Best Plants for a Hydroponic Garden

Besides the shady advantages of staying out of the hot sun harvesting a traditional garden, hydroponic gardens can be just as fun and rewarding. While it may take a short adjustment period to get used to a new style of gardening, it doesn’t take long before an indoor grower can enjoy their harvest. Knowing some of the best plants for a hydroponic garden can be a great way to start planning your harvest.

Growing Herbs

Although they do have varying needs, herbs are one of the easiest plants to grow in a hydroponic garden. Because they already feature large leaves and relatively small root systems, they adjust well to the size limits of a typical kitchen sized hydroponic garden.

Herbs are also a great way to test out a new system, as almost every variety of hydroponic gardens can support them. And as an extra plus, they add amazing flavor to your dishes and desserts, making them a perfect plant to have on hand.

Almost all herbs grow well in a hydroponic indoor garden. Many growers enjoy the many varieties of basil, chives, dill, mint, lemon balm, parsley, sage, thyme, shiso, and oregano.

Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are similar to herbs in that they feature large leaves and small root systems. They often grow quickly and require very little guidance or maintenance work throughout their growth. Since individual leaves can be removed from a plant while it is still growing, planting a few types of greens guarantees constant access to fresh salad ingredients.

While each green may need different nutrients or lighting, they can all provide a fresh vibrancy and health to your dinner. Their quick growth makes them readily available and easy to harvest whenever you need them.

Strawberries

