I had read this a while back on the Hydro Gardens site and found it interesting.
Are there seeds that are bred to be used for hydroponics or can you use just any variety of tomato seeds?
I’m new to hydroponics and am wondering if it matters which seeds you choose to use when growing hydroponically? Are the tomato seeds that you offer aimed at greenhouse and commercial growers? I will be using my hydroponic system indoors. Can I just use seeds I already have left over from my outdoor gardening season? Are there seeds that are bred to be used for hydroponics or can you use just any variety of tomato seeds?
Thank you,
Cheryl M.
Dear Cheryl,
All of the seeds that we offer have been specially bred for greenhouse growing. They offer more disease resistance than garden variety seeds. They also have been bred for the gourmet market. Under controlled conditions, these varieties should have more uniform size, excellent appearance and flavor.
Plant breeding can take 20 years or more to get a variety to market. Usually, the variety is only on the market for a few years before a newer variety is released. The cost of all of the breeding must be recovered by the seed companies in only a few years. This is why the cost of our seeds are much higher than garden variety seeds.
Garden variety seeds can be used in small systems and they should grow OK. However, they may not have the disease resistance or the quality characteristics that you desire. A commercial grower would be placing their crop at risk of disease or poor quality by growing garden variety seeds. The larger the number of plants grown in an enclosed environment increases the odds of introducing a disease or fungus that could rapidly spread throughout their crop.
Sincerely,
Mike Morton President Hydro-Gardens
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