Growing Hydroponically

[wellie]

Swearword? or have you actually really stopped and thought about it?

Today, I sat sitting in the conservatory ALL DAY, catching up on reading my Grow Your Own Magazines, and you know what? it just struck me momentarily, that Hydroponics (featured this year in the magazine), isn't a million miles away from what used to be called 'Ring Culture', which I tried, and I thought worked brilliantly. And so I got to thinking, that SURELY, this must be a very plausible way forward where there's limited medium/resources.

In theory, I can't see why it shouldn't 'hold water'., if you'll pardon the pun,... and I'm genuinely intrigued as to what YOU all think.

Personally, I'm seriously intrigued.....

[bluemoon]

I think this might eventually become a way to help solve at least some of our food problems in the future and I have nothing against it as such, it's just that I love making compost; and the smell of newly turned earth; and the sight of hundreds of worms in soil that once held none; and growing comfrey; and collecting leaves for leafmould in Autumn; and......

[phil the shed]

hydroponics!!!!!!!!!!

the local supplier to us closed down as they were selling to people with grow houses and were caught in a police sting giving and supplying information to grow some illegal substances with the kit they supplied.

on another point i visited a greenhouse in holland a couple of years ago that was trialing tomato's this way and i thought that even though it was all controlled the fruits on the trusses were magnificent to look at but in hindsight all to perfect and regular now that i grow my own

[gojiberry]

Have often thought about giving hydroponics a go but have usually been put off by the initial costs. I also wondered how forgiving the system would be as I can't always put regular time into my gardening. If you give it a go please keep us informed as to how you get on.

[valmarg]

Hydroponics -grown in water - tastes of water. Need I say more!!

valmarg

[wellie]

Well you're WAY ahead valmarg! Did you grow all your greenhouse edibles this way, or just your tomatoes?

[smallblueplanet]

Wellie if you find any info about the benefits of using 'bat poo' I'd be interested to hear it.

I don't see anything wrong with growing certain things hydroponically, but it doesn't yet seem as straightforward as sticking 'something' in a pot of compost. Look forward to your findings if you give it a go.

[momol]

I haven't try any hydroponic growing method but it does sound interesting. Found Hidroponic chili :

Fire & Spice - Growing Hydroponic Chiles

[wellie]

Thank you momol, it made interesting reading.

[denise]

I am seriously thinking of turning my greenhouse over to hydroponics next year.. Came across info about aqua ponics, using water which fish live in, hence all the waste products form the fish will become all the nutrients for the plants. Dont want to go the whole way with it with fish in the dark, and eating the fish too. My pond is next to the greenhouse so I was thinking of stocking the pond up and pumping the water around and through the plant roots and back to the pond.
I would value your thoughts on this, do you think it will work?
Thanks for reading.

[rustylady]

I would value your thoughts on this, do you think it will work?
Thanks for reading.

The only way to find out is to try it. The theory sounds OK.

[valmarg]

Well you're WAY ahead valmarg! Did you grow all your greenhouse edibles this way, or just your tomatoes?

I should have to say no.

OH thought it was the way ahead, and spent (wasted) a lot of money on 'equipment'. I really don't know why it has not been consigned to the tip.

The dutch grow most of their produce hydroponically, and all they produce is tasteless pap, whether it be tomatoes, peppers, aubergines.

Keep growing your own.

valmarg

[rana]

Because of water constraints I have been told that hydroponics is popular in Australia. Apparently productivity can be considerably improved and growth rates enhanced by providing plants with a near perfect growing medium under very finite control by the 'gardener'.

The up front investment for decent kit is somewhat daunting and it is difficult to decide which methods and technology would be most appropriate in the UK. Availability and knowledge has improved recently because of the boom in indoor marijuana farms.

[wellie]

Please feel free to 'shoot me down in flames', if you disagree with me, but growing tomatoes IS all about water and nutrients, and basically, tomato management.
Interesting ideas all around, but I've still not found substantial evidence of better than normal growing, or Ring Culture, if it's done properly.

I am very in favour of the expert Terry Marshall, and I adhere to a lot of his advice, but it depends on where you live, how and where you're growing them, what variety you've chosen, and so, so many other factors, and actually, what Mother Nature decides to shove at you for this summer as an excuse for your Summer, as to how you treat your tomato plants.
When Trousers and I moved into The Funny Farm, we were proudly told stories of how they used to have to water their grandfather's tomato plants with exacting amounts of water for him in the conservatory, and that I was the very first person to ever grow tomatoes in there ever since.....(spooky stuff, and you should read my blog to find out why?)

I knew immediately that he'd been growing them on a ring culture system: Water from the bottom, feed from the top, to such exacting amounts, because it can make a huge amount of difference to the flavour/acidity/watery nature of the fruits, and I know, because I grew my own tomatoes like that one year.

Please don't get me wrong. I love growing, but I am no guru or scientist.
For that, you'll have to find your own guru. X