Comment

Comment by Hydroponics Curacao on February 4, 2012 at 7:55am

Here in Costa Rica I've heard several times that tomatoes and cucumbers do not mix well with lettuce. Think they attract aphids that ruin the lettuce. I am not sure about this but have heard it from more experienced growers here, I decided not to grow together here which was my original plan.. Anyone else grow these plants together with success??

I haven't grown them together. But I was planned to. Thanks for telling me that.

Tomatoes produce more (fruit) when they are growing "up" and less when going "down." We can observe this as they grow vines up to the top of a cage and have to hang down after that. But squashes, melons, cucumbers can handle this OK. Up, down, sideways.

If a vine comes out a hydroponic hole downward, I think the biggest problem will be water trying to follow down the vine, and constantly wet/damp vines are never a good thing.

I would plant the tomatoes in the regular beds, and the vines will be happy to climb up into wires hung up high. Then you don't have to pump water up there (the plants will do that for free!)

I get aphids on lettuce whether near tomatoes or not! The good part is that the aphids attract bugs that eat aphids (also for free). Plant cilantro and fennel to attract more of the good bugs!

Okok. I haven't got aphids for a long time. What I'm seeing a lot these days is those leaf miners. I have to buy some neem oil to get rid of them. 

Does cilantro helps to attract insect that will get rid of the leaf miners? Because a few days ago, I planted a cilantro plant next to some tomatoes.

Comment by Rick Op on February 4, 2012 at 7:42am

Tomatoes produce more (fruit) when they are growing "up" and less when going "down." We can observe this as they grow vines up to the top of a cage and have to hang down after that. But squashes, melons, cucumbers can handle this OK. Up, down, sideways.

If a vine comes out a hydroponic hole downward, I think the biggest problem will be water trying to follow down the vine, and constantly wet/damp vines are never a good thing.

I would plant the tomatoes in the regular beds, and the vines will be happy to climb up into wires hung up high. Then you don't have to pump water up there (the plants will do that for free!)

I get aphids on lettuce whether near tomatoes or not! The good part is that the aphids attract bugs that eat aphids (also for free). Plant cilantro and fennel to attract more of the good bugs!

Comment by steve on February 4, 2012 at 7:11am

"I wanted to try tomatoes. I've seen a few pics of tomatoes hanging upside down. And they don't try to go up. But I also want to try lettuce."                                                                                                                                                      Here in Costa Rica I've heard several times that tomatoes and cucumbers do not mix well with lettuce. Think they attract aphids that ruin the lettuce. I am not sure about this but have heard it from more experienced growers here, I decided not to grow together here which was my original plan.. Anyone else grow these plants together with success??

Comment by Hydroponics Curacao on February 4, 2012 at 7:00am

My greenhouse is 3x3 meters. 

One side is for growing plants in soil. 

The other side is the one above for gravel system and the one below for raft system.

There has to be 2 drums. One for the system and one for the plants in soil. 

Comment by Kou on February 3, 2012 at 7:52pm

How big is your greenhouse? And am I seeing four grow beds or a combination of DWC and GB?

I'm thinking about a similar set up this spring.

Comment by Hydroponics Curacao on January 24, 2012 at 12:16pm

I wanted to try tomatoes. I've seen a few pics of tomatoes hanging upside down. And they don't try to go up. But I also want to try lettuce. 

Comment by Dimitris Kalomiros on January 24, 2012 at 8:36am

Thank you for your reply.

The thing is that as plants naturaly try to go up, you should try only pants like creepers with the ability to let their branches fall down. That is a good try. I wait results.

Comment by Hydroponics Curacao on January 24, 2012 at 3:26am

To grow vegetables in it. I want to try upside down hydroponics

Comment by Dimitris Kalomiros on January 24, 2012 at 12:00am

seems to be ok. what are the two cylinders on the top?