Are you interested in growing tomatoes? Getting the same consistent results year after year?

I would like to share with you my take on DWC for growing tomatoes. This system may not be the best but does net quite good and repeatable results every year.

About a decade ago, growing plants with hydroponics was a complicated task that if you don’t have a degree in chemistry, you have no chance of even starting with it. The equipment you needed to build a hydroponic system was expensive too and the experience overall was bad.

What you will need to start.

You will need an electric supply but make sure it’s installed carefully to avoid any potential issues or prevent getting injured. With the supply you will also have to get two sockets one for the submersible heater and the other for an air pump.

For the nutrient solution you will need a container, personally i recommend 17L storage container (Aff.link) with a lid. In order to protect the plastic of the container from UV you will have to wrap it around with a light proof film. Doing that will also prevent an algae bloom in your nutrient solution tank. If you ever get algae in your nutrient tank, act immeditealy or the algae will start using some of the nutrients and start to smother the roots stunning the tomato plant growth. You can prevent that by using H202 or DIY Clear Rez formula on a regular basis.

To ensure the system gets enough light for the plants to grow but still have protection from the rain and prevent dilution of the nutrient solution. You will have use a cover fo the system, i will recommend getting a 4-tier greenhouse without the shelves.

For the tomatoes 80mm mesh pots are perfect, if you want you can use standart pots but make sure you add a few holes in the sides so you can get a nice circulation of air and nutrient

Now you will have to get yourself the most important thing – huntrient solution. Keep in mind this is not suitable for your house plants, since it doesn’t contain all of the vital elements the plants need to grow. Different plants need different set of combinations of elements at different stages of growth. There are commercially available nutrient solutions and they all have different quantities of elements mixed together for the different stages of growth.

In order to keep the tomatoes upright in the pots you will need to use clay pebbles. They can be found in most garden centres and you don’t need a lot of them since they are reusable because the roots don’t grow into them but around them. Another advantage of using clay pebbles is the fact that they allow for easy air circulation around the roots and hold moisture pretty well.

For the vegetative and flowering states i personally use Humboldts Secret Base A & B Bundle.

Let’s Begin!

If you made it so far in the article, that’s actually all you will need to start growing tomatoes with DWC. The main issue most people have is the electric supply you might be able to run a low voltage air pump from a batter which you change over and rechage. I personally haven’t tried this one but i’m pretty sure it can be done.

The checklist so far:

1 Light proof film

2 VIVOSUN Air Stone

4 Mesh Pots

1 Quart of nutrient additive

3m Pipe

1 Humboldts Secret Base A & B Bundle – Liquid nutrient solution.

1 Air Pump – VIVOSUN Air Pump 950 GPH 32W 60L/min 6 Outlet

1 Container with a lid

1 50 feet air tube to connect the stones to the pump

1 Submersible Water Pump – to make changing the nutrient easier

2 buckets

1 Greenhouse with four shelves

1 Submersible Heater – I personally would recommend a fish tank heater of 50w

Clay balls

(Aff.links)

How to assemble the system?

First start with cutting some holes in the top of the nutrient solution reservoir, then measure the top of the mesh pot. Keep in mind that if you are not using a heavy duty cointainer, the plastic is usually not very solid and can break if you press the drill too hard.

Now you have to connect the air stones to the air pipe and use a knife to cut a slot at the corner of the container to have space for the heater and the air pipe/stones when the lid is placed on it. Keep in mind when you make a hole for the filling of the reservoir, make sure its large enough to fit the water pump.

Proceed with connecting the air pipe to the air pump, to prevent the water from getting into the air pump make a drip loop.

After you are done assembling all the parts i would recommend doing a quick test with water to make sure that everything works as intented but make sure the heater is not out of water or it will overheat.

How to refill the system?

I personally start with refilling the bucket with nutrient solution and leaving it overnight to let the temperature come up to ambient.

Then i put back the water pump into the bucket at the bottom. After that i place the pipe into the nutrient solution and switch on the air pump to transfer the water.

Many beginner gardeners start to worry about checking their pH levels or EC. I would recommend checking the pH levels at least once a day and adjust it according with the manufacturers recommended dilution.

Now all you have to do is plant the tomato seedlings up in the mesh pots and fill them with the clay balls. Once they start growing, keep the nutrient level about half the way up to the pots so the roots can grow into the solution. When the tomatoes reach flowering stage the roots will expand into the reservoir and drink a lot more nutrient solution.