Tomato plants grown in Growstones and Rockwool 30 hours without irrigation

[mrktaylor76]

I guess Im just posing the question. If youre exposing these tomato plants to long periods without water, in a controlled environment, how do you suppose that strain would stand up outside of that climate? Is that real enough?

[gipsiest]

@mrktaylor76 During the production season these plants were properly irrigated based on integrated radiation levels and water balance from weighing stations inside the greenhouse. Air temperature was aligned with radiation. With the proper climate and root moisture content, we had great yields in all different substrates. At the end of the crop season, we did a water stress, and observed how long did it take for each media to dry out. The stress test was never intended as a growing condition.

[nfsmw6]

those bees are make honey?

[gipsiest]

@nfsmw6 bees used are bumble bees. not honey bees.

[KingRyltar]

again, what variety of tomatoe are they? hopefully not a gmo strain. And where can i get the seeds from? thanks

[gipsiest]

@KingRyltar The tomato cultivar was 'Rapsodie' from Syngenta.

No GMOs. These are F1 hybrids.

Search Syngenta if you are interested or any of their distributors

[ratty88]

I'm interested in your opinion of growstones. the specs on their site are favorable. I like that they claim to be 95% recycled material.

The only clue to their effectiveness is that they showed water stress equal to rockwool.

I assume they are comparable media.

Been difficult finding reviews on the growstones though.

[gipsiest]

@watercatwn6535nd - These are 10 months old undertermined tomato plants ie plants grow like vines, which is why they have to be supportd by a wire that is anchored to a cable above the plants in the GH. No assimilation lights. Every week, each plant develops a flowering truss + 3 leaves from the growth tip. Flowers are polinated by bumble bees, fruits set and develop till they are ripe. Ripe fruits are harvested every week. Each plant has produced ca 32 fruit trusses (8 month production).

[wojowut]

YOUR DOING IT WRONG!!!

[gipsiest]

@wojowut - hope you understand this was a water stress test at the end of the crop season. the plants were comming out, so we decided to do the test and watch when we start observing signs of witlting. This was interesting for us as we had plants growing in very different substrates regarding their water holding capacity.

[mrktaylor76]

:) ask a desert farmer. Save your tomatos and time. 

[gipsiest]

@mrktaylor76 did you have a real comment ? Those are appreciated....anytime!

[gipsiest]

Sorry I do mumble in the video....uhhhh.... just bare with me.

[magprob]

Where's the tomatoes? Better check your nutes.

[gipsiest]

@magprob - can't recognise a tomato plant ? What seams like too many leaves left on the plant allowed me to have a better control over leaf temperatures via plant transpiration during a very hot spring/summer months. Believe me tomatos were developing in the vines. However we did this water stress test after we harvested all ripe tomatoes, which is why there is no red showing through the leaves.

[deltafortress]

wow, never knew rockwool could hold so much

[gipsiest]

yes way....of course it was cloudy but still prety amazing! however, you would be surprised how much water is present in a 25 liter slab in the mornings.

[azzboz]

no way!