How to Grow Hydroponic Tomatoes at Home
There isn't a better feeling than being able to grow and harvest the ripest veggies and fruits — right in the comfort of your own home.
That said, most people can find growing anything in their home intimidating. Fancy words like "hydroponic systems" and "pH levels" are enough to make people balk at starting their indoor garden.
The good news is that it's quite simple to master. In this guide, we'll tell you everything you need to know about growing hydroponic tomatoes right in your living room. Keep reading to enjoy fresh tomatoes year round!
What Is Hydroponics?
Hydroponics refers to the style of growing plants without any soil. Instead, inert media like coco or clay pebbles are used to anchor the roots of the plant in place.
There are several different methods of hydroponic gardening, including:
- Ebb and Flow
- Deep Water Culture
- Hydroponic Drip
- Aeroponics
- Nutrient Film Technique
These systems have their benefits that we'll get into later in the article.
Advantages of Growing Tomatoes Hydroponically
The biggest benefit of using a hydroponic system to grow tomatoes is that you can grow vegetables throughout the year. When using soil outdoors, you must follow the growing seasons of nature (spring to fall). After that, you have to wait for 3 to 4 months for the next growing season to come around.
But how about growing with soil indoors? The benefit of growing tomatoes hydroponically indoors is that it is significantly cleaner than using soil. You'll have a cleaner growing space and you'll also be less vulnerable to common soil pests.
When it comes to efficiency, you can cut growth cycles by a lot when using a hydroponic system. This means you can grow tomatoes much faster than when using soil.
Through a hydroponic system, the plants will consume and retain nutrients much more efficiently because of the concentration of the solution.
Another great benefit is that hydroponic systems are much more water-efficient. You'll save a lot of water compared to soil-based plants.
Lastly, hydroponic tomatoes tend to grow much larger tomatoes because of the way nutrients are concentrated in the plant.
Disadvantages of Growing Tomatoes Hydroponically
Hydroponics has a few disadvantages as well.
The first thing you'll probably notice is that it's quite expensive. Purchasing a hydroponic system isn't cheap unless you build it yourself.
Another drawback is that there is a steep learning curve to growing food indoors hydroponically as opposed to traditional gardening. When you grow outdoors, the soil can make up for many harmful effects from things like overfeeding, overwatering, or pH issues.
In a hydroponic system, you have less room for error because the roots are directly exposed to the nutrient solution. To keep your plants healthy, you must constantly test your nutrient solution and document everything you find.
The bottom line is that hydroponic gardening is more work than growing in soil. However, the benefits are worth it.
Starting Your Hydroponic Tomato Garden
If you're ready to start growing delicious tomatoes in your home, there are several tools you'll need to get started. Let's take a look at what you'll need.
Types of Hydroponic Systems for Growing Tomatoes
As mentioned earlier, there are several different systems that you can use to grow your tomatoes. They all work great for tomatoes, but which one you want to use will depend on other factors like your budget and how big of a garden you will grow.
Ebb and flow hydroponics work by flooding the roots with nutrients based on periods you set with a timer. Afterward, they will drain back into a reservoir to let the plants breathe.
Hydroponic drip systems are another popular choice that is used in many commercial settings. In the ebb and flow systems, the plants are fed through the bottom. In drip systems, they are fed through the top.
These are two of the simpler systems you can begin with. Which hydroponics system setup you choose for your garden is up to you!
Choosing the Best Grow Lights For Your Garden
Your tomatoes will need around 12-18 hours of light every day. Unlike other plants, you won't need to change the kind of lighting photoperiod as your tomatoes mature.
However, the best grow light will depend on the hydroponic system you choose as well as your budget.
Generally, the best lights to grow your tomatoes are LED grow lights (we highly recommend this LED UFO grow light), but keep in mind that they do require a bigger investment.
If you don't want to spend that much, you can go with fluorescent lights. They are lower power but have high efficiency.
Finding the Best Nutrients
Next, you'll need to get a hydroponic tomato nutrients package. Hydroponic tomatoes require high levels of potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus, as well as other secondary nutrients like magnesium.
There are several brands to choose from, but don't overthink it. Choose a package from any of the top brands and your tomatoes should come out fine.
What Types of Tomatoes Should I Grow?
Now that you have the equipment, it's time to choose the star of the show — the tomatoes.
Although several types of tomatoes grow well with hydroponics, there are quite a few factors to take into account when choosing the type of tomatoes to grow.
First, it's important to note that there are two broad categories of tomatoes: determinate and indeterminate.
Determinate tomatoes grow similarly to a bush, while indeterminate grows like vines. Most likely you will be pressed for space when growing indoors, so determinate tomatoes will be easier to grow.
Some great choices for tomatoes to grow include:
- Cherry tomatoes
- Beefsteak tomatoes
- Cluster tomatoes
- Cocktail tomatoes
Next, you need to decide if you'll start from seeds or cuttings/clones. Starting with cuttings is much easier and will save you a lot of time and work as opposed to growing from seeds.
You'll also need extra equipment to grow from seeds, so cuttings are the best path to go.
Step by Step: How To Grow Hydroponic Tomatoes
Now that you have all of the equipment you need for your garden, let's learn how to grow tomatoes indoors! First, let's look at what you'll need to set up your growing environment.
Creating the Perfect Tomato Growing Conditions
When it comes to creating the perfect environment for your tomatoes to thrive, three main things need to be controlled: temperature, humidity, and airflow.
Hydroponic tomatoes grow the best in moderate climates. These are the ideal conditions:
- Humidity under 40-50%
- Temperature between 60-75°F
You also need to have good air circulation in the room. Stagnant air will cause other issues with your plants.
The best way to create an optimal environment is by using a grow tent. However, if that's not possible, you can set up a ventilation system for the room.
Daily Tasks
After you've set up your environment and planted your tomatoes, your daily routine will involve feeding, checking pH, and pruning the tomato plants.
How often you change the nutrient solution will depend on your feeding schedule, but typically you will do this about once a week.
Pruning and training the plants can help you direct where they grow so they don't get too big for your room, especially if you chose an indeterminate species of tomatoes.
You'll need to closely monitor the pH daily as well. Tomatoes grow best at pH levels of 5.8-6. This is the ideal level for them to absorb the most nutrients.
In addition to these daily tasks, you should also check for any irregularities that may point to other nutrient or pH issues with your plants.
Harvesting Your Tomatoes
Now to reap the rewards of your hard work! If you elected to start with cuttings rather than seeds, you can usually harvest your tomatoes in around 100 days. Once your cuttings get older and begin to mature, they will bear fruits faster.
All you need to do is wait for your tomatoes to hit the mature green stage. Once you begin to see them blush red, they're ready to go. After you pluck them, they will continue to ripen.
Start Your Indoor Garden Today!
There you have a basic overview of everything you need to know about growing hydroponic tomatoes indoors.
Once you choose your hydroponic system, buy your equipment, and measure out the space in your home, you can start planting your cuttings and enjoy homegrown tomatoes in as little as eight weeks!
It might be a steep learning curve, but your hard work will pay off for years to come.
You can find everything you need to start your hydroponic garden at Grow Kings.