Sunco Ltd. Hydroponic Tomatoes Don't be so surprised. Situated on 12 acres in North
Las Vegas, a growing community not far from the famous
Las Vegas Strip, sits Sunco Ltd.'s hydroponic tomato greenhouse. Within this massive $6 million crystal structure are
rows upon rows of tomato plants towering more than six-feet
tall. These vine ripened tomatoes � the kinds of delicious-tasting
red beauties rural American farmers used to grow and the
ones home gardeners produce with pride � are some of the
best in the world. Sunco hydroponically grows what's known as "beefsteak"
tomatoes, which means they are planted in perlite, a volcanic
rock, and fed mineral water for plant nutrition. A plant
can receive up to 70 irrigations a day. The tomatoes are
then allowed to ripen on the vine before being shipped
to market. "About 80 percent of the flavor comes from being
vine ripened," says Ken Gerhart, president of Sunco
and a third-generation horticulturalist. "This is
a high-end tomato with a shelf life of three weeks."
Hydroponic tomatoes cost a little more, Gerhart says,
but their flavor is better and they are consistent. "Consumers' tastes are finally evolving," he
says of the epicurean quality of his tomatoes. "These
tomatoes are like a fine bottle of wine." Sunco's tomatoes, marketed under the trade name Las
Vegas Delight, are planted in July. Harvesting usually
begins within 85 to 90 days. Tomatoes are picked through
June of the following year, and then the plants are removed
and reseeding is begun all over again. Replanting costs
approximately $500,000 each year, Gerhart says. On a good day, workers pick 30,000 pounds of tomatoes,
Gerhart says. Each year, 4 million pounds are picked from
the 12-acre greenhouse. Sunco sells throughout the United
States and Canada, and does approximately $3 million in
sales each year, Gerhart says. Sunco Ltd. is owned by Southwest Power LLC, which also
owns Las Vegas Cogeneration, a 50-megawatt power plant
that sells electricity to Nevada Power Co. Water used
to cool equipment in the power plant becomes hot and is
used to heat the greenhouse via pipes that run throughout
the glass structure. Heating and cooling conditions are controlled inside
the greenhouse by computers. During the winter, the temperature
is kept at between 65 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit. High-pressure
mist is used to cool the greenhouse during the summer
to about 75 degrees. Sunco employees pick tomatoes six-days a week. They stand
on battery driven carts, activated by a foot pedal that
moves on tracks between the 250-foot rows of plants. Gerhart says he uses perlite instead of soil because
it allows him to control nutrition to the plants better. To pollinate the plants, 50 bumble bee hives have been
strategically located throughout the greenhouse. The tomato's
main predator, the whitefly, is controlled with miniature
wasps routinely let loose in the greenhouse. They lay
their eggs in the larvae of the whitefly. When the wasps
hatch, they kill the tiny whiteflies. Hundreds of thousands of wasps, which don't have stinkers,
occupy the greenhouse, Gerhart says. For more information hydroponic tomatoes contact: Sunco
Ltd., Ken Gerhart, president, 3950 N. Bruce St., North
Las Vegas, NV. 89030-3350. Phone: (702) 649-4930.
Fax: (702) 649-5574.
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