Question by pompanojack: Hydroponic growing tomatoes?
When starting tomato plants from seed, at what point are they ready to place in the container they will be grown in? Must the roots have become long enough to reach the bottom of the container?
Best answers:
Answer by endless_cash
Assuming that you are using an ebb and flow system, the roots need to be long enough to touch nutrients during flow (when the tray is full). The roots do not have to be touching the bottom of the tray.
One Response to “Hydroponic growing tomatoes?”
Hi,
It’s difficult without knowing which medium your seedling\young plant is in. I wouldn’t put anything into a hydroponic system until there are plenty of visible roots. Searching for nutrients will encourage a plant to grow healthier roots, thus a healthier crop. So .. I would place the young plant into the hydroponic system (We’re using NFT for ours), don’t worry about the water/nutrient solution flooding the young plant, just ensure that it doesn’t dry out in these early days. You’ll find within a week or two (after transplant shock) there will be an abundance of roots, ready to be supplied with a good nutrient mix.
Hope this helps! You can email me at dane@cultim8.co.uk for moer detailed advice, or follow me on twitter @cultim8hydro, or facebook ‘CultiM8 Hydroponics’ or have a look at the blog on the website for more general advice .. http://www.cultim8.co.uk
Dane