Beginner's Guide Kratky Hydroponic Tomatoes Outdoors

🍅 Want to easily grow TONS of tomatoes? In this video, Glenna shares her tried-and-true method for growing absolutely delicious tomatoes using a DIY Kratky hydroponic system outdoors. If you're eager to harvest abundant, flavorful tomatoes, you're in the right place!
Here's a summary of the steps featured in the video:
1. Meticulously measure the ingredients for the perfect nutrient solution, ensuring your tomatoes receive the essential nutrients they need to thrive.
2. Repurpose old plywood signs to create sturdy lids for your hydroponic tubs. Use a 5.75-inch hole saw bit to effortlessly make holes in these lids, providing the perfect openings for your tomato plants.
3. Utilize 25-gallon cattle feed tubs for the main containers of the hydroponic system, offering ample space for your tomato plants to flourish at no cost to you.
4. Follow Glenna's guidance to mix the dry ingredients in the precise order to create the nutrient solution. Be sure to check the pH level (6.0-6.5) to ensure it's just right for tomatoes.
5. Transfer your tomato plants from smaller hydroponic systems to 6-inch net cups, using LECA pebbles to support the plants in their new environment. PSSSSST! Glenna shares a really cool hint about how to prep your net cups for keeping as many roots as possible intact.
6. Set up your tomato plants in the tubs with support strings, guiding them as they grow skyward. Glenna introduces you to tomato clamps, a handy tool for supporting your tomatoes as they reach impressive heights.
Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just starting out, These steps make growing delicious outdoor Kratky hydroponic tomatoes a breeze. Don't forget to subscribe to Growing with Glenna for more insightful gardening tips and tricks!
Thank you, Pixabay, for the awesome music!

[@g0dh8r]

What an awesome video!!!!! Coincidentally I'm down in our basement grow room pepping a rack we'll be using to grow tomatoes in drip irrigation buckets! Have room for 4 buckets so yeay for free yummy tomatoes! Happy Hydroponics Glenna!!!!

[@GrowingwithGlenna]

THANK YOU for watching & for sharing your hydroponic tomato adventures! 🍅 My favorite time of year is when I can grow outdoor Kratky hydroponic tomatoes! What else are you growing this season?

[@aks20002]

Nice video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
I attempted the same approach here in Bay Area, CA with same size container , but wasn't successful. My problems were as below and hope you can provide a solution based on your experience.
1. The liquid nutrient level went down 1/4 in just 2-2.5 months . I replenished it , but not fully ( like 1/2 way ) to avoid drawning the air roots, but didn't have a convenient and full proof way to ensure the ph / nutrient concentration to the recommended level. The left over liquid must have had very different concentration then what was in the beginning and mixing new liquid ( having 2:1:2 ratio of three components of master blend ) might have resulted in a mix with different concentration. Since I didn't get much fruit even though foliage growth was good, I suspected this as one of the problem. How did you manage liquid level in the container through out the season ?
2. The liquid temperature will go up to 105-115 F during heat wave weeks in Bay Area ( when day high is 105 F and afternoon sun very harsh ) . I suspected this as another problem inhibiting the fruiting. What was your approach to address this challenge ?

[@GrowingwithGlenna]

GREAT QUESTIONS! I have encountered all of the challenges you have, but in central Texas heat. You will need to be able to measure the pH and the EC level of all of the tanks’ nutrient solutions. General Hydroponics has a good kit for measuring pH and you can get a fairly inexpensive EC meter stick from Amazon. I have a few suggestions on my website: hydro4food.com/hydroponics-4-food-resource-page/
Next suggestion is to get a shade cloth. I have a video out that shows how to repurpose old frames to make an inexpensive shade cloth cover. If I did not have one over my plants, they simply wouldn’t survive the TX heat in the summer-especially my tomato plants!
While a lot of my tomato plants are still blooming, above 80 degrees F at night discourages any new blossoms. However, if you keep the plants alive till September, you’ll have a second season and harvest.
For a decrease in the level of nutrient, I check the level and the EC level every other day. If it’s at 50% with a good EC level, then I leave what is in there and add a couple of gallons of nutrient solution. However, keep a watch on them. I start my tomato seeds at the end of January and put them out in the Kratky tanks after the last frost to get as many tomatoes as I can before the heat elevates above 80 at night.
One of my Kratky tanks last year had an EC of 4.0 and a PPM of 2800. WAYYYYYYYY too high! It was a clear indication that high temperature had caused the plant to absorb most of the water. At this point I would advise emptying all of the nutrient and starting with a fresh batch. I tried adjusting a couple of tanks that were “hot” with additional nutrient, but they did not do as well as the ones that had new nutrient.
Last bit of advice? Propagate some of your tomato suckers so you will have plants to replace the ones you might lose and you will be able to harvest until the first frost. This video shows you how. ua-cam.com/video/iK1bmOcBKkg/v-deo.html
What was your “aha” moment when reading my response? Why? Would love to hear back how it works for you! Thanks for watching and commenting!
😃

[@tvideo1189]

A nice setup but those lid holes were massive and not really necessary for the plant. Plus, the huge hole size lets rainwater in like crazy, diluting the nutrient solution. As long as your tubs are out of direct rain it doesn't matter. But if sitting outside like mine, a 30mm hole is way big enough.

[@GrowingwithGlenna]

Thank you for watching and commenting! 👩‍🌾 You’re correct the larger net cup can let more water in if there’s heavy rain, but I just top it with foil when we expect a lot of rain. Some of my tomato plants will grow 9-15 feet in the season and I found the roots can get more restricted causing the plant to grow slower in a 1-3 inch net cups. Our tomato’s stop growing fruit outside from late June to September due to heat. This is my 2nd year doing the outdoor Kratky so there’s lessons learned every season. 🍅💦