How to Grow Tomatoes in a Water Culture
- 1). Soak the starter cubes in water. Place them in a nursery tray.
- 2). Plant the seeds in the starter cubes. Cover the tray and place it in a warm, moist environment. The environment where you keep your tray should be around 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 3). Wait until seedlings begin to sprout. Move the trays underneath fluorescent lights and uncover them. Leave the seedlings underneath the lights for 10 to 14 days or until the leaves appear and the roots begin to push through the bottom of the tray.
- 4). Obtain a pot for each plant. Connect it to the nutrient reservoir using 1/2-inch tubing. Place the pots in a tray that is higher than the nutrient reservoir. Transfer each seedling to a pot and cover it with heydite or other porous rocks.
- 5). Add nutrient solution to the reservoir, following manufacturer's directions. Attach the pump to the nutrient reservoir and turn it on. Pump nutrient solution to the plants. Check each day to make sure that the plants are continuing to receive nutrition. Change the nutrient reservoir once per week.
- 6). Check the plants daily. If the leaves change color, rinse the nutrient reservoir with water and replace the nutrient solution.
- 7). Prune the plants regularly. Remove side shoots to keep them growing straight. Wrap twine around the vertical shoot to support the growth of the plant. Remove dead leaves daily.
- 8). Pick the tomatoes about six months after planting.