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Growing Tomatoes

Hydroponic tomato problems

widespreadpanic

14 years ago

Hi, I recently posted the thread:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/hydro/msg0323482419242.html

Well now I've come along a little farther but still have concerns over my plants.

Here is an updated picture of a tomato plant I have growing:

What's going on here? Is this still a fungal problem or could it be a nutrient problem? I've been treating my plants with Draconil to help any future fungal problems but my leaves now seem to be 'curling'?

Here is a log of my nutrient levels:

I just changed out my reservoir today and switched from using municipal water to using rain water.

I also called general hdyroponics tech support because I've read online that tomatoes like an e.c. of 2.0 - 3.5 and when using their nutrients as according to instructions I was coming in much lower. They said all macro/micro nutrients were available in their product floramato or what I'm using now for veg. maxigrow but that perhaps I should consider adding diamond nectar (humic acid) as a supplement. They said to watch my ppm and if it's going up, I should add fresh water, if it's dropping, then I should add nutrients because it's using them up. Seems to make sense but what are your opinions?

As a note, I didn't give the dry nutrients time to adjust after my last testing b/c I was in a hurry so I'm sure my nute levels will adjust higher upon next test. My rain water showed an e.c. of .04 and a PPM of only 30 ppm versus my much higher previously used municipal water chemistry levels shown in the picture below:

Could the salts in my municipal water (my water is desalinated beach water) have been negatively affecting my plants? This process is very confusing and any help given is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance to anyone willing to take the time to look over my situation.

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Comments (6)

jean001
14 years ago
I don't know much about hydro nutrient solutions.
But I do know that's not a fungus disease. Looks like environmental stress.

You might like to visit the Hydroponic Forum. (Huh! I see that you're there already.)

Okay, so here's the link for anyone else who might need it.
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/hydro/

Here is a link that might be useful: hydroponic forum
organicislandfarmer
14 years ago
whats with all the brown marbles? also I always thought hydroponics was circulating water do you have a recirculating system below the boards? It looks pretty cool, I know nothing about hydroponics except the basic concept. I have some pepper plants that started to look sickly and pale and when I dug one up it had barely any roots at all. I think I overwatered it and it didn't have to grow any. oops. My other pepper plants are thriving though so who knows.
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Sorry, I didn't pay attention to where you live. I don't believe it is available in Australia. oops You will be much happier having a EC and Ph meter. Alot less unknowns in the equation. Your macro percentages actually sound really good for a healthy tomatoe production. You mentioned that it is a three part. Would it be a micro, grow, and bloom for each solution. If so remember to always add the micro first to your stock solution. No chance of percipitation. When you get your pH meter try maintaining a lower pH. (5.8) Over the years we have been doing much better at these slightly lower levels. For one, Phosphorous is much more available at the lower levels. Is your new fan for an exhaust or intake application? It sounds like you have plenty of O2 in your system, and changing your solution is a great idea. There is also products designed flushing your system. They rebalance the osmotic potentional in your root zone. Kind of a band aid for your root system. They can also be used at the very end of a cycle to flush the plants of any excess nutrients built up in the plant. Just something to think about. Let me know how it goes after you change your solution.
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widespreadpanic
Original Author
14 years ago
The "brown marbles" are expanded clay. They are the medium in which my plants roots grow.

There are many different systems: ebb and flow, deep water culture, aeroponics, drip, and the one you're talking about nutrient film hydroponics, just to name the ones I know of.

The system I am using is called an "ebb and flow" hydroponic setup. Every 2 hours a pump floods the buckets up to an inch from the surface and hold the nutrients there for 15 minutes, then pumps it back into the reservoir. Fun stuff.
ferretbee
14 years ago
The spots look like sun-scald. Did you harden them off after you removed the plastic?
widespreadpanic
Original Author
14 years ago
Eh...not really. I had them under a 600 watt Metal Halide light before putting them out in the sunlight. I thought maybe I wouldn't have to b/c of that?

Sounds like I might of thought wrong huh? They seem to have adjusted now and look a little better/greener now.
HU-84332782
last month
last modified: last month
I am having tomato problems, It happens every year when my tomato's are young plants in my starter room. All of the other plants are fine.

The leaves on the young tomato's start to curl up, then they flip over, sag and fall off. the top of the plant keeps growing, and repeats the cycle, when I move them out to the green house all is well.

Fresh unused sterile coco coir.

I don't think it is a ph problem, light problem, heat or wind problem.

I am stumped.

I use the same food, ph meter for all the plants in the green house and they thrive out there.

I also have some new gnats but that's not the problem.

Any help would be great.

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