By gisette
Tomato
Submitted on Sat, 2008/10/25 - 2:11pm
Last updated on Fri, 2009/03/27 - 11:33pm
Tomatoes are many vegetable gardeners' holy grail.
They're also a challenge to grow in an Aerogarden. A couple key points:
- Pruning - please read Aerogrow.com's article, Pruning for the Technically-Inclined.
- Pollinating - yeah, in theory, running your hand through the plant can work. Better, however, is to pollinate the flowers by gently rubbing the yellow center point with Q-tip or watercolor paint brush. Or buzz the back of the flower or the flower stalk with an electric toothbrush - the vibration moves the pollen.
- If you have the option to use one of the stronger-light Aerogarden models (Deluxe, Pro200, Aerogarden 6 Elite Plus), do it. Tomatoes seem to want more light and height than they can get in the other models.
The above amounts to Frequently Asked Questions. 
Fri, 2009/03/27 - 9:15am
#2
Hi All,
I'm finding that tomatoes really enjoy supplemental lighting if you have room. I have a CFL gooseneck lamp providing light to the middle of the plant. Also - pruning IS important - even the determinant tomato I'm growing should have been pruned. Live and learn....
Beth
Fri, 2009/03/27 - 9:35am
#3
I have the CFL lamps u recommended right on top of 1 & a 26w 6500k day light one on top of the others on the 2nd shelf and they are still a bit leggy. I can't get the lights any closer to the plant. I guess more lamps r in order
I am gonna bury the stems today hoping that helps.
Fri, 2009/03/27 - 11:35pm
#4
Peppers really enjoy mid-plant lighting, too. They seem to need light on the fruit to ripen.
Fri, 2009/04/17 - 3:53pm
#5
Also - pruning IS important - even the determinant tomato I'm growing should have been pruned.
Hey Beth,
Why is pruning important for the determinant variety of tomato plants?
Tue, 2009/04/21 - 8:45am
#6
Hi Jessi,
I am growing a determinant tomato called New Big Dwarf that was supposed to only be 2' tall. I figured they would fit under the ag light. Boy, I was wrong. I let them get 18" tall before I pruned. The plants were too old at that point and it really set them back. I think even a determinant tomato pruned the ag way will recover in time to set tomatoes. I'm going to try it this fall - one plant, pruned at five branches. I do have two full sized green tomatoes, though. Waiting for them to ripen!
Beth
Wed, 2009/04/22 - 10:32pm
#7
I pruned mine and so far nothing but those in betweeny things are trying to grow! Everyday I pinch them off & the next more spring up. I want lower branches and some flowers but maybe I'm wanting to much too soon. My plants were planted march 11 so maybe its too soon. IDK! 
Thu, 2009/04/23 - 1:20am
#8
Jessi - I think you should stop pruning for at least a week, then post a closeup photo. I'm beginning to wonder what "in betweeny" things you're removing. The top pruning was intended to encourage lower branches to grow in the joints between current branches and the stem. Those are the only lower branches you can get - it can't grow new ones anywhere else.
Or maybe you're pruning leaves? Young tomato branches grow kinda weird. The tip extends outward, then more leaves emerge inward on the branch.
Just leave it be for a bit, then show us a picture showing where you think it needs more pruning. It probably doesn't. The top-pruning was a do-it-once kind of thing. Later you'll shape it as needed for the space. But in between - let it grow.
Thu, 2009/04/23 - 1:53pm
#9
Ooooh ooops and whoops!
I didn't realize that iit wouldn't grow more branches. That's what I was looking for. I will stop & take a photo in a week.
Tue, 2011/08/30 - 1:15pm
#10
So far I've had no luck in growing tomatoes, or should I say producing fruit off the tomatoes I've planted. I can grow the vines but never get even a hint of a flower to pollenate. I've not yet tried the AG tomatoes, but just wanted to know what might be the problem.
thanks for your input.
Wed, 2011/08/31 - 2:34pm
#11
Do you mean tomatoes grown in dirt or hydroponic? Indoors or out?
I must say that all the tomatoes I've grown have always had flowers, indoors, outdoors and hydroponic - the hydroponic ones (grown in an enclosed tent) do need some manual intervention on the pollinating front though, the flowers will drop and fruit won't set unless I intervene with a small paintbrush.
The outside ones can just be left to the insects and wind and should set fruit fine.
Wed, 2011/08/31 - 3:26pm
#12
hi, hi - miss me? 
well, keep on missing me - I have no power or Internet courtesy of hurrican Irene. It's been 3.5 days and so far, only 15% of my town has power back, so... could be a Long adventure. Today I'm mooching power and internet at a university.
Tdg - my tomatoes have always pollinated better if I rub the flower noses gently. They do not like cool temps. And they whine a lot about most everything... Good luck. 
Sat, 2011/09/03 - 5:02am
#13
Miss who?
You've had it bad, can't say I'd relish the prospect of being without power for so long - I hope things return to normal quickly for you.
I found this very interest forum entry where some did an experiment to see if they could get tomatoes faster from a cutting that from a plant planted from seed.
http://forums.seedsavers.org/showpost.php?s=853cdb3e65aad78b7b228b8d5fdf...