I have,
but this really isn't an attempt at any kind of scientific experiment. So there's no need for any 'bad news'.
The pot-grown toms haven't been doing all that well but even so the comparison is valid enough to me. I've grown enough plants in my time to recognise one that is bigger, healthier, and faster-growing than just about anything I've ever encountered.
Here's the picture for comparison.
The strain is either Alicante or Gardener's Delight....
I thought I had it right, but now I'm not so sure.... Still, they are the same strain and all the seeds were planted/chitted at the same time.
On a slightly different line of thought for a minute, there have been a couple of comments about how I'm going to 'all that trouble' to raise a hydroponic plant and you know, it really isn't 'all that' much effort at all, to be fair....
I might even stick my neck out and say it
could even be easier than using compost.... In the greenhouse that is, I'm not trying to compare it to anything grown in the garden.
These are the things I have been learning and thinking about as I have gone on...
Firstly, those Toms in the pots are really rather root-bound, which has probably slowed their growth down. That doesn't seem to happen in hydro. The bucket I'm using now is the one I started with, and the one I'll finish with, so there's no mucking about re-potting at various stages throughout the plant's life.
Secondly, no mess! Clean fingernails for a change! Imagine that! Hooray!
Feeding is easy-peasy too. It doesn't take long to learn how much of the nutrient solution it takes to get the EC reading right, and while doing that and setting the Ph might seem a lot of work, it's no more than adding a measured amount of food or Ph-Down solution, stirring vigorously and taking a reading... Lather, rinse, and repeat.
After that, just swap the 'old' bucket for the new one and you can relax for a few days while you figure out how to support such a heavy and fast-growing plant..
I think I'm going to have to cut a piece out of the wood covering the bucket so I can pour the feed in without moving the whole thing while I fix some wire to the......... Hmmm
Thinking....... :blink: That's the hardest part of all...........