What Are the Best Hydroponic Vegetables to Grow?
Looking for a new method of gardening that is less messy, conserves water, and produces large, juicy produce? Hydroponics might be the gardening method for you!
Hydroponics is a gardening system that uses nutrient-rich water to support roots rather than planting crops in soil. You can grow an abundance of produce using a hydroponics system from beans, lettuce, cucumbers, chives, and more!
Read on to learn more about the different hydroponics systems to try, the best vegetables to grow, and the benefits of using a hydroponics system.
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Which Vegetable is Suitable for Hydroponics?
There are many wonderful and delicious options to choose from when growing vegetables hydroponically. Let’s take a brief look at some of the vegetables to choose from when you are planning out your hydroponic garden.
Bell peppers
Spinach
Kale
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Peppers
Cucumbers
Microgreens
These are just some of the popular vegetables that are suitable for hydroponics. If you would like more information or examples of hydroponic growing for vegetables, check out this video!
What is Hydroponics?
Hydroponics allows you to grow plants without the need for additional soil. In other words, you can substitute soil for another gardening method (usually water) to help support the roots.
Placing your plants directly in nutrient-rich water supports amazing plant growth.
There are many different ways to design your hydroponic garden, which we will explore later in this article.
Regardless of how you construct this system, the method remains the same.
Best Hydroponic Vegetables
Here are a few of the best hydroponic vegetables you can grow in your new hydroponic garden.
Beans
When growing beans using a hydroponic garden, you don’t have to worry so much about the maintenance! These vegetables are low-maintenance and are relatively hardy when it comes to growing them hydroponically.
Green beans, garbanzo beans, and many other varieties of beans prefer medium to high exposure to light. Additionally, they can germinate in a shorter amount of time (3 to 8 days) and need fewer nutrients than other crops.
If you are considering growing beans hydroponically, the best growing medium is loose (try perlite or expanded clay pebbles). Also, if your bean plant is the climbing variety, consider purchasing a trellis.
Tomatoes
Growing tomatoes using a hydroponics system is simple to get the hang of once you get your system up and running. Tomatoes can grow in almost any hydroponic system, but an ebb and flow system appears to work best for this produce.
An ebb and flow system consists of a filling tray, a reservoir, a drain tube, and a submersible pump. This system allows for the water to be reused by allowing gravity to take the water back down to the reservoir. Feel free to use an ebb and flow system or another system!
As for the benefits of growing tomatoes hydroponically, there are many pluses involved in the growing process! For example, tomatoes tend to yield more crops, grow faster and can grow year-round under the right conditions.
Radishes
If you are interested in hydroponic gardening and want a quick harvest - more bang for your buck! - then you might want to consider radishes. These are some of the best hydroponic vegetables you can grow with limited space and time.
Much like beans, growing radishes hydroponically increases the germination rate. The nutrient levels for radishes tend to be slightly acidic (6.0-7.0). The ideal temperature should be between 50-85 degrees Fahrenheit while the light should range from 6-10 hours a day.
Swiss Chard
Swiss Chard is one of the fastest-growing plants you can grow using a hydroponic system, and you can grow it long-term. When grown hydroponically, Swiss chard is prolific and allows for repeated harvests. It’s one of the best leafy greens to grow and offers a ton of health benefits, too.
One benefit of growing Swiss Chard hydroponically is that it will continue to grow after you harvest (harvest time being about 35 days). When developing this plant, make sure it has access to full sun.
If you’re a beginner, Swiss Chard is a fantastic crop to start with since it is resilient and has a reputation for not attracting a ton of pests.
Spinach
Spinach is among the trickier crops when it comes to growing hydroponically. It is easy for the spinach to acquire a bitter taste when growing or the crop could fail. If you are a beginner when it comes to hydroponics, we recommend trying some of the other crops first.
If you are intermediate- or expert-level in hydroponics, here are a couple of tips to achieve a successful spinach crop.
Consider taking on a heavy sow when growing spinach in a hydroponic system. In other words, putting more seeds in one hole will increase the chances of at least one strong, good crop.
