A few questions regarding vegetable hydro

[Cib]

I'm setting up a Dutch bucket style hydro system for my garden. I'm going hydro for yield per plant as space is at a premium for me. I'll be growing tomatoes and peppers for the most part. Are those two varieties ok together? They appear to have similar nutrition needs and ph but I wanted to check.

I have some more general questions but would prefer to read up more first before asking those basic questions. I will as are there any videos I should watch, threads u should read or blogs covering hydro and it's basic setup and problems? I feel I have a good grasp but still want to learn more before asking the newbie questions.

Thanks.

[imafan26]

tomatoes and peppers can grow in dutch buckets. tomatoes will do better in larger buckets than 5 gallons unless you choose a semi determinate variety with short vines. They are in the same family so they require similar nutrients. Remember though, because they are in the same family they will also share pests and disease. tomatoes will need a trellis system. Usually a line trellis for tomatoes. Eggplant and peppers do not need a trellis but sometimes need a stake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_ZZmYNKbfU

[Cib]

His videos are what got me interested in hydro gardening. The wife and I are moving in a couple of years and we don't want to tear up our yard for the garden these last two before we move. So I considered containers and then looked at hydro and that looked right up my alley.

I'm near chicago so we don't have much trouble with pests due to several bird houses us and our neighbors have, insect pressure that is. I had a fungus go through the tomatoes a few years ago and destroyed my first good crop.

tomatoes and peppers can grow in dutch buckets. tomatoes will do better in larger buckets than 5 gallons unless you choose a semi determinate variety with short vines. They are in the same family so they require similar nutrients. Remember though, because they are in the same family they will also share pests and disease. tomatoes will need a trellis system. Usually a line trellis for tomatoes. Eggplant and peppers do not need a trellis but sometimes need a stake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_ZZmYNKbfU

[imafan26]

Hydro gardening is becoming very popular. It is expensive with up front costs for parts and time putting it all together. For me getting hydroponic supplies are not that easy there are only 2 hydroponic stores on the island one is 26 miles away on the other side of the island. Some agricultural supplier sell net pots, I can get pipes and fitting from irrigation suppliers but hydro solution is expensive and requires daily testing and frequent adjusting. The plants are productive and in a closed greenhouse they can be quite "pretty", but they require pinching and pruning and constant wiring if they are planted close together.

It is much less work for me to plant in cages since Idon't have to do much pruning, just push the vines back into the cage, and I can set it up on self watering pot in which I can use ordinary potting soil and fertilizer and I can still hook it up to my drip system or manually fill the 5 gallon reservoir. No meter, pumps, aerators, testing, or adjusting required. No leaks, filter maintenance either. I only grow 3 containers of tomatoes in cages and it is more than I need.

[HoopHouseHydroGuyGA]

I'm setting up a Dutch bucket style hydro system for my garden. I'm going hydro for yield per plant as space is at a premium for me. I'll be growing tomatoes and peppers for the most part. Are those two varieties ok together? They appear to have similar nutrition needs and ph but I wanted to check.

I have some more general questions but would prefer to read up more first before asking those basic questions. I will as are there any videos I should watch, threads u should read or blogs covering hydro and it's basic setup and problems? I feel I have a good grasp but still want to learn more before asking the newbie questions.

Thanks.

I grew these indeterminate tomatoes in 3 gallon dutch buckets on my deck, the bucket size isnt as imperative in hydro, ph and feed cycle are, but just don't go too small.

Go to YouTube and search MHPGardener for dutch bucket system builds. Bobby has many good videos on dutch buckets, feed cycle, control, and mixing MasterBlend nutes. If you are after yield you need to be using MasterBlend.

[imafan26]

Looks good. With such small buckets you don't have issues with the roots coming out of the bottom of the pot and clogging the system?

On the farm we use 15 gallon buckets and we grow mostly indeterminate and semi-determinate tomatoes. We always have to clean out the tray because the roots from the pots slows the drain.