Why Your Hydroponic Tomatoes May Not Be Turning Red
Disclosure: Your purchases through our links may earn us a small commission, supporting our site’s ability to provide valuable information to our readers. Rest assured, it won’t impact your price. Thank you for your support.
Many hydroponic gardeners face a common problem: their tomatoes aren’t turning red. So what could be the reason behind this? There could be a few different causes, but understanding them is essential to growing healthy and happy tomatoes. In this post, we’ll explore why your hydroponic tomatoes may not turn red and what you can do to fix the problem. Let’s get started!
What Are The Three Stages of Tomato Ripening
Tomatoes go through three stages of ripening: green, breaker, and red.
- The green stage is when the tomato is still hard and has not yet developed any color.
- The breaker stage is when the tomato begins to turn yellow.
- The red stage is when the tomato is fully ripened and has a bright red color.
Read How to Grow Hydroponic Tomatoes for the Absolute Beginner? to learn more on hydroponic tomatoes growing.
Check the following Amazon link for buying tomato seeds.
Why Hydroponic Tomatoes May Not Turn Red
You’ve been carefully tending to your hydroponic tomato plants and finally see some fruit! But there’s a problem…the tomatoes are green. What gives? Here are a few potential reasons why your tomatoes may not turn red.
1. Not enough light –
Solution:
Move your plants to a sunnier location or supplement natural sunlight with grow lights.
Related:
How to Choose the Right Hydroponic Grow Light for Plants?
The Best Grow Light Strips for Your Indoor Plants
Do Grow Light Colors Matter?
2. Incorrect temperature –
Solution:
Check the temperature of your grow room and make adjustments as necessary to ensure that it stays within the ideal range for tomato production.
Related:
Does Grow Light Temperature Matter?
How to Measure EC, pH, DO and Temperature in a Hydroponic System
3. Lack of nutrients –
Solution:
Make sure you are fertilizing your plants regularly and supplementing them with additional nutrients if necessary.
Related:
NPK for Hydroponics: How It Works and Why It Matters?
13 Nutrients Required for Hydroponic Plants
4. Too much water –
Solution:
Check the water level in your hydroponic system and ensure the roots are sitting in a few inches of water.
Related:
7 Watering Tips for New Hydroponic Gardeners
What Are the 10 Ways to Avoid Over or Underwatering Your Seedlings in Hydroponics?
5. Disease or pests –
Solution:
Treat your plants with an appropriate pesticide or fungicide, and make sure to keep up with regular maintenance.
6. Genetic factors –
Solution:
Do research and choose a different type of tomato plant to grow next time.
Read Why Your Hydroponic Tomatoes May Not Be Turning Red to learn more.
Check the following Amazon links for buying monitoring devises.
Digital pH meters
TDS meters
EC meters
Also, learn to be aware when pruning your plants such as lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries by reading 4 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Pruning Your Hydroponic Plants.
Conclusion
If your hydroponic tomatoes are staying green, don’t despair! There are a few possible reasons why this may happen; thankfully, there are also solutions. By ensuring that your plants get enough light, water, and nutrients and maintain the correct temperature, you can encourage them to produce beautiful, juicy, red fruit in no time!
Thank you for reading!
Also, read:
How to Grow Hydroponic Basil: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to Grow Hydroponic Lettuce for a Healthy, Delicious Salad?
How to Grow Hydroponic Cucumber: Step-by-Step Guide
How To Grow Hydroponic Potatoes