Greenhouse

[Curly]

Looking for some in-site on growing tomatoes in containers in greenhouse. I'm in Alberta zone 2a/3b. I can't wait for march to get plants started.

After seeing What others are able to accomplish, i am thinking 10-20g smart pots, or a drip to waste hydro system(I had issues with roots plugging drains with recirculating system). I have read so many posts here and GW that I am undecided which way to go.

I'm no gardener, DW gets us started each spring, but i end up with the responsibility middle of summer, partly why I built greenhouse . The best part of my day is starting off with a greenhouse walk through early am with coffee in hand, don't get much better then that.

I grew tomatoes last year in greenhouse, using a recirculating hydroponic approach(5g pail, 10" netpots). Greenhouse is 12x22. Had good results but looking to improve for next year, I chose a hydroponic system, Reducing attention required when I'm not around during the summer. I go fishing on BC coast for 5-7days each month during the summer.

Looking for ideas, keep it simple as I am 3hrs from any gardening centre

[Doug9345]

I've never grown in a green house or hydroponically. My suggestion is, since what you did last year worked, is to stick with the basic approach for at least another year. I don't see any sense in starting with a totally different system until you have gotten the most out of the style system you have. I have found that I've always learned a lot more in gardening by changing just one or maybe a few things between years.

[Salsacharley]

Hi Darren,

You came to the right place for improvement in your tomato results.

I suggest that you start another thread and describe in more detail what you parts of your system you want to improve, and somebody(s) around here will offer their experience and views.

Charley

[Curly]

Sorry, Reading post this morning, it's open to whole lot of interpretation

Question, if you we're setting up new, which containers, size, medium, feed/fertilizer if you we're growing in a greenhouse where you can control more factors then growing outdoors. I will automate watering and temp control, that I can control remotely if I am away.


image.jpg

This was setup last year, I put down 2 rows of buckets. I wasn't sure how much room was required per plant. By the end of August, plants were bending on roof and full of tomatoes. The plant in front was a Celebrity that my daughters bought me from city greenhouse (they felt sorry for me because we had a real wet may/June and I didn't get greenhouse built until beginning of June, I feared they were stunted sitting in planters so long)

Issue1 with these buckets is there has to be more root support rather then 10" netpots, roots in netpots were getting compacted and roots in bottom of pail were just "ok"

Issue2 would be lack of available water if I had a pump/system failure during the day

Issue3 my reservoir size was only 25g. on a hot day, we could go trough 15g water easy, the concentration of nutrients were all over the place as I added make up water, I would have to adjust nutrients every 3-5 days

Issue4 Water PH 8.5, having to adjust with chemicals just don't sit right with me. I am thinking a soilless container should buffer this PH?

Issue5 not really a problem but I think pails are too tall reducing available height for plants. I had to raise buckets 4-6" to get enough drainage back to reservoir. Smart pots sitting on ground will give more room


I would like to run 3 rows of 8 containers(2 rows indeterminate, 1 row determinate). Is it possible to add more? 12x22 Greenhouse, roof peak 11'

Sorry for long post

[beeman]

Might I suggest you look into Alaska Grow buckets.
http://alaskagrowbuckets.com/
It seems to me a way to get all you need.
I am growing in a greenhouse for the first time as I'm totally fed up with weather problems and few tomatoes year after year.

[amideutch]

I think the best bet would be to go to Raybos Earth-Tainers. Construction is fairly easy, the ferts are already in the aggregate and instructions on mounting cages for plant support. Then there is the autofill option that is commercially available and connects to your water faucet and can be daisy chained to your Tainers to keep the reservoirs filled with water and no pumps needed. A totally automated system.

Here is a link that explains it and you can download a PDF construction guide that gives you all the info and suggested sources for parts to build it. Bonus is Ray Newstead is a member here at Tville.

http://earthtainer.tomatofest.com/

[AKmark]

I am in zone 3 and grow in smart pots in a greenhouse, with results that make me very happy. I got 34lbs off of one plant and had several that exceeded 20lbs. This method has done much better for me than raised beds in a greenhouse, I am not a huge fan of pure hydro, but some of my friends do it. good luck

[Alpinejs]

Just a side comment. I grow in 5 gal. pails mainly with some 15 gal. I have read for a long
time here that 15 should be the minimum. However, I am getting great plants. Several
have over 10 tomatoes and one has 28. When I pull the plants at the end of their season,
the root structure in the 15 containers look like they could easily have fit in the 5 gal. pail and I did not notice any difference in the plant size or production