
plants. Here in Florida where humidity is a big problem they sell those beads everywhere
at supermarkets, drugstores, Walmarts for your closet to keep humidity out of your clothes
Ron.
we are trying to create a tomato hydroponic experiment and would like some ideas on a simple experiment for a 10th grade project that is cheap and simple.
Please refer to next question for cheapest and easiest system to build.
Ron
Hi Ron, When I try to click on "here is my drawing of the garden" (gurgle garden), it comes up "object not found". Could you please email me the jpg of that drawing. Thanks. Bernie
Sorry! I still have dead links to fix since my hard drive crashed last month.
Ron
I would like to know if it is alright to grow hydro tomatoes in Eucyliptus, oak, poplar ,and pine shavings
Bruce McDougald mertis@lantic.co.za
Yes if they are sterilized. The fist pictures of hydroponics that I ever saw was of a
guy that grew tomatoes in wood chips in tall peach baskets more than 50 years ago.
Ron
I've got a nice big tomato plant going since early summer, it took a while to get going but finally took off. The plant itself is doing fine but I'm not getting a heck of a lot for tomatoes and the ones that are there are deformed, they look more like little pumpkins than tomatoes. Can you tell me what is wrong? Also, I've brought it in since it's getting to freezing here now, and put it in my big bay south facing window, how does a person pollinate the flowers now that there are no insects? Thanks very much, J.Birkigt Anyone besides Ron having ideas please send them to jolane@junctionnet.com Thanks a bunch, great website Ron!
Pollination can be achieved by shaking the plant at the first sign of blooms, then
daily for about three days. Tomatoes need to be pollinated between 11 a.m. and noon for
best results. Flowers do like rather high humidity for pollination, so -if need be- mist
the plants twice during the time you shake them. Harvest daily and pick off any deformed
or damaged fruit.
(from Secrets to a Successful Greenhouse Business by T.M. Taylor)
Ron
Does anyone know where you may purchase 1" SDR 26 PVC Pipe? Thanks! Jimmy wjthorne@netkonnect.net
Try a irrigation supply business in your area.
Ron
i want to start growing my tomato and peppers with HID lighting instead of my VHO fluoros, i live in Akron/Cleveland Ohio and i would like to find a retail store i could buy one or two son agro 430 watt fixtures but so far all dry results. Thanks
Kenny (kennyk667@hotmail.com)
Ron, A lot of my tomatoes developed cracks radiating from the stem. I there an easy way to correct this?
You might be watering them to much. I had the same problem until I cut back.
Ron
What good does boiling do to lava rocks? How can this affect toxicity? JohnS
Sterilization is important between each harvest to rid your
medium of fertilizing salts build up. You only have to boil the lava rocks the first time
you use them. Then you only have to use a 10 percent bleach solution after that between
harvests.
Ron
Does anyone know where the website for the Hydroponic Society of America has moved to?
The url given in all the search engines does not work.
To whom it may concern: I'm a freshman science student in high school doing a science project on growing hydroponic tomatoes. Is there a decent hydroponic nutrient solution on the market that's already mixed and ready to go? If so, what is it and where can I get some fast? AuntHC
Ron: Thanx for all the helpfull info. I called the store that sold me the cd-3 genorator and they were very little help.They suggest 30 mins. on 30 off. With in 3 days the plants were curling/dring out.I assume to much c02.Now I'm trying 30 mins. on 4 hrs. off hope that will fix the problem. Is there any way to measure c02 level without a CDM-1 sensor{determines atmospheric c02 value}.
Wormsway.com sells an inexpensive thing to measure co2 but only once then you have to
buy refills to measure again. I have never use it so I don't know how well it works. I
have just been guessing for years about how much co2 I am using.
Ron
I've put together a six cup hydro setup, at the moment it's nothing more than the pvc, the coke bottles, the pump, and the solution in the tank. Now what? I need a step by step an getting my plants up and growing. Can you give me one, or do you know somewhere on the web I can find one? thanx, John Rossier
1 First you go to the plant store and buy small plants like this tomato plant.
2 Then wash off the dirt from the roots being careful not to hurt
them to much.
3 Put a small amount of grow rocks in the
solo cup then hold the plant and pour the rest of the grow rocks until full.
4 Now sit back and watch it grow!
Ron
Hi All. I enjoyed your collection of pictures sent in by other growers. More poeple should send in !!
I'm still using Miracle-Gro for my lettuce and peppers but had to switch to a commerical fertilizer for the tomatoes. The water here in Southern California doesn't have enough GOOD minerals to supplement the Miracle-Gro like it did in Kansas.
If you all want to try Miracle-Gro use the 15-30-15 strength at 1 scoop per 5 gallons water for lettuce and brocoli, and 2 scoops per 5 gallons water for peppers and tomatoes.
Have fun
Joel
If anyone has or knows of a site with detailed designs of a hydroponics center, please email me at diehard_3fan@yahoo.com I'm working on an engineering project and have to design and urban gardening center! Thanks
Ron; Looking at the past posts I came across one that offered the plans to build a timer using a 555 chip. I would appreciate any information you may have on that post. The person who posted the message didn't put his e-mail address on it.
Thanks, RickR29288@aol.com
I will try to find it and let you know.
Ron
Ron How are you holding up the tomato plants in the pictures?
I tie a string right where the first cluster of tomatoes form and then from that
main string I tie shorter pieces of string when more clusters are formed because that is
where the plant needs the most support. Tie a loose hoop around the plants to give them
growing room because if it's tight the string will cut into the plant and kill it.
Ron
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