Growing Hydroponic Tomatoes

[BTR9623]

Hello all,

I am planning on starting a hydroponic grow system using the WaterFarm 8 gallon Controller Kit. I know that at first I need to let the seeds germinate in some Rockwell cubes for 10-14 days. Once they are germinated, I will need to move the plants into the WaterFarm kit.

My questions are:

Can I move the seeds directly into the gallon kit when they are inside of the Rockwell cubes, or will I need to remove the plants from the cubes?

How many plants do you recommend should go into each WaterFarm gallon?

What plant nutrient do you recommend with the WaterFarm controller kit? I read on another website that it includes clay pebbles but I'm not sure as to what those would be used for...


If you have anyother recommendations, I would love to hear them.
Thank you

[HoopHouseHydroGuyGA]

No experience with water farm, I have grown many tomatoes dutch bucket style, I can tell you if they are outside, growing and producing, that they will DRINK 8 gallons in no time. I never have more than 4 plants on no less than 20 gallons of water and they go through that in a day and a half in GA in the height of summer.

[HoopHouseHydroGuyGA]

Also, if you are growing hydro and want results and to get to yielding sooner I swear by MasterBlend nutrients, youll need to add calcium nitrate and Epsom salts for the complete feed. Go to Morgan County Seeds.com, best price on orders, though I order in bulk.

[RadRob]

You can't take the plants out of the cube without killing them. Put the whole cube into the hydroton and make sure that it gets watered.

I have a dutch bucket system and use MB, CalNit and Epsom too just like HHHGG above. I looked up the system you bought and WOW on the price of the 8 bucket set up. I built my 11 bucket for $200 and that includes all the ferts. Go watch some of MHPGardeners utubes to see how basic it is.

[HoopHouseHydroGuyGA]

Yeah MHP is the man, Ive watched all his stuff for years. I build all my systems with free buckets from grocery store bakerys. Most is reused year after year with good bleaching. I run dutch buckets in perlite, I even wash the perlite and get a few years out of it until I throw in into the garden beds.

[BeefsteakBob]

I agree..MHPgardener is definitely da' man when it comes to this stuff....and the MasterBlend/Calnit/ Epsom salts works great. I just discovered Morgan County Seeds....much better fert prices.