Additionally, it is important to keep the spinach seeds moist during the germination process. That being said, also make sure that the temperature for the seeds is on the cooler side. Avoid using seed-heating mats as spinach has the best flavor when grown in cooler weather.
Chives
Chives can grow year-long in a hydroponic system granted they are provided with plenty of natural or supplementary lighting. Like tomatoes, chives have a fantastic production rate. You can avoid dormancy by providing light t14 hours of the day.
Peas
If you are considering peas for hydroponic growing, we recommend choosing varieties that won’t take up too much room in a container. Peas like Snap peas and Snow Peas are among the best for this growing system because they don’t take up much room.
In addition, you can grow these peas in several rows so they can support each other when they get taller.
The essential nutrient that peas need the most is nitrogen while receiving 8-10 hours of ample sunlight or supplemental lighting.
Broccoli
You already know that broccoli has a ton of health benefits. But did you know that it’s also perfect for hydroponic cultivation?
When growing broccoli hydroponically, keep in mind that they need enough room from each other so, that when they grow to maturity, the heads will have the proper space. We recommend planting the seeds anywhere between 12-16 inches apart.
If you’re worried about the growth and if there is enough space, you can always buy broccoli heads and transplant them to your hydroponic system.
Zucchini
When you grow zucchini hydroponically, you can harvest the plants about two months after germination (about 1-2 weeks).
Much like growing other crops hydroponically, you can produce juicer, fuller, vegetables by growing with this method.
Lettuce
Lettuce is incredibly easy to grow which means it is the perfect crop for beginners. This crop grows fast (it takes about a month).
Like spinach, lettuce prefers to grow in cooler temperatures under 75 degrees Fahrenheit. They prefer a moderate amount of sunlight about 12-14 hours a day.
Celery
Celery is grouped with lettuce and spinach in terms of preferred temperature (75 degrees Fahrenheit and below, the best temperature range being 60-75 degrees).
It will take up to two weeks to germinate and prefers a good nutrient mix of calcium and magnesium to strengthen the celery stalks come harvest time.
Cucumbers
When growing cucumbers hydroponically, the ebb and flow systems seem to be the best. Whether you are a beginner or intermediate hydroponic gardener, this system is easy to set up and maintain.
You can also consider a DWC system which is similar to an ebb and flow system, but the roots are in constant contact with the nutrient-rich water.
Benefits of Growing Vegetables Hydroponically
Here are a few of the key benefits of growing vegetables in a hydroponic farm.
Cleanliness
Since you won’t be dealing with soil, the hydroponic garden is one of the cleanest gardening methods you can adopt.
You can easily clean up your space without dealing with a ton of dirt. This also leads to reduced likelihood of pests and diseases.
Water Conservation
Though it may seem like you are using more water for your hydroponic system than you do by growing your plants in soil, you are actually using less water.
By growing plants hydroponically, you encourage the plant to take what they need and only what they need. In addition, most of the water is recycled and recirculated through the system you choose to use.
Higher Yield
Because you have more control over the nutrients in the water, and because the roots come into direct contact with those nutrients, your plants will naturally produce more crops.
Faster Growth Rates
Similar to how hydroponic growing increases yield, it can also increase the growth rate because the crops are in direct contact with the nutrients.
Growth Year-Round
Depending on the type of crop you’re planning to grow, you can promote plant growth through the off-seasons.
That said, most crops do benefit from a dormant season. Much like us, plants need proper rest to reenergize and come back stronger during the growing season.
Best Hydroponic Systems to Buy
Now that you know which plants to grow in your hydroponics systems (and which are the easiest plants), here are some of the best hydroponics systems you can buy.
Ebb and Flow
As mentioned, the ebb and flow systems use gravity to flood the roots and drain the water when done, recycling the water periodically.
Deep Water Culture (DWC)
DWC systems are similar to ebb and flow, but the roots sit in the water the whole time, creating constant contact between the roots and nutrient-rich water.
Drip
Drip systems consist of small drip nozzles situated above every plant. Any excess water that doesn’t drip on the plants is returned through the tubing and recycled for later use.
