Submitted by Peat on Fri, 04/24/2009 - 10:35
Posted in
I'm going to grow Gardeners Delight Cherry Tomatoes in my DIY Aeroponics System which I built - see this link for the build details.
The seeds were planted direct into pH balanced rockwool, the whole rockwool cube was placed in the net pots and surrounded by hydroton clay pebbles. A gap was left at the top for the seedlings to get out (this will be covered by hydroton once the plant has emerged), AG domes were placed over the rockwool to aid germination.
As usual, I'm not using the AeroGarden nutrient tablets. I am using the General Hydroponics Flora series, 3 part liquid nutrients (hardwater micro, grow and bloom).
Weekly Grow Pictures (Click to Enlarge)
Miscellaneous Pictures
(1 vote)
Fri, 04/24/2009 - 13:36
#2
Great setup! Will watch this with interest.
I'm a bit jealous. In a good way. 
(that's how I started my regular size tom because of something you had said, and it worked beautifully)
Enjoy!
Fri, 04/24/2009 - 16:50
#3
Definitely looking forward to these!
Sat, 04/25/2009 - 03:51
#4
Yep, I'm hoping for good things with these toms, should be much better than the AG ones I grew - famous last words...
No need to be even a bit teensy jealous Judith, you have a fine setup yourself. 
Gisette, have you thought about building a hydro unit yourself, it's pretty cheap to do with a simple bubbler type system. You already have the lights and grow rocks, just need an airstone, some net pots and a container. Or, if you are into lettuce, a raft type system - it will be some time before I build mine so you can be the first.
Sat, 04/25/2009 - 13:20
#5
Peat - I'm thinking that aeroponic project is a shoo-in for the fall. At the moment... I seem to have quite a lot of plants. I'm curious how well your valves hold up over 6 mos or so. Then can I get your US distribution rights to this? 
Or I could do another bubbler system as you say... kinda more interested in the aeroponic rig, at the moment, but I'm still watching with avid interest!
Tue, 04/28/2009 - 10:24
#6
Week 1
Seedlings have emerged, have started to backfill the rockwool with hydroton to keep out the light. I'm going to keep on the GH seedling mix for another week - they are still very small, EC 0.8 and pH kept at 6.0
Tue, 04/28/2009 - 14:07
#7
Hey Peat good going! Can you remind me when I should pollinate my tomatoe flowers with the qtip? I have 2 flowers open rt now.
Tue, 04/28/2009 - 15:07
#8
As soon as flowers develop and begin to open, you must pollinate everyday - the ideal time is around late morning or mid afternoon, at that time the relative humidity will be lower and the pollen will flow more freely.
Don't worry if you cannot make this time though, it won't ruin your crop. 
Tue, 04/28/2009 - 17:17
#9
Thanks Peat! Going to polliante right now! Its so exciting! 
Tue, 04/28/2009 - 18:11
#10
Gonna tell bf you're having tomato flower sex? That ought to be good for... some evening entertainment. 
Fri, 05/01/2009 - 12:50
#11
Week 1
Seedlings are growing fine, after this photo I'll be thinning them down to one plant per pod and will see if I can get some more hydroton over the rockwool
Time to change the feed now, moving onto the Mild Growth Stage: EC at 1.7 and pH pinned at 6.0
Edit: make a mess of the dates, this is week 1 and not the previous week 1 as above (post #6), that was 4 days growth. 
Fri, 05/01/2009 - 14:47
#12
Peat,
Watching your tomatoes. They seem to be off to a good start.
Fri, 05/01/2009 - 15:05
#13
Thanks Mary, so far so good. I'm hoping for good things with this system, the lettuce has worked beyond expectation and it's going to be interesting to see what else it will do.
Fri, 05/01/2009 - 21:24
#14
Can't wait to see how this goes! Love it!
Fri, 05/08/2009 - 07:48
#15
Week 2
I'm going to crank up the feeding now as they are doing really well, full vegetative growth stage - EC at 1.7, pH remains at 6.0
Fri, 05/08/2009 - 09:49
#16
Wow - good sized tomato plants for 2.5 weeks! 
Fri, 05/08/2009 - 10:50
#17
Thanks, actually it's two weeks to the day - started on 24th April (Friday), even better then. 
I'll do a comparison with my AG grown ones next week, I don't have a week 2 picture of the cherry toms.
