Alright, So your sold. You want to get into hydroponics! Now what?! Actually, this question is a very common roadblock people will run into when starting out.
What can you grow in hydroponics? What should I start growing? I’ve got the equipment, so what now?
A few factors need to be assessed before we can dive into what you should be growing in your new system. These are:
- Type of hydroponic system you are using
- How much space that hydroponic system has available to it
- Experience (this article assumes you have none)
So what’s your setup?
In general, there are 2 types of hydroponic systems (more if you count aquaponics but we won’t here).
- Nutrient solutions
- Substrate Culture
With a nutrient-based fluid system, the plant roots will drink directly from the liquids it hovers over. This is ideal for certain types of plants with stubby roots such as some herbs, radishes, lettuce, etc.
With a substrate culture system, (wick, ebb’n’flow) you use a substrate medium, that could be coconut coir, Rockwool, clay, Perlite, vermiculite, peat moss, lava rock, etc, suffice to say, the list goes on forever when it comes to media.
These mediums are used to support heavier types of growth, such as top-heavy, such as beans, tomatoes, melons, or plants that have long root systems. These systems tend to be deeper as well.
Now that you know what setup you are using is good for, we move onto space.
How much space do you have?
Small systems may be limited to what they can or should grow, while larger systems are open to a larger amount of choices.
And even though you could grow larger plants in smaller systems, You won’t get nearly as much yield as you would if you really had the space to maximize the number of plants you have.
So it reasonable to say a smaller system should focus on smaller, but more, types of plants, Such as herbs and other leafy green’s. You should also focus on faster-growing plants rather than longer growing plants. Once again, To maintain productivity and make it worth growing them in the first place.
Now if you have a large system and a large place to put that system, Maybe even room for trellises and long-rooted plants, Then you should focus on those types of vegetables and fruits.
Experience level
Balancing nutrients, light and other needs of your plants all come with experience. If your just a beginner with a small system, You should grow easier plants with easier requirements.
If your a newer grower with a large system… well technically the same advice applies to you. Some plant species are ridiculously finicky and easy to kill.
An experienced grower has no limit. He can grow whatever he wants assuming he sets everything up properly. This could include things like berries, fruits, very large melons like pumpkins, even the devil’s lettuce.
Now that you’ve got all that figured out, Here’s a list of what you can grow in hydroponics, including tables with nutrient levels, light levels, and general care requirements.
What Can You Grow In Hydroponics
Berries
There are countless species of berries you could grow, But listing them all here would be absurd. So We’ll just talk about the most common.
Berries are generally something you want to grow in a larger system as many species will require a trellis or something else to climb up.
Raspberries
There are 2 types of raspberries, primocane, and floricane. Primocane in the wild is a fall-bearing berry, and floricane is a summer variety.
What you choose doesn’t matter as you will be setting up their environment to match what it would be in the wild.
However, Primocane is recommended for hydroponic growth as it will produce berries over a long harvest. They require slightly less space and are generally easier and more hearty to grow in this manner.
| pH | 5.8 – 6.5 |
| Temp | 22-24C (71 – 75F) |
| Light | 10-12 Hours pDay 6 minimum |
| Planting type | Cuttings only seeds not recommended |
| Humidity | 65-75% |
| Harvest | 12 months of the year with staggered growth |
| Recommended Nutrients | Dyna-Gro + Liquid Grow |
Blueberries
Blueberries love moist wet conditions. This makes them ideal for growing in a hydroponic setup.
It’s imperative your pH level is between 4.5 and 5.8 for blueberries, with a ppm of 1260-1360 nutrient strength, Which is fairly acidic. You should not grow any other plants in the same solution as your blueberries unless they have similar needs.
| pH | 4.5 – 5.8 |
| Temp | 72-76F |
| Light | 12-16 hours pDay 8 min |
| Planting type | Cuttings only seeds not recommended |
| Humidity | 65-75% |
| Harvest | year-round |
| Recommended Nutrients | Dyna-Gro + Liquid Grow |
Strawberries
One of the strawberries’ biggest threats in the wild is soil-based pests. You completely eliminate that threat when you grow them hydroponically. This gives you a huge advantage when you want to grow giant awesome strawberries.
