Hello "Salmonegg"!

Could you embellish a bit on your comments of growing via hydroponics? I'm
designing in a greenhouse/solarium into our the next house. Since we had
originally intended to land somewhere relatively warm and with lots of
sunshine, I had thought to use that shelter with the help of some additional
lighting to grow fresh things all year long. However, events unfolding now
seem to indicate that we don't want to place our future abode that far
south, that means that we're probably going to be in a colder, darker, less
hospitable place.

To that end, your post tripped my attention meter as I'd just started to
think about how the GH/solarium might be redesigned to take advantage of a
cooler and shorter growing season. Your mention of hydroponics is making me
take a look in that direction. While I've done it in the past,
experimentally, on small things, I've never done something as large as a
facility big enough to feed us in an on-going basis. Any tips, suggestions,
cautions, or other advice would be most appreciated from the point of view
of one with actual, hands-on experience...


Best regards,
Dusty
San Jose, Ca.




wrote in message
...
On 8/17/05 10:25 PM, in article
, "ntantiques"
wrote:

We bought a home last summer that came with 2 nice raised veggie beds.
Previous owner had kindly planted one of the beds in tomatoes - Early
Girl and a beefsteak & when escrow closed we enjoyed some of the best
tomatoes I've had in years.

Rotated beds this year and planted those varieties as well as a
Brandywine, Legend, Caspian Pink, and Sungold. Soil in the beds was
identical - good soil with some organic amendments. Planted good
healthy starts 5/15 and happily watched them overgrow their cages and
load up with tomatoes.

First to ripen have been the Legend and Early Girl which are perfectly
plump and nicely red, but almost tasteless. Both are missing that
extraordinary deep, sweet "gardeny taste" that only a fresh, homegrown,
vine-ripened tomato achieves. They aren't bad, but they're sure a
disappointment when your mouth is ready for the real deal...Only the
Sungold have any flavor(they're a big hit), but way too little to make
the BLT of my dreams.

They get plenty of sun - weather's been nice and hot for a good month
80-100 degrees every day and they get watered at the roots regularly.
Anybody have any ideas why the flavor just isn't developing?

NT

I am growing tomatoes this year entirely by hydroponics. I find that I
have
a range of tomatoes that range from OK to superb that are as sweet and
tasty, although different, as any fine stone fruit. Often, there is a
distinct dependence upon the individual plant.

Most cheap fertilizers to not supply micronutrients including copper,
zinc,
molybdenum, and boron. They may also be low on calcium, magnesium, and
soluble iron required in medium quantity. General Hydroponics supplies
trace
minerals at a hefty price. Miracle Gro supplies fertilizers specifically
for
tomatoes at a reasonable price although they may somewhat disproportionate
to actual requirement.

I personally have not liked Early Girl. Beefsteak varieties can be
variable.
My personal preference is for Better Boy and Celebrity.

Bill