How to Grow Tomatoes Hydroponically? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Techniques and Methods

Hydroponic technology has a fairly long history of cultivation in China as well. At present, hydroponic technology can mainly be used to grow many kinds of vegetables, most commonly leafy vegetables. These low-growing vegetables are relatively easy to grow hydroponically, but vegetables like tomatoes can also be grown in nutrient solution. You can even make a simple hydroponic setup at home. So how exactly do you do it? Let's take a look together now.

1. Seed soaking and sprouting

First put the seeds in 5°C hot water to soak and sprout, stirring constantly to avoid scalding them, then soak them in 25°C warm water. When the seeds have absorbed water and swollen, you can wrap them in a clean wet cloth and place them in a ventilated spot to sprout; most of the light must be blocked. Then wait for them to sprout, about 2 to 3 days.

2. Preparing the nutrient solution

Use clean water and a prepared nutrient solution. Generally, mix 707 grams of calcium nitrate with 10 liters of water and stir well; then prepare 404.2 grams of potassium nitrate, 260.7 grams of potassium sulfate, 40 grams of ammonium nitrate, and 152.1 grams of magnesium sulfate, stir and mix them together, and add 10 liters of water. Then put clean water into the nutrient tank, pour in the first solution, add water and stir, and when it reaches 0.8 t you can pour in the second prepared solution, add water and stir, and when it reaches 1 t you can stop adding water.

3. Growing setup

You need containers for growing, a nutrient tank, and some equipment for adding solution. In addition, the solution can be recycled, so you need a dedicated circulation equipment pipeline. Next, the nutrient solution needs a certain amount of oxygen, so there must be an oxygenation device. After the tomatoes grow, they need some supports to hold up the plants as they grow. They can be fixed with wire.

4. Raising seedlings and transplanting

First raise seedlings in a seedling tray. Generally, put one seed per hole and sow into the growing medium. After the seedlings emerge, take them out and wash the roots clean, then place them into the holes of the growing bed, usually with the nutrient tank underneath. Then it is done.

5. Management

When they have grown to a certain height, pruning is needed. Generally, use the double-stem type, leaving two growing points on one branch, keeping vigorous side branches, and retaining branches level by level; you can adjust the number of retained branches yourself. Sometimes, to supply nutrients, foliar topdressing is needed. Generally, apply topdressing once every half month, or you can decide whether to apply topdressing according to the growth of the tomatoes.

Hydroponic tomatoes mainly use recycled nutrient solution to grow tomatoes. This can reduce disease and improve tomato quality, but the cost of hydroponic greenhouse cultivation is relatively high, so it is suitable for green vegetable cultivation. And if you make a simple hydroponic setup at home yourself, it is relatively easy.