Aeroponic
Instead of soaking the roots in water, an aeroponic system suspends the roots and mists them with nutrient-filled water.
Nutrient Film Technique
Nutrient film technique is a type of hydroponic growing system. In a nutrient film system, plants are grown in a shallow stream of water that contains all the necessary nutrients for plant growth. The water is constantly recirculating, and a pump keeps the nutrient solution moving through the system.
Nutrient film systems can be used to grow a wide variety of plants, and they are often used in commercial settings such as greenhouses and nurseries. One advantage of nutrient film systems is that they require less maintenance than other types of hydroponic systems.
Additionally, nutrient film systems can be easily automated, making them an ideal choice for large-scale operations.
What is the Difference Between Hydroponics and Aquaponics?
Aquaponics and hydroponics have many similarities, but plenty of differences as well.
Aquaponics is the growth of fish and plants in the same environment. The idea is that the fish’s waste is used for plant growth because of essential nutrients present in the waste. The system cleans the water, while using the nutrients for the plants, and allows the fish to swim freely.
Hydroponics does not have this natural waste to convert into nutrients for the plants, so you will have to buy these chemicals separately. In a way, hydroponics is a bit more costly than aquaponics because of this.
Additionally, when checking for pesticides, a hydroponic system requires chemical remedies while you will need to find non-chemical solutions for aquaponics to keep the fish safe.
Lastly, a hydroponic system is meant to look man-made while an aquaponics system is intentionally designed to mimic a natural ecosystem for the benefit of the fish inside.
Are Hydroponic Vegetables Healthy?
Hydroponic vegetables are indeed healthy as long as you put the proper care and maintenance into the crop according to their individual needs.
With direct access to essential nutrients, the plant can generate crops that are filled with beneficial nutrients for our bodies.
Although some people believe that hydroponic farming results in hydroponic plants that have fewer health benefits, the reality is that plants grow just as well in hydroponic farming.
As long as you use the right nutrients, hydroponic cultivation offers the same benefits as traditional farming - and plants that grow hydroponically are just as nutritious as plants grown in an actual growing medium like soil.
What is the Most Profitable Vegetable to Grow Hydroponically?
Lettuce, spinach, and cucumbers are among some of the most profitable vegetables to grow hydroponically because they are incredibly versatile and contain a plethora of nutrients.
These vegetables are always in high demand and can regenerate quickly. Herbs can also be extremely profitable.
Of course, you can grow just about any vegetable hydroponically and make money from it, as long as you have a good plan in place.
Quick Guide - Getting Started With Hydroponics
When getting started with hydroponics, the first thing you’ll need to do is determine the type of crops you are going to grow and what system best suits the crop and your gardening style. The ebb and flow system and the DWC system are best for beginners.
Next, you’ll want to evaluate the quality of the water. Most people use tap water for their systems. As long as the water isn’t hard water (200 ppm or above), your city’s water should be fine.
For the nutrients, it is best to start out with a commercial hydroponic fertilizer that is catered toward the specific crop you are growing.
In addition, examine the space you have. Hydroponic systems are space-efficient, so they will fit almost anywhere. But, you’ll still need to properly space your plants since they tend to grow larger using this gardening method.
Light, air ventilation, temperature, and pH levels are all determined by the type of crop you are planning on growing.
Typically, the ideal temperature for crops is anywhere between 50-75 degrees Fahrenheit while the amount of light is moderate exposure between 6 hours minimum to 14 hours maximum.
Final Thoughts
Starting a hydroponic system doesn’t have to be overwhelming. There are several systems that are easy to set up and maintain. Plus, most crops that thrive under a hydroponic system are relatively low-maintenance and clean
Make sure to consider the specific needs of the crop you choose and measure the pH levels of your water regularly.
By using a hydroponic system, you can produce larger, juicer, and perhaps even healthier produce! Start small if you’re thinking of crafting a hydroponic system then, sit back and cultivate an innovative gardening system!
Want to learn more about farming? Be sure to check out these featured articles!
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