Hydroponics

Too much cold wet weather last year. Get a polytunnel or an unwanted give away greenhouse for Tomato Plants. They still need sunshine, same as everything else.
(and us!)

I tried it years ago with similar results, my thought was that the cue is all water anyway so ok but the toms tasted watery, a nd do better ( in good years) in compost

Worth experimenting though, what feed did you use and was it a constant flow of water or topped up?

Yes I think you are right. I am trying something different this year. Back into soil but automatic watering. I have found over the years the watering is the problem and as I am not always at home to water it can give me a lot of problems. So this year I am growing in 10in pots cutting a hole in the bottom of the pot and putting a net pot though the bottom. Standing the main pot on some square down guttering in a bigger container then fill with water to the bottom of the pot. What do you think.

Its hard to say, last year being so wet the taste of the toms was poor, I had to go away for a few days and put buckets of water with lengths of towelling to act as wicks, it worked well so I left them, I wonder if part of the watery taste was too much water?
But uneven watering can cause 'black bottom' and a mineral deficiency......maybe one lot normal and one lot with the new watering system and see.....but it probably still depends on the weather.....

When I went on holiday I used to put them in the bath with 2" of water. But it only worked for a week.