Matt,
Looks like a good start. Only suggestion, your light may be too close to the plants. May cause them to burn.
Keep a close eye on them.

Good luck,
Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: Outdoor Hydro Cukes from this summer.

looks nice and clean good job

Bob

Thanks guys - before I came here to read the posts I did move the light up a good 6 inches - will continue to monitor.

That's a beautiful, clean-built system. You do all that yourself? Nice job. Makes me re-think using a drip system myself... you make it look really classy.

Make sure you don't over-water would be my main piece of advice. Also, when it comes to the light just use the back of your hand. Put your hand palm down over the tops of your plants between them and the light. If the heat from the bulb is uncomfortable on the back of your hand it's probably too hot for your plants.

Adjust up or down so that it's warm but not hot.

Get a cheap little digital thermometer/hygrometer you can leave next to the plants to monitor the heat and humidity, and if you don't already have them, get a pH and EC meter to monitor the solution.

After that it's tough to do much wrong. Looks like this should be a really problem-free system. Keep us updated, I'd like to see how it goes. I might just follow your example.

Thank you hooked - yep its all DIY, including the light, shelf, rockwool, nutrients (advanced nutrients), grow tray, air pump, water pump - cost about $450. My dad had some drip emitters and a drain plug laying around as well as some 1/4 inch hose.

I checked out sooo many books from the library - almost did an aeroponics system but decided against it.

keep a watchful eyes on the plants. I've seen too many threads here where peoples plants dye because the rockwool is too saturated.
Otherwise it looks like a nice enough system.

Well, things seem to be doing well so far.

Here is the plant, on Oct 19th:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattpayne11/2955178334/

And here is the same plant on Oct. 27th:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattpayne11/2980652274/

And a view of the healthier plants:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattpayne11/2980653772/

I've only been watering 15 minutes per day.

Aeroponics is nice, but it's the kind of thing you really have to keep an eye on. Little problems quickly become big ones.

That's a really sharp-looking system you built.

I'd also suggest watching the over-watering. Not saying you are, but that's the #1 killer of houseplants; people trying to over-love them. Also, it's been my experience with tomatoes in particular that if you're almost cruel when it comes to letting them get thirsty they actually do better.

Tomatoes thrive even more with massive roots, and plenty of water discourages extra root growth. If there isn't always as much water as the plant wants it sends out more roots looking for it.

On the other hand, your system looks like it shouldn't need really big root systems so you might want to skip that.

Here we are a week later on 11/3/08:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattpayne11/3002207664/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattpayne11/3001370529/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattpayne11/3001369463/

Pretty good growth I think.

Definitely coming along well. What variety of tomatoes are those anyway?

What's your ppm up to now?

Just upped my PPM to 1200 tonight. Was at 900. Just added the rockwool slab, its soaking now =)

These are heirlooms.

Some tomatoes can take upwards of 3600 ppm when mature, FYI. I've never fed any that strong myself, but they're pretty hard to burn.

There's a LOT of different kinds of heirloom tomatoes, btw.

Yea I have no idea what kind they are - =)

Some of my favorite tomatoes are kinds I don't know the name of.

Keep us updated, I'll be happy to lend any expertise and advice I can summon up.

Here we are 12 days later...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattpayne11/3052527574/

Looking good.

Totally up to you, but if it's not too much trouble you might want to consider switching places with plants 3 and 4 (from left to right). That way the shorter plant has easier access to the light.

But with the support twine that might be more trouble than it's worth.

Progress:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattpayne11/3084349000/

I noticed in your album that you had some blossom end rot. What's your feeding schedule like? That's usually a sign of calcium deficiency.

How are things going?