Fri, 05/08/2009 - 13:58
#18
This is amazing! I love your ideas!
Making me want to start more. Maybe outside? If I could come up with a water proof 'table' to put this on, I just might try it. And a trash can cuke beside it. I'd do just a bubbler system tho. Hmmmmmmm. What could I use for a 'table'? Come on Peat. You have great ideas.
Will have to start searching for a black 'tub' like you're using. Hmmmmm
Enjoy this grow! It's beautiful!!
Fri, 05/08/2009 - 15:14
#19
Wow, that is loads better than the seedlings I am trying to start in AG.
Mon, 05/18/2009 - 13:37
#20
Thanks you two - hey, are all you guys converted to aero yet?
Judith: one of the main growing containers that are used with you are made by rubbermaid, they have a far superior selection than I could ever get over here. This is the best I could come up with at the time, it's too glossy though - shows up all the scratches. That said, it's lightproof (it does not have to be black), the depth is good and there is enough room for 6 decent size 3" pots. It was a pain to make watertight though!
Mon, 05/18/2009 - 13:20
#21
Week 3
The growth is quite amazing, check out week 2 vs week 3 in the weekly pictures above...
So, still on the full vegetative growth phase, EC upped to 1.8 and the pH maintained at 6.0 The plants are having the 'suckers' removed as they start to emerge, the back two have now been tied off to bamboo canes for support. I'm having to move the light up nearly everyday, you can see the results of leaf burn when I didn't do it.
A small comparison between my aero unit and the 'aero' garden. OK, not exactly fair as I have a better light, but interesting growth wise.
Mon, 05/18/2009 - 13:46
#22
Stunning growth rate, Peat! WTG! So you're training them vertically instead of top-pruning them? I woulda thought even with more height available, you'd still want to force them bushy, for better light penetration. Or are you doing both? (Pruning suckers and top-pruning.)
Tue, 05/19/2009 - 11:09
#23
Thanks gisette.
What I'm doing with these indeterminates is letting them vine upwards, restricting them to just the one stem by removing the suckers/sideshoots.
I won't top them off until around the 6th truss set, or, if they get too tall... I'm not going to top-prune with these.
Due to problems with supporting the singular plant at the front (the light cover is in the way!), and to allow more space, I have removed this from the system. I only have the back two now, easily tied off to the bamboo canes which are out of the way of the light.
Tue, 05/19/2009 - 12:58
#24
This grow is amazing. I'm convinced that the light is a major factor. Have you calculated the cost of running it? Which type do you have? Forgive me if you've already said what it is. I think I remember you mentioning it, but I don't remember where.
Enjoy!
Tue, 05/19/2009 - 13:50
#25
Wow, big difference.. They are growing very well Peat.
Wed, 05/20/2009 - 16:14
#26
Thanks you two.
Judith - the light I have is a 125 watt CFL type, I've posted the details before but it can be hard to find things when you want them.
I've not worked out the cost of this, it won't be that much, probably around another 90 watts worth of energy used in comparison with an AG. The lights are a major factor in growth, factor in the aero sprayers and the net pots (allows the roots more room to spread), and you have a decent growing rig.
Here is the light in comparison to the AG one. The hood is here, and I have some nifty light hangers which are really good. No more ghostly clanking chains.
Wed, 05/20/2009 - 16:32
#27
Thanks Peat. I've copied that post and pasted it in Word so I won't lose it again.
Fri, 05/22/2009 - 11:58
#28
Week 4
Another week goes by, where does it go...
As I said above, I've removed the plant from the front of the container because of support issues. Just the two at the back now, they have been tied off to bamboo canes which slot in nicely behind.
I made an attempt at putting a 12" ruler in there for scale, it sorta got swamped with the leaves but gives some idea.
EC 1.8, pH 6.0 - still on the full vegetative growth stage.
Fri, 05/22/2009 - 13:04
#29
I LOVE this grow! Beautiful!
Fri, 05/22/2009 - 15:25
#30
Damn, that's fast...
Week 0 - Starting Week
The seeds are Thompson & Morgan Gardeners Delight Cherry Tomatoes, they should crop in 65 days. I have only planted three pots, I've decided to give the plants some space between each other, the remaining ones have been covered with tin foil.
They are being fed the seedling mix from the GH chart, EC is 0.8 and the pH is 6.0