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greetings from Hilo Hawaii today we are
going to discuss how to grow peppers and
tomatoes by a suspended pot
non-circulating hydroponic method pumps
or electrical power will not be needed
these crops require a large volume of
nutrient solution throughout the growing
period for example 3 to 5 gallons of
nutrient solutions are typically needed
to grow a pound of tomatoes that means
that Tomatoes producing 10 pounds per
plant would require around 40 gallons of
nutrient solution per plant plants will
be grown in a large pot with multiple
openings it's called an accelerator pot
the pot is filled with a peat perlite
growing medium the accelerator pots are
supported by one-inch slick polystyrene
which is placed over a 2 foot by 3 foot
polypropylene concrete mixing tank
fiberglass window screen is placed under
the pots but is pulled as tight as
possible at transplanting time nutrient
solution is added to the tank to a level
where the bottom 1/2 inch of the pots
are immersed the plants are
automatically watered and fertilized by
capillary action the nutrient solution
level is regulated by a float valve pump
assembly nutrient solution enters the
top of the float valve the level is
controlled by the red float mechanism to
a height shown by the pencil and then
follows through the small tubing into
the growing tank
let's see how to make a float valve some
assembly a little giant float valve body
is fastened to a 1 by 4 inch cord the
red float is connected the float valve
is placed on top of a plastic ice cube
tray
a screen is placed over the small tank
to keep the mosquitoes out nutrient
solution flows through the float valve
into the sump assembly tank the rising
liquid level raises the float and stops
the full the nutrient solution flowed
from a tank which is simply a plastic
trash container which is shaded by a
screen
the tank is raised up about 18 inches by
concrete blocks a small tubing is
inserted near the bottom of the tank
this transfers nutrient solution into a
1/2 inch polyethylene tubing which
eventually connects to the float valve
okay it's transplanting time and the
nutrient solution level is about 1/2
inch above the screen if mosquitoes lay
eggs in the solution above the screen
they could hatch and transition to adult
mosquitoes in 10 to 14 days so we want
the liquid level to drop below the
screen as quickly as possible we want to
drop the nutrient solution to about 2
inches below the screen at this point
the float valve sump assembly is
elevated about two and a quarter inches
on three boards which are 3/4 inch thick
if all the boards were removed the sump
tank would probably overflow so let's
remove one board and let the plants
consume 3/4 inch of solutions sure
enough the plants remove 3/4 inch of
solution which is now 1/4 inch below the
screen let's take another board out
then the plants will be able to drop the
water to even a lower level finally
let's remove the last board the solution
level is now about two and a quarter
inches below the original level and will
remain there for the rest of the crop if
any mosquitos hatch in this solution
they will be trapped under the screen
now it's time to set up a greenhouse
trial three tanks will be placed on a
level platform
a screen is placed on a tank
a cover is placed over the tank although
this is an expanded polystyrene cover it
could also be made of wood plastic or
some other material nutrient solution
will flow from a sump assembly tank to a
half-inch poly tube and then to a
quarter-inch poly tube which is inserted
into the growing tank tomatoes and
peppers are transplanted
and begin to grow and roll
and grow
and grow
the tomatoes are beginning to size up
and now they're beginning to ripen
oh great joy tasty vine ripened Tomatoes
actually it's double joy we have two
different varieties of tomatoes growing
here these are red University of Hawaii
and 52 Tomatoes and the golden yellow
Jubilee Tomatoes
by the way this shows a nice picture of
the solution level indicator which was
discussed in more detail in a previous
video let's turn our attention over to
the peppers now many small pepper fruits
are forming the peppers are sizing up
and will become about 6 inches long the
pepper variety is f1 hybrid hot pepper
yellow hot
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it's time to harvest the peppers
look at how many fruits were harvested
from only six plants Wow
the peppers from this harvest weigh two
pounds there's many more harvests to
come let's look at the tomato roots
these roots that are under the screen
besides excluding mosquitoes the screen
actually promotes more aggressive root
growth but there's not too many roots
above the screen
now let's look at the pepper roots again
there's not too many roots above the
screen but there's a lot of beautiful
white roots below the screen
once in a while roots plug up the small
tubing which transports the nutrient
solution into the tank
a stiff wire is inserted into the tubing
and work back and forth to clear the
blockage you might say this is sort of a
route angioplasty
let's talk a little bit about nutrient
solution the nutrient solution supply
tank remains filled and this is
regulated by a float valve which
supplies water to the tank the nutrient
solution is stirred and the strength of
the solution is measured with an
electrical conductivity or EC meter this
solution has a strength of 0.9 five mill
assignments or we just say m/s we need
to be wary of nutrient solution strength
because too much fertilizer early in the
growing period causes excessive
vegetative growth and can delay fruiting
and too little fertilizer in the
fruiting and harvest stage will cause
deficiencies and lower yields here's a
simple guide to nutrient solution
strength from transplanting to blossom
set 1.0 m/s about three weeks after
blossom set 1.5 m/s the remainder the
crop 2.0 m/s this should be tweaked and
improved according to your experience
concentrated fertilizer stock solutions
are stored in plastic trash containers
sock solution a contains one pound per
gallon of Khem grow eight 1536 plus 0.6
pounds per gallon of magnesium sulfate
this is actually a lettuce formula but
it works pretty good for tomatoes and
peppers to Kimbrough has a specific
tomato formula which would be
recommended if tomatoes would be your
only crop the solution is stirred and a
graduated picture is used to measure the
solution volume stock solution B
contains one pound per gallon of a
solution grade calcium nitrate plus as
an option one teaspoon per gallon of
iron chelate may also be added stock
solution v is mixed and a graduated
picture is used to measure the solution
volume about five hundred and fifty
milliliters of stock solution a and the
equal amount of stock solution B are
ready to be added to the nutrient
solution tank first the tank is mixed
and then the solution a is added tank is
mixed some more and then stock solution
B is added and the solution is mixed
some more again let's measure the
nutrient solution strengthen ow let's
see it's two point four five m/s this
would seem to be too high but it
somewhat compensates for the previous
reading which was too low yes
this procedure needs some improvement
someone asked me if each plant could
also be grown by this method well the
answer is yes
I am sure you folks will make
improvements to these growing methods
for peppers and tomatoes but for now I
bid you Aloha
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