The first thing to do is stop using miracle grow for soil in hydro.

The main difference between hydro and soil fertilizers is the nitrogen source. Ideally, only calcium and potassium nitrate are used in hydro, where soil fertilizer often uses urea and ammonium based nitrogen. The urea requires a soil orgainsm that does not exist in a hydro system to convert to a usable product. The ammonium nitrogen can cause root damage if too much is used. It seems to work OK with up to 15% of the nitrogen source. Ammonia nitrogen can be used in moderate amounts to bring a high PH down.

Thanks for your reply.

i keep getting the answer "STOP USING MIRACLE GRO" from some people, and i am told that MIRACLE GRO works just fine from others. i do tend to believe that MIRACLE GRO isn't the BEST solution here ... BUT ... no one can seem to tell me what the BEST solution is.

i've asked, time and time again on NUMEROUS boards WHAT IS THE BEST solution to use to grow tomatoes? What is the correct PH?

i've been told, also, that i should buy "ITEM XYZ" at my local grow store. i HAVE NO local grow store, and the employees at the one feed and seed store around here looked at me as if i were from another planet when i asked about nutrients for hydroponics.

The one or two guys i know around here who do hydroponics have turned their noses up at the small system i have built,

http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/6135/1120plant1tx1.jpg

and have repeated told me that i have to invest in large plastic drums, tubing and TONS of vermiculite. i have calmly tried to explain to them that i cannot afford, nor do i have the time for, such a large system.

I WANT TO START OUT SMALL.

Sorry about the rant, but i'm tired of being pointed somewhere else, only to be redirected yet again.

Hello Ranter hahahahahaha!!!!!!. First of all if you want to use miracle grow then I think you should. I dont know if it works or not. Next get your ph right then add the nutrients, what ever people tell you about the nitrogen, in miracle grow, being a ph buffer , well I havent found it to be so. Type in Worms Way on your computer and you will find a good complete dry powder for your solution,
As far as the ph for tomatoes goes, it is best kept around 5.8 to 6.3 but im tired of fighting it and if i can keep a 7.0 until just before fruiting then im ahead i figure.
Thanks
Hydro_Sam

Well, I'm not going to tell you a particular brand of product and I don't know what is best for Tomatos in hydro. If you want something simple, look online for a hydro store that can ship you something. Choose a simple dry product and order some. They make things that you can mix together to custom talor your mix or you can get something general purpose that will suite veg and flowering. Get perhaps a 1.5 lb package and go from there.

The question above about should you measure the PH before or after adding nutrients. (you may just for your own info want to find out what your water is normally) But you generally want to test the ph after adding the nutrients since most nutrients will affect the ph.

Many people use MG in hydroponics but they also add other things to make it acceptable. If you wish to do this fine, I don't personally know the recipie needed to do this. Don't expect Miracle Grow to work all on it's own as a hydroponic firtilizer since most hydroponic mediums don't support enough of the organisums necessary to make the nitrogen usable by plants (most potting mixes do though.)