Another wonderful thing about growing these hydroponically is they can stack. You can go vertical with strawberries with zero issues. This makes them great for smaller setups too.
| pH | 5.8 – 6.2 |
| Temp | 65-80F |
| Light | 8-12 hours pDay |
| Planting type | Cuttings only, Seeds not recommended |
| Humidity | 60-75% |
| Harvest | Varies |
| Recommended Nutrients | Dyna-Gro + Liquid Grow |
Tomatoes
when learning What Can You Grow In Hydroponics, Tomatoes will come up a lot. Tomatoes and hydroponics go very well together. They do need the support of a trellis or something similar and require more space. So it’s ideal for a larger setup.
There are more species of tomato than I can count too, But one thing’s for sure, they aren’t all equal. At least for hydroponics. Varying in size, shape, weight, and nutritional needs, it might be too much for someone new to the hobby.
So I helped choose some for you!
Beefsteak Tomatoes
This is the most popular tomato species grown hydroponically. It the staple American tomato, huge beefy texture, large fruit and even ripening.
The jelona yellow, matrix beefsteak and geronimo are all the most popular subspecies for growing in this manner. There general stats are bellow, however you should look up in more detail the one you intend to plant.
| pH | 5.5-6.5 |
| Temp | 77F Gradually lowered to 66-68F |
| Light | 8-12 hours pDay |
| Planting type | Cuttings, Seeds |
| Humidity | 60-85% |
| Harvest | Varies |
| Recommended Nutrients | Fox Farm |
Cluster Tomato
Also known as the the 6-pack, the cluster toma-toes, truss tomatoes. It goes by many names and is a fairly new species to grace us growers.
If you haven’t guessed by now, these tomatoes grow in a cluster all connected by vines, Much like a 6-pack of cans. They don’t take up much room.
They do especially well in hydroponic farms due to the nature of their creation.
| pH | 5.5-6.5 |
| Temp | 66-68F |
| Light | 8-12 hours pDay |
| Planting type | Cuttings, Seeds |
| Humidity | 60-85% |
| Harvest | Varies |
| Recommended Nutrients | Fox Farm |
Herbs
Herbs tend to be especially great for hydroponic growing. They are small, take little requirements, Grow and harvest quickly, and if you time them right you can have a constantly yearly supply of fresh herbs.
Here’s a couple you can grow.
Mint
Mint loves it wet. That delicious, watery dampness that it craves. Which, of course, Makes it the perfect partner for hydroponics.
One caveat is, For such a small plant, Mint actually requires a decent chunk of space. It will spread out nice and wide.
It also comes in a ton of varieties, such as:
- Peppermint
- Ginger mint
- Spearmint
- Wild mint
- Apple mint
- Water Mint
- Mentha Canadensis
- Mentha Longifolia
- etc..
So the chart below is really just a general use case And will vary greatly on the type of mint you choose to cultivate. So do research on what you pick. Mind you, most of these mint plants do well in wet hydroponic style environments, and they also all taste great.
| pH | 6.5-7.0 |
| Temp | 65-70F |
| Light | 12-16 hours pDay |
| Planting type | Cuttings, Seeds |
| Humidity | 75-80% |
| Harvest | Varies |
| Recommended Nutrients | FloraGro |
Basil
Hydroponically grown basil is a treat. For almost no space investment you can always have a crop of fresh basil ready to harvest, and all it takes is 28 days to get started. That’s how long it takes for basil to grow hydroponically (even less if you just want microgreens(14 days)!) (Read the rest of our basil growing guide here)
| pH | 5.8 to 6.2 |
| Temp | 70-80F |
| Light | 14 hours pDay |
| Planting type | Cuttings, Seeds |
| Humidity | 60-65% |
| Harvest | Varies |
| Recommended Nutrients | FloraGro |
This article will be continually expanding, so check back often so you learn more about What Can You Grow In Hydroponics.