How to Build a Small Hydroponics Tomato Grower

Gardeners without a lot of room to work with at home can create a small drip hydroponics system that can be used to grow herbs, tomatoes, peppers or other edible plants.

1 8-inch plastic pot

1 10-inch plastic pot

1 12-inch plastic pot

3 14-inch plastic pot saucers

Submersible hydroponics water pump (approximately 160 gph)

3 feet of tubing

1 T-connector

Expanded clay growing medium

Small air pump

2 feet of tubing

Air stone

100 percent silicone sealer

Hydroponics grow nutrients solution

Hydroponics bloom nutrients solution

pH test kit

pH adjusters

Drill

1/8-inch drill bit

3/4-inch drill bit

Utility knife

Seal the drain hole in the bottom of the largest pot, which will serve as the system reservoir. To do this, turn the pot upside down and use the silicone sealer to glue a piece of plastic over the drain hole. Cut the piece of plastic — a plant saucer is a good source — about twice as large as the hole. Turn the pot back over and completely fill the hole with silicone from the inside. Let it dry for six to eight hours before adding water.

Connect the tubing to the submersible hydroponics pump. Generally the tubing will fit tight on the pump spout and a hose clamp is not necessary, but if needed, use a hose clamp to make sure the tube stays attached to the pump. Connect the air tube to the air stone. Set a rock on top of the air stone to keep it down and put the submersible pump in the bottom of the reservoir.

Use two or three 14-inch saucers to cover the reservoir because one is not strong enough to hold the weight from the growing pots. Set the saucers on top of one another and drill one hole 2 inches in from the back, just large enough to accommodate the feed tube, and another just large enough to provide passage for the submersible pump cord and air line. Use a utility knife to cut a 3-by-4-inch opening in the front of the bottom saucer. This will allow for viewing the reservoir level and adding nutrient solution. Cut a hole ?-inch smaller all around in the top saucer. Insert the pump tubes and cord through the holes in the saucers and cover the reservoir.

The other two pots should already have drain holes. If not, drill holes large enough to allow water to drain through, but smaller than the size of the expanded clay growing medium in the 8- and 10-inch pots. Drill a hole in the pot large enough to accommodate the feed tube, thread the tube through and set the 10-inch pot on top of the reservoir lid.

Fill the 10-inch pot with expanded clay growing medium to within 1/2 inch of the top. Thread the feed tube through the hole in the back of the 8-inch pot and set the pot on top of the growing medium in the 10-inch pot. Cut the feed tube at the top of the top pot. Hold the feed tube by one side of the pot and fill the pot with growing medium to a couple of inches below the top, being careful not to allow any medium to fall into the feed tube.

Cut a piece of the water tubing to make a 6-inch circle and connect the ends together with the T-connector. Lay this circular hose on a flat surface with the T-connector opening facing up. Drill 1/8-inch holes every 1/2 inch around the circle. Connect the T-connector to the feed tube in the top pot and fill the pot the rest of the way so that the drip circle sits on top with the medium almost covering it.

Use a clean container to mix nutrient solution. If possible, use filtered water. Check the pH level of the water and adjust accordingly, using pH up or down to a level of 6.5. Add hydroponics grow formula to the water per the manufacturer's directions. Fill the reservoir with nutrient solution.

Plug in the air and water pumps.

Seeds can be started in small peat pots, peat pellets or various forms of soil-less seed starting cubes or plugs. The small plants can then be transferred to the unit by burying them with their seed starting medium in the expanded clay medium.

Place the drip hydroponics system in a sunny location on a covered patio or indoors under a grow light.

Use a grow solution until plants begin to flower; then switch to a bloom solution.

Start with a full reservoir. When the solution is down to just above the pump, add a gallon of pH-adjusted water to the reservoir and run the system for five minutes.

Unplug the water pump and disconnect one side of the drip tube from the T-connector and place the end in a large bucket.

Plug the pump back in and drain the system until the pump just starts to suck air. Unplug the pump immediately. Use the drained water to water soil-based plants.

Fill the reservoir back to the top with pH-adjusted nutrient solution. Reconnect the drip tube to the T-connector and plug the pump back in.

Glue the pieces that were cut out of each saucer together to create a cover for when you don't need access to the reservoir.

After each growing season it is a good idea to rinse the growing medium and spread it out to air dry.

Every three months, or sooner if needed, change the air stone and clean the intake components of the submersible pump.

With larger plants like tomatoes or peppers, this system works well with one in the top growing pot and two to three in the lower one.

When growing tomatoes, 3-foot plastic poles can be inserted in the growing pot on either side of the plant for staking.