I started my hydro system about 2 1/2 months ago. It's a recirculating gravity fed outdoor system I have 6 large bins and 8 smaller bins. The lettuce , cabbage and Broccoli did great ! The tomato plants grew incredibly fast , flowered and then put on lots of fruit. However, now that it has gotten hotter in the last week or so (upper 80's lower 90's) some of the tomatoes plants are wilting big time. I have the liquid covering about 3/4 of the root system. I checked the nutrient level and the PH and they are fine. Any suggestions on why they are wilting and what I might be able to do to save them? Is it just the heat?
Thanks
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applestar
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- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
I don’t have hydro experience so my questions are generic —
- what variety tomatoes are they? Are they Indeterminate or determinate varieties?
- how are you supporting the vines? Are they secured against too much movement?
- what is the oxygenation level in the solution? Presumably (instict/guess not knowledge) that would need to be increased as the temperature rises?
- any sign of pests or diseases?
- what variety tomatoes are they? Are they Indeterminate or determinate varieties?
- how are you supporting the vines? Are they secured against too much movement?
- what is the oxygenation level in the solution? Presumably (instict/guess not knowledge) that would need to be increased as the temperature rises?
- any sign of pests or diseases?
Wilting is actually the tomatoes way to deal with the excessive heat. If they perk up when it is cooler, then it is a protective mechanism. You could try than adding some fans or a cooler, putting up 35% shade cloth, and mid day misting to try to bring the temperature down. Wilting and recovery usually leads to some tomato cracking.
Heat resistant tomatoes do fare better. Heatwave II, Sun chaser, Red Snapper, Super Sioux, Arkansas Traveller, Sweet 100, Fourth of July, Big Beef, Florida 91, Grand Marshall, Creole, Phoenix, Mountain Magic, Mountain Spring.
Heat resistant tomatoes do fare better. Heatwave II, Sun chaser, Red Snapper, Super Sioux, Arkansas Traveller, Sweet 100, Fourth of July, Big Beef, Florida 91, Grand Marshall, Creole, Phoenix, Mountain Magic, Mountain Spring.