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General discussion regarding the techniques and methods used to successfully grow tomato plants in containers.

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Old June 6, 2017   #1
Spike2
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Default Hydroponics?

Any of you mess with this stuff? If so can you point me in the direction of information that makes sense? A friend happily gave me a hydroponic planter and gave me directions that make NO sense at all.
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Old June 6, 2017   #2
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Spike, I have no info for you, but this post will remind me to see the answers of others that are experienced
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Old June 6, 2017   #3
Nematode
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Spike, there are many forms of hydro.
What is a hydroponic planter?
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Old June 6, 2017   #4
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I am calling it a planter due to my vast hydroponic experience . . . There are 2 boxes about 13" by 36". The bottom box is supposed to hold the water. The top box has like a grate on the bottom that sits inside but raised in the bottom box. They are about 8" tall? My friend was given 3 of them, only had room for 2 and gave me this one. She filled her top boxes full of dirt to grow her plants. Ummmm? I thought the point of hydroponics was the water? I am so very confused. If you are growing in dirt why mess with a water mixture.

ANYWAY, I just thought if someone was into hydroponics they might be excited to teach me or tell me where to go
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Old June 6, 2017   #5
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That's a wicking planter, like an Earthbox. The medium sits above the water on the grate and wicks the water into the medium for the plants. Think Raybo's Earthtainer, Global Buckets, Earthbox. Don't use soil, it won't wick and will be too heavy. It will smother your roots.

What brand is it?
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Old June 7, 2017   #6
Nematode
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Rockporter is right on.
Maybe if you post some pics the wicking container folks could help you out?
I do hydro but not like that.
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Old June 7, 2017   #7
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Yeah, sounds like an sub irrigated planter, to use the word planter. Luckily, the word does exist (SIP). It's just that it gives constant moisture from below, so less maintenance and more consistency.
You should be careful what medium you put in it, it needs to be something that will keep aerated. Then you should worry how to fertilize it. Probably just look the Earthbox instructions up.
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Old June 7, 2017   #8
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Since nothing my friend told me made any sense to me I left the silly thing in the trunk of my car. I will get it out shortly and take pictures. See I knew you guys would be able to help my dumb arse out!! <3
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Old June 7, 2017   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spike2 View Post
Since nothing my friend told me made any sense to me I left the silly thing in the trunk of my car. I will get it out shortly and take pictures. See I knew you guys would be able to help my dumb arse out!! <3
You aren't dumb. I only know about them because I had to figure out how to garden without digging in the dirt. I was living in my RV at the time and had only a concrete patio to garden on. I knew I needed pots to garden with and started on my adventure to learning about Global Buckets, then discovered, Earthbox, then I discovered Raybo's Earthtainer. See, it's that rabbit hole I often find myself in, lol.
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Old June 7, 2017   #10
Spike2
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You can see now why I was so confused. This looks NOTHING like what I understood hydroponics to be.
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Old June 7, 2017   #11
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LOL, yeah, that's not hydroponics, but if you follow Earthbox setup instructions you'll be good to go. Honestly though, I'm using my earthboxes as regular planters now with my mels mix. They aren't setup to wick anymore because it was too hard for me to do all the work required to set them up. Arthritis gets in the way of that and I don't really understand how they can say Earthboxes are good for those with arthritis? It's painful to mix all that stuff and take it out only to redo it. I can't get on the ground so it has to be up on something for me to work with it, which then means my hubby has to put it where it's supposed to go after I set it up. It's much easier to use as a regular planter for me and the earthboxes I have I bought somewhere around 2010. They look almost new, they have held up well to the sun out here.
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Old June 8, 2017   #12
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Hydro just means plant available nutrient solution with soilless media, so yeah it could be hydro planter.
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Old June 11, 2017   #13
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I've got 20 or so tomato plants in Dutch Buckets with Perlite only as growing medium. Each bucket is fed 3 times a day for 8 minutes each time, automatically on a timer with 20-18-38 nutrients and then drains back into the nutrient sump - a closed system. All run off one 12 volt battery and connected to a Harbor Freight solar charger. I planted out on Mar 9th. Plants are now over 10ft tall and I have to lower/lean them as they are taller than the green house 8 ft. ceiling. I get 2-3 lbs of fruit each day or so. Wife is giving a lot of it away to other teachers.

Hydroponic is the only way for me from now on. No getting on the ground; No weeds; no pests; only plant, add nutrients every other day or so and then harvest. I like that cycle, and was pretty easy to setup. You do not need the greenhouse part to have dutch bucket setup.

49T&C

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Old June 11, 2017   #14
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pictures would be nice.
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Old June 11, 2017   #15
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If there is any soil involved at all even the stuff I use it is NOT hydroponics.
Not then and not now.
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