HIGH-TECH GARDENING
by Melissa Farrell

If one is tired of buying red tomatoes from the grocery store only to realize they are green inside or mushy and tasteless, Bad Axe resident Marvin Smaglinski has an answer inside his greenhouse.

Smagliniski put his research and skills to work this year growing hydroponic tomatoes.

Hydroponics is a technology for growing plants in nutrient solution (fertilizer) in water with or without the use of an artificial medium in a controlled environment. This is a soil-less method of growing plants.

Smaglinski was not a farmer or gardener by profession, but began exploring other career venues after he fell off a roof while helping his brother build a shed nine years ago. As a result of the fall, he broke both of his ankles.

Smaglinski's interest in hydroponics began when he read an article from The Bay City Times about a man who grew hydroponic cucumbers.

After three years of research and a year preparing his greenhouse to grow hydroponic tomato plants, Smaglinski is able to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

Smaglinski planted his first seed on February 5, and picked his first tomato the second week of May.

A computer-controlled injection system feeds and hydrates Smaglinski's tomato plants three times an hour through a tubing system. The system is constantly adjusted so the plants obtain the proper nutrient levels as they grow.

A wet wall, a system designed to help combat hot weather, and an air circulation tube, which circulates heat and regulates the carbon dioxide levels in the greenhouse, are also operated by a computerized system.

Smaglinski finds himself quite busy this time of year in his family-operated business.

"It is like milking cows; I have to be here twice a day to make sure everything is working well."

Besides making sure everything is running well, there are always tomatoes to pick, new tomato clusters to vine clip to the spool of string on which the vines hang, tomato clusters to prune, and orders to fill and deliver, all of which Smaglinski does with the help of his two nieces.

His niece Amanda Lange, 15, helps him with daily tasks in the greenhouse, while Magen Lange, 13, waits on customers and helps box orders.

The fruits of Smaglinski's labor are well worth the work. While this is the first year Smaglinski has grown hydroponic tomatoes, he expects his 1,456 tomato plants to yield 56,000 tomatoes this year. These hybrid beefsteak tomatoes are great for eating, he commented.

Hydroponic tomatoes are less acidic than soil grown tomatoes, but otherwise are comparable to juicy garden grown tomatoes.

In order to sell tomatoes of this nature, the stem must remain intact and the tomatoes are labeled hydroponic.

Smaglinski's tomatoes are sold at several grocery stores and markets throughout the Thumb. Several restaurants in the area also purchase his tomatoes.

"People love Smaglinski's hydroponic tomatoes," said Deanna May, owner of North Shore Grocery in Port Hope. "We get a lot of repeat customers."

May said she is always excited to sell locally-grown products.

"On average I sell 150 pounds of tomatoes a day, besides what I sell to the stores," he stated.

There are definite advantages to hydroponically grown tomatoes, especially with Michigan's limited growing season.

Garden grown tomatoes may keep two to three days on a cupboard while hydroponic tomatoes may keep a week-and-a half to two weeks, Smaglinski said.

"Smaglinski's hydroponic tomatoes hold up better than other tomatoes," said Lynne Tschirhart, owner of Cousins restaurant in Bad Axe.

Not only do hydroponic tomatoes generally stay fresh longer, hydroponics is a very land efficient way of growing produce.

"Through hydroponics, I produce equivalent to five acres worth of tomatoes grown in a garden or a field in a ¼ of an acre of space in my greenhouse," he said.

The soil-less and isolated environment in which the plants dwell eliminate the nuisance of weeds, the need to spray chemicals for insect control and the threat of disease.

Technically, in a controlled environment, hydroponic tomatoes can be grown all year. They are a great substitute for unripe tomatoes that are imported from Mexico and Canada during off-season months, Smaglinski said.

However, tomato plants are very expensive to grow during the winter months and are not feasible for Smaglinski to grow at this time. While this Harbor Beach native does not have the cost of owning farm equipment, growing hydroponic produce can be expensive, especially with the cost of fuel these days. However there are more economical ways of heating the greenhouse, such as corn boilers. Irrigation, heat, electricity and fertilizer are his biggest expenses.

In the future, Smaglinski hopes to add an additional bay to his greenhouse to grow spinach and lettuce year 'round. Spinach and lettuce are more suitable for growing during the winter months because they require less light than tomatoes, he explained.

For more information, visit Smaglinski's greenhouse ½ mile east of Verona on M-142.