Hydroponic Update ~ Dutch Bucket Tomatoes and Kratky Lettuce
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- Опубліковано 27 лис 2024
- It's time for a progress report on the Fall crop of Dutch bucket tomatoes. As I have for a couple years now, I'm growing Big Beef. Things are off to a good start. The first blossoms are starting to set fruit and we should have tomatoes all the way up to Christmas. Looking inside the small greenhouse, the Kratky boxes are doing great. Butterhead lettuce, Romaine, and Tatsoi are looking really good. And the Pak Choi in the floating raft setup is ready to start picking. If you've been having trouble growing leafy vegetables, look into hydroponics. It's a neat way to grow, and very productive.
Explaining Kratky hydroponics: • Off-Grid Hydroponics E...
I know these videos are 9 years old. I watched many videos yeses ago. Still the most helpful videos I’ve ever seen on Hydroponics.
Talking to a supplier, they talk over your head and make it complicated. Your explanations are so clear and simple.
Much appreciated
Absolutely ! I never judge anyone for their beliefs. We're all human and need to eat. All I'm trying to do is share how I do things. I hope it helps.
Great visuals to show the amazing growth in just a few short weeks! Those are the most perfect greens I have ever seen. You're doing an incredible job with your garden, Bobby!
With hydroponics, it's amazing just how pretty the plants can get. Thanks.
Thanks. Susan and I had a lot of fun at the auction. It was certainly an eye opening experience. And they were almost giving the produce away.
Thank Kim. Hydroponics is a great way to grow most any kind of leafy greens.
I totally agree. My biggest problems before were the balance of nutrients and pest control. You make it very ez to understand and at the same time, gives me the sense that even the best gardener runs into those situations every now and then. So it shows me not to give in and feel disconcerting. Keep up the good work Mhp, you rock!
Great Video. I have watched all your videos several times as to not miss a thing. I am very excited to try this method. Gardening has always been fun but NEVER been easy. Pulling weeds and tilling the soil is for the young and for those with too much time on their hands. As soon as the snow melts I'll be out setting up my new garden. Thank You.
Thanks, for sharing. Your lettuce, Pak Choi and Romaine look beautiful!
Yes. I use a base 4-18-38 fertilizer, mixed with Calcium Nitrate and Epsom salt. It gives the plants what they need to grow well.
Thanks. It's a lot of fun doing the hydroponic stuff.
It really is that easy Rob. So simple that even I can do it !
Thanks Rob. Worms are sneaky. One day the plant looks great. The next day it's full of holes. With new growth coming on all the time, it helps to spray once a week to keep up with them.
Rather belated but do you know if I can use round buckets on the Dutch bucket system? Thats because thats all we get this side of the world.
Hey Lois, Big Beef is popular all over the country. It does great for me. Thank you.
Thanks. With bad weather like we had in the early Spring, a greenhouse would be a life saver. You can control the growing conditions yourself, leaving nothing to chance. :)
Your channel is the best and most informative. Are you a teacher? If not you should be. I’ve learnt more in just watching a couple of your videos than any others. Thank you so much! ❤️❤️
Thank you for sharing all you learn with us! U don't know how much we appreciate it! Keep up the good work and let me just say hubby and I agree you would make an excellent teacher!
I agree...it's hard to beat. I have it at the top of my list.
I am trying Aquaponics this year .And will definitely be trying your dutch bucket tomatoes next season.I would just like to thank you for the time you have taken.To put so much of your time aside to teach us what you have learned.i will keep you informed how it works out for me.God Bless and thank you again.
Tomatoes are almost self pollinating. The flowers contain both male and female parts. All that is required is some type of vibration for the pollen to drop down onto the stigma to complete the pollination process. This vibration or motion is most often done by wind. In a greenhouse, it helps to use a cordless toothbrush to vibrate the clusters, or simply shake the plants.
Hey Mark, it's all about sharing the info. I learn a lot from youtube and this is my way of paying it forward. I think it's a good deal all around. Thanks.
Thanks Paul. This hydroponic stuff is a lot of fun.
Hydroponics at it's core is very simple. Water, light, and nutrients. Get the combination right and it's a piece of cake. Good luck.
Yes you can. Just be careful with direct sunlight on one side for too long. The black will heat up quickly.
