Growing Hydroponic Tomatoes: A Step-by-Step Guide

Tomatoes in a hydroponic garden are grown in nutrient solution, instead of garden soil. Growing tomatoes using a hydroponic system allows you to raise them in a regulated environment without insects, weeds, or soil-borne diseases. Hydroponic tomatoes grow significantly faster than those grown in soil, and provide greater yields. Here is a step-by-step guide in growing tomato plants hydroponically: 

1. Raise tomatoes from seed. Start planting the seed in a nursery tray with rock wool starter. Soak the wool and then adjust the pH level to 4.5 before you add the seeds. Then put seeds on the domes. 

2. As soon as the seedlings sprout, put them under a steel halide light source for 12 hours every day. Make sure the light does not aim on the roots, otherwise they can get damaged. 

3. Transplant the seedlings into your hydroponic system. Wait until the roots begin to protrude from of tray's bottom. Move the rock wool and the plant together.   

4. Grow each plant in individual pots. Fill them with haydite (reusable, porous rock). Then connect them into an automated drip-irrigation system. You could also put the rock wool and plant into holes space about 30 cm (1 ft) apart in a trough of rock wool.     

5. Water the tomato plants. Drip nutrients and water into the container or trough when the artificial light is on. Mature tomato plants require four liters a day. You have to alter the nutrient solution every week. Choose the right mix of hydroponics nutrients.