How to Build Your Own NFT Hydroponic System With Tomatoes

Build the NFT System

• 1

  Measure the underbed storage bin. Cut the 3 /4-inch plywood base so it is 2 inches wider and longer than the storage bin.

• 2

  Screw the 4-by-4-inch posts to the plywood, using 2-inch deck screws. Place the two taller posts, or legs, at one end and the shorter legs at the other, so the base sits at an angle. Place the bin onto the base. When the hydroponic system is finished, the nutrient solution will flow across the tomato's roots and drain into the reservoir.

• 3

  Mark the sides of the plastic bin. At the upper end, place a mark 2 inches from the top and 2 inches from the end on both sides of the bin. Cover it with painter's tape. Place a piece of scrap wood behind the marks, and slowly drill 5/8-inch holes through each side of the bin. The painter's tape and wood prevent the plastic from breaking.

• 4

  Insert the polyethylene tubing through the holes. Plug one end of the hose with a 1/2-inch end cap. Allow the other end of the hose to extend below the stand and into a 5-gallon bucket.

• 5

  Puncture the hose inside of the bin with a skewer. Insert two or three drip irrigation emitters into the holes, and twist the hose so they face down.

• 6

  Place a small immersible aquarium pump into the bucket. Attach the hose to the pump.

• 7

  Drill a 5/8-inch hole at the opposite end of the bin, 1/4 inch from the bottom of the bin. Insert a 1/2-inch polyethylene hose into the hole. Seal around the edges with silicone sealant and allow it to dry completely. Place the other end of the hose into the bucket.

• 8

  Cut holes in the sides of a 4-inch plastic flower pot, using a utility knife. Place a rockwool block inside the pot. Rockwool blocks are designed to nest inside of each other, so the seedling-sized block will fit into a hole in the center of the larger block.

• 9

  Cut a 4-inch hole in the bin's lid using a utility knife. Insert the 4-inch plastic pot into the hole.

Plant the Tomato

• 10

  Start the tomato seedling in a rockwool block. Place three seeds on top of each rockwool block and cover with 1/4-inch vermiculite. Mist with water.

• 11

  Cover the seed block with plastic wrap, and place it in a warm, brightly lit location. Remove the plastic as soon as the tomatoes sprout, in seven to 10 days.

• 12

  Place the seedlings under the grow lights, keeping the lights 2 to 4 inches above the tallest leaves. Keep them moist, using a solution of hydroponic fertilizer mixed according to the manufacturer's directions.

• 13

  Insert the seedling block into the 4-inch pot as soon as the seedlings have two to four sets of leaves.

• 14

  Mix the hydroponic fertilizer with water according to the manufacturer's directions. Pour the nutrient solution into the 5-gallon bucket, completely covering the pump.

• 15

  Plug the aquarium pump into a GFCI-protected outlet. Check the flow of the solution through the hose and into the bin. Once you are satisfied with the flow and verify that the solution is draining back into the bucket, place the lid onto the bin. The tomato seedling's roots will rapidly grow through the rockwool and into the nutrient solution.

• 16

  Plug the grow light into a timer. Tomatoes require 12 to 14 hours of bright light daily to blossom and fruit. Raise the light as the tomato plant grows, keeping it 4 inches above the tallest leaves.