That's a beautiful system with some great tomatoes. If I may I'd like to suggest you try out AN's Sensi 2-part on your next grow. I've used Flora-Nova and Sensi... I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sensi Grow / Bloom

Thank you. I'll try that on my next batch. Here they are at week 5.

Very impressive!

Love the pictures!

Those tomatoes plants are really growing into monsters! That's a pretty professional looking system too. What are you using for the flood tray? Looks like that tray is just the right size. Keep up the great work!

Smart idea using the window bars as a trellis, but isn't that far enough up that harvesting will be a bit of a challenge without a ladder?

Judging by those stems you're in for some massive tomatoes.

Thanks for the compliments! That's a Dutch Leach Tray and it's great for ebb & flow or drip. I've used it before with decent results in this indoor mojito mint setup...

As for harvesting, the tomatoes are growing on the kitchen window, and I can pick them pretty easily from the inside. Switched into high gear with the bloom formula since there are about 30 pea sized tomatoes on the vines. Looking forward to some tasty caprese salad!

Here they are at week 7. They are blooming like crazy with about 90 tomatoes. Each plant is using about a gallon of nutrient solution per day.

A tip for those who are going to grow tomatoes using Flora Nova Bloom with reverse osmosis water:

Add Cal-Mag Plus to your solution to avoid blossom end rot due to lack of calcium.

That's good advice with any hydroponic nutrient. As far as I know there aren't any hydroponic nutrients specifically formulated for tomatoes. There aren't many plants that can eat as much nutrients in general as a tomato plant, and I'm almost certain that nothing needs as much Calcium and probably Magnesium too.

Blossom End Rot is bad so you definitely want to avoid it if you can. It's always a good idea to dose your tomatoes with extra calcium regardless of where and how they're grown.

Very exciting pictures, have you been foliar feeding at all?

Good question - foliar definitely makes a difference. The Flora Nova seems to be working for you, but I never really liked the way it stains the roots.

It looks like root rot all the time, so you can't see it coming before its too late.

How bout showing off some of your 'maters?

Beautiful Plants! I love the setup and envy the thick stalks.

Way to go...Not only are you benefitting from your project by harvesting some good disease free tomatoes but it all starts with people like you. More people in urban areas need to get involved and grow more of there own produce. IT's healthier CHEAPER and the rate that land is rapidly declining the world is running shorter and shorter on potential farm land. To give you and idea of what I mean if you ever get time google something like...urban vertical grow farms, or urban vertical hydroponics. You may catch a glimpse into the possible future.

Thanks to all of you for the great feedback. Hopefully those considering this will see how easy it is to do!

Yeah, I've been foliar feeding with Cal-Mag Plus and its working well. At this point the plants are just taking over and haven't been requiring a lot of maintenance or special conditions.

Oak, I checked out the "farmscrapers"... That's an amazing concept. Are you involved with it? I'd like to look into that a lot more. Thanks for the info!

Here these babies are at week 10!

Those are some really impressive plants. What region are you growing in? You must be further south than me because it's getting pretty cold around here these days. Definitely not good tomato weather anymore.

And I agree those vertical farms are very cool. Hydroponics, with that and home use, is going to change the world. Just think, if a big portion of what we ate was grown locally with hydroponics, how much less of a negative impact would we have on our environment between the reduction of large-scale agriculture and the transportation industry bringing us our morning banana from Central America?

If we could get this hobby widespread enough it might even cure world hunger.

I'm in Hollywood, CA and the weather here is pretty hot right now. I am eating my first batch of tomatoes and believe you me the plants have done a great job! I'll be at it again next season with the amazingly flavorful "Cherokee Purples." I hope you enjoy this last set of pics of these babies:

That's fantastic. What size are those tomatoes?

More importantly, how do they taste?

Your Celebrity Tomato setup is exactly what I have been looking for for my porch. I live in a small rural community that does not allow fences and the deer, turkeys and other critters eat every thing we plant in the ground. Could you post a list or send me a list of the components you used to assemble your system. Especially the tray with it's hanging and support brackets. I am very new to Hydroponics and have been unable to locate similar parts on the web.

Try this link (found in a reply-post above):
http://www.4hydroponics.com/grow_room/dleach.asp

This might be a good place to start.

Thank you freemangreens for the info. I actually googled the same page and ordered a bunch of stuff which should be arriving today. I've started some seeds and will probably setup the system around early April when the threat of frosts is reduced. My only concern to too much heat because during the summer we get a lot of 90-100 degree heat. I hope shading will help reduce the temperature a bit.

Hey,

Haven't been on this page in a while... What are you going to grow in the system? If its 100 degrees out, you need to keep your nutrient reservoir shaded and cool. I would use something insulated and reflective like a white ice chest.

My experiences with the Dutch Leach system were not too favorable, probably because of very warm temperatures in my area. I used 5 gallon buckets for the nutrient supply and as the plants grew they used up the liquid so fast that buckets required filling everyday and because they were eight feet above ground I had to use a ladder and hoist the full buckets in place. This was more work than I had expected as I am 75 years old and looking for a less labor intensive setup. On the plus side the fruit production was very good. This year I am going to use a drip system so I will be free to travel a bit. I am looking into some other type of hydroponic system that will be more favorable to my conditions.

>> Hydroponics, with that and home use, is going to change the world. Just think, if a big portion of what we ate was grown locally with hydroponics, how much less of a negative impact would we have on our environment between the reduction of large-scale agriculture and the transportation industry bringing us our morning banana from Central America? It's not the impact on the environment and transportation industry that I see - it's the chance to produce something consumers will want at a price they can afford. I'm in Cincinnati and we have "real" tomatoes only from about the fourth of July until early October. The rest of the year we are stuck with those cardboard brand that costs $4.00/lb. in the dead of winter.

Greenhouse growing from mid-December until mid-February is not an option - we go through a drought of sunlight. If one was to add lights and heat, even in a very energy efficient GH, the cost would still be untenable.

I'm looking, at least this coming winter, to grow some maters in a couple of spare bedrooms. They are already heated (ambient heat, on the second floor) so no costs there. Been experimenting with LED lights and if they pan out, I could raise 60 plants using 1000 watts of power.

Electricity costs over a 16 week period: $160.
Water - next to nothing because I would use mostly rain water.
Nuits: maybe $100.
Production: 20 pounds per plant (sub-par): 1200 pounds
Revenue @ $1.25/lb.: $1,500. That would cover all my start-up costs in 1/3 of the year.

Additionally, by trimming leaves and composting plants, I would have compost I could sell or use and gallons of compost tea.

I know there is a market for this - I just need to learn a way to grab my share of it.

Mike

I am impressed to see how those tomatoes have gone really huge and beautiful. I am just concerned about the taste, does it taste really delicious? I am also looking at growing my own tomato garden soon and been researching on what quality nutes I should use...

foliar spray:

I've had good luck so far with GH Floramato product.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Greene Tomato