Beginning your adventure in hydroponic gardening starts with knowing which plants you’d like to grow. If you’ve decided on some of your favorite vegetables, good news! Most vegetables are excellent to grow in hydroponic gardens with proper care. However, if you’re still unsure, then we have a list of which vegetables are best grown in hydroponics that can help you decide.
Leafy Greens
Any plant comprised primarily of water will thrive in a hydroponic garden. Vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, and cabbage will fill plenty of space in your garden. The best part? You can pick off the leaves of lettuce or cabbage as they grow—you don’t need to harvest the whole head if all you need is a few leaves for dinner. Plus, you won’t have rabbits nibbling on your lettuce if your garden is indoors. Lettuce is an excellent starter plant for beginners due to how easy it is to maintain. Let it live in cooler temperatures.
Celery
Celery is interesting in that you can start it from small scraps in a cup of water. This hardiness translates well to growing in hydroponics. Since celery is another type of vegetable primarily made of water, it will be perfectly happy living in your hydroponic garden. Once the stalks begin to grow, you’ll need to trim off weaker stalks to keep the main stalk strong. You can start celery off from seeds if you want, but it will take longer to grow than most other plants.
Tomatoes
No, tomatoes aren’t vegetables; however, the way people prepare tomatoes lands them among vegetables in many peoples’ eyes. Tomatoes can perform extremely well in hydroponic gardens, though they shouldn’t be your first hydroponic project—they’re picky when it comes to the nutrients and environment they need.
Cucumbers and Zucchinis
These two companion vegetables work well together because they grow similarly. The only thing to keep in mind when growing them is that cucumber and zucchini plants can get very large. In a bigger hydroponic garden, you can let the vines of these plants creep onto a trellis while the veggies themselves hang from it. Cucumbers and zucchinis do love warm hydroponic environments, but you’ll need to accommodate for how big they can get by giving them plenty of space.
Broccoli
Though it can be difficult to grow, broccoli works well in hydroponic gardens because of how well you can control the nutrients the plant gets. It’s also economical, as it’s a cool-weather vegetable that doesn’t need the garden to be heated much, if at all. Which nutrients broccoli requires changes based on its growing period, so be mindful when preparing its fertilizer.
Regardless of which of these vegetables that grow best in hydroponic gardens you choose to grow, ensure you have the proper hydroponic gardening equipment for your plants. At FloraFlex, we offer a hydroponic grow kit that can get you started with all the essential equipment.