Yes Lisa, you can clone the garden tomatoes just fine. Use whatever method you prefer. Once established, they'll grow like new plants.
Thanks. I enjoy sharing what I do.
Thanks. Considering the high temps in the GH, I'm pleased with how things have grown.
looking great Bobbie! I planted pac choy for the first time and the caterpillars loved it! the BT helped a lot.
I love to garden,growing anything is my passion,thanks for the hydroponic information
Correct... you fill the reservoir at the start of the growing process and do nothing else till harvest. The ppm will vary depending on your fertilizer source. From what I've seen, lettuce is very forgiving and does well in a wide range. Thanks.
For sure, you need the big cages and t-posts....definitely something to keep the cage from rolling over. I've been very impressed with Big Beef, so I keep on growing it. Thanks.
I agree, blessed in so many ways. Thanks.
I had Pak Choi for dinner, it was excellent.
I cooked some Pak Choi last night, it was excellent.
Like Bob said, those mosquito dunks are great for dealing with insects.To keep the water clean, the best advice I have is to block as much light as you possibly can. Thanks.
We're off to a very good start. The tomatoes should be producing by mid October.
This is an easy way to grow tomatoes. With carefully measured nutrients, there isn't a lot of guesswork. I've grown Brandywines a few times, and they do make some nice sized tomatoes. But I never could get any consistency from them.
Thanks. Try the Kratky deal, it works very well.
Good to hear that things are going well for you. As the years go by and you learn more, things will become much easier.
I tried cleaning with wet roots, and it was a mess. Having them completely dry is the way to go. Thanks Larry.
Thanks. The hydroponic stuff doesn't take much time once you get things setup. And I do this all myself. I don't have any helpers or employees.
Inside a greenhouse, single stem tomatoes are much easier to manage. If you let them get too bushy and then have any disease or fungal issues, it's hard to get a good spray coverage. Thanks.
Thanks Tony.
Impressive looking! I like the look of your set up. There will be some mighty thankful people this fall who will benefit from your harvest. A true blessing!
Ahhh, those big beef. Hard to beat. A good hardy plant......and oh such great flavor.
Bobby, I planted big beef, rutgers, and golden jubilee tomato varieties in my garden this year thanks to you. The production from these three varieties has been awesome. The big beef is truly a great tomato. It tastes great and the plants produce very well. I highly recommend using concrete reinforcement wire and a t-post as tomato cages..............especially for the big beef. They really grow. Thanks for your videos.
Great job on the video -lots of good tips. I really like the tip about letting the plant dry out before you remove it . Thanks
Larry
Yes sir, I'm in southern Virginia.
Very informative. It helps to hear from someone with experience and with the smarts to gain from that experience.
Before viewing I had my doubts but after seeing this I will definitely consider this method. Thank you.
Cool, I think you'll enjoy hydroponics.
I have 2 Kratky boxes outside that I've shown a few times. As long as you keep the rain from pouring in, it works very well. Thanks.
I took the same setup with 6 buckets on a wooden rack. cut out a hole in the top for a 3 3/4" netpot on top. Clay in the netpots and Perlite in the bottom. It is working well so far for bell peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers.
I'm expecting to have to top of the water too. Eggplants can get fairly large, so they'll be consuming lots of water. I've considered linking some buckets too, with 1/2 inch pvc and the same grommets I use in the dutch buckets. I think it would work.
You're welcome.
Hey Z, any type of tomato seed that you buy will be non-gmo. For containers, I'd go with a determinate type so you don't end up with a 6 ft tall plant in a 5 gal bucket. A couple of determinates that have done well for me are Rutgers, Sheyenne, and Bush Beefsteak.
This is my first try with eggplant. Hopefully it does well. Thanks.
Hey my friend, I'd like to know do you have a written design plan for your green house???
Yes, a bug light would probably help. I do have a bug zapper that I've used in the past. I probably should put it back up until the warm weather is done. Thanks.
I did a How To video for this last year. I think it's posted on my main channel page. I haven't used it, but lava chip will work. If you keep the water filtered thru strainers in the bucket and reservoir, there shouldn't be any clogging issues.
Thanks Kevin.
I get asked about compost tea quite often. The problem I see is the nutrient content. It's difficult to give the plants what they need solely from compost tea. Also, the tea would vary quite a bit based on the source of the compost. Let me know how it goes.
I haven't done it yet, but I do have some floating seeds trays to try it. Thanks.
Another great video Bobby. the sheet of paper says it the best. Truly usable information!!! Now to finish my morning coffee, and get out in the soil, and the garden, and do some work. I learned SO much this from your videos, and I am staying positive. I went with Rutgers and Homestead tomatoes, and still have a soil based cherry that is producing. I also learned that I have been being too timid with the fertilizer. My Rutgers in the Kratky tote is growing like crazy, and has blooms.Cya next time
You're welcome !
Now that would be an interesting set up.
Good to hear you got the boss on your side. :)
may the almighty bless you sir, with wisdom and His guidance. many thanks for sharing your knowledge.
I hope they do as well as last year. These are brand new, from seed, so they'll be a little later producing than suckers would be.
What grade or how course is the perlite
I don't have much of a problem with stink bugs inside the greenhouses. I might see one now and then, but it's never been much of an issue.
I've only done peppers one time, but they turned out great.
Your hydroponic and kratky stuff has done really for you Bobby. Nice work there.
To stay warm... I was kind of out of commission for a few weeks with a crushed foot. Tractor accident. I have just about the same things started that you have going, your plants are just more mature than mine are. It has been tough getting around on this gimpy foot until about 2 days ago. I believe that it has finally turned the corner and allowing me to do more now.
Chuck
Bobby you continue to amaze me. Well done! Thank you for the wonder Video!
Very inspiring videos. I love all of them and can't wait to get my hydro garden started. It never really worked out for me, but with your help I'm determined to make it this time around. Thx for sharing. God bless
I ate 2 pak choi tonight simmered in chicken noodle soup. It's really good. Do you ever have excess produce that you sell at auctions?
Great video sir! You're making the agricultural engineering department at Virginia Tech proud! Hokie, Hokie, Hokie Hi!!!!
Thanks. Hydroponics will make anyone look like a genius. :)
I would choose grey, something close to the color of the Lowes buckets.
You make it sound & look all to easy Booby... Great looking crop yet again..
Cheers & have a great one :)
I love your videos and like how you have your greenhouse constructed. Would please do a video showing us how your greenhouse is built? Many thanks for sharing your knowledge and God bless you.
He has a few videos on constructing the greenhouse. Just visit his channel and look at the older videos.
Bill Vickers Thanks!
You bet.
Awesome big beef setup I see you’ve decided that single stem is the way to go-cant wait to see all those tomatoes later on in the year. As always thanks for sharing you are a true inspiration!
Honestly, I wouldn't bother with lettuce in a dutch setup. Its too easy to grow in a DWC or Kratky box. Yes, you could do it in a one gallon bucket. The issue is overall spacing. Given the proper room to grow, you can get some nice heads of lettuce. But crowd them, and you get much smaller heads in the same space.
You’re a genius brother, thank you so much for posting!
I am so amazed with your teaching you are the man great job on every part of your garden thank you for everything thank you share with us god bless you
That's good news Brock. What do plan to heat the GH with?
It's nice when you can plant something and walk away, just letting the plant do it's thing. I stay out of the way and the lettuce does well.
I wish I had the space to grow indoors. A lot of people have grow rooms or basements, and they do very well with hydroponics.
No worries, it would just be a break from loading the stoves at night. I'm sure I'd find plenty to do during the day. Thanks.
Thank you.
I appreciate every bit of your videos.
I have been following your videos for some time now. Wish I had you here to help me lol. Very soon I am going to start both systems you use here. I look at you videos over and over again. Thank you so much.
Bobby, you are the best. Thanks for sharing...
I used Neem, and tried to get rid of the worst affected plants.
LOL...those instructions are priceless ! Thanks.
I'm several weeks ahead? What are your plans for the winter?
Very impressive results, as always!
My plan was to use the tea as a foliar spray. There isn't enough nutrients in it to supply this number of tomatoes.
Thanks. For sure, I need to move some lettuce.
I would like to experiment this dutch buckets but I will try using potting mix. Thank you for your informative video.
I agree, it must have been something to do with the seed if everything else did well.