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Started DWC Hydroponic Tomato

trinidadPepper

trinidadPepper

Hi guys,
 
I have been away for a while but I'm back and I've started a hydroponic tomato experiment.
I did some searching here on the forums but haven't really seen much people doing this with tomatoes.
Also, the research I've done on the internet tells me that I should try to keep the pH between 5.8 and 6.3 (another resource says 5.5 and 6.5) however I have noticed that it's very difficult for me to do this as I have to lower the pH every 2 hours or so!
I've also read that I should try to keep the water temperature between 55-65 degrees Fahrenheit during the night and 65-75 degree Fahrenheit during the day time.
This is another problem for me as the temperature can get as high as 85 degrees during the day and this is with an air pump.
 
My main concerns are that these figures would be for growing tomatoes in colder areas and maybe I shouldn't be concerned too much with the temperature as the water temperature isn't warm to the touch or anything. I am also using a tomato plant that has been grown here with success and the plant seems very healthy so far.
 
Here's a pic of where I started (10th August 2013):
1173872_614859405220597_129360897_n.jpg

 
And this is the current state of the plant (taken yesterday (29th August 2013):
1186685_622545341118670_747066678_n.jpg
 
in my dwc the ph alway's bounce up and down, i just let it be and change the res every 2 weeks or so,  ph 6
i got a habaneroplant in it, first dwc grow so i'm not an expert
but i think the ph drops when she's taking up nutes, rising when she's drinking, or the other way  
good looking plant, i really dig that dwc stuff
grtz
 
Things grow fast in DWC. You should get a tomato cage on that plant pretty soon before it gets out of control.
 
Well it's probably taking up nutes pretty quick as the pH always seem to get high in a matter of hours and I always have to try to keep them at the recommended levels.
I'm also still very new to dwc so I'm just experimenting here to see how things go.
 
As for the cage, the plant is currently outside where I already have lines setup so it's just a matter of tying the plant onto the lines for it to be in control :)
 
Hey does anyone know if it makes sense to change the solution when the pH is getting too high too fast? Or should I just lower the pH and continue to change the solution every week or so?
I've been using vinegar to lower my pH levels to the recommended level. The pH never gets lower but always raises!
 
i think vinegar will keep the ph not stable because there is no buffer in it,
lemonjuice to,it will not maintain your ph level
 
how is your plant doing? any new growth?
 
grtz
 
yezhead, the vinegar helps to lower the pH for me but it's not long before the pH jumps right back up to the levels (above 6.5 from the research I've done) not recommended for tomato growth.
There has been significant growth though, I've spotted 5 flower buds so far.
Will upload some pics in a bit to show you.
 
nice growt man, looks like its working out pretty good  :P
 
trinidadPepper said:
but it's not long before the pH jumps right back up to the levels 
Click to expand...
because vinegar has no buffer
it will lower your ph but it will not be stable
just like lemonjuice
u need nitric acids or phosphoric acids to keep it stable, or a mix of the two like i got
looks like your plant has a good grow so dont worry to much bout ph, i dont check it at all
only when i do a res change, then i lower it to6
i do grow peppers in it
grtz
 
Thanks yezhead!
 
I'm gonna follow your advice and don't worry about making sure the pH levels are where they are supposed to be.
I will be a bit concerned about it though but if I notice any dramatic changes, I'll have to revert.
 
Can you direct me to what you use to get your pH levels stable?
 
I'll see how it goes.
 
trinidadPepper said:
yezhead, the vinegar helps to lower the pH for me but it's not long before the pH jumps right back up to the levels (above 6.5 from the research I've done) not recommended for tomato growth.
There has been significant growth though, I've spotted 5 flower buds so far.
Will upload some pics in a bit to show you.
Click to expand...
 
 
Buy a bottle of pH down. It isn't very expensive and a little goes a long way.
722120.jpg
 
Jeff H said:
 
 
Buy a bottle of pH down. It isn't very expensive and a little goes a long way.
722120.jpg
Click to expand...
 
 
take heed of what I said earlier. I bolded it for you. If you get carried away, you will be buying some of this too. In a small DWC rez, it only takes a couple ml to make a difference.
 
722095.jpg
 
i never needed ph plus, depends on tapwater , nutes
like jeff said  It isn't very expensive and a little goes a long way
 
Thanks guys, I really think I do need the pH down though and I will ensure I don't over do it!
I've never noticed the pH levels decreasing so once I take heed, I shouldn't need the pH up :)
 
Ok I think I was able to diagnose the problem. I may be wrong but I think it's pythium and have added some H2O2 in the solution to hopefully heal things up.
 
Well from the research I've been doing, it seems to be root rot (fungus growth on the root).
I've diagnosed it as pythium but I could be wrong.
It's definitely a fungal problem though and I am using the H2O2 and it seems to be helping it a bit but it doesn't seem to be going away.
Currently still monitoring the situation to see how it goes.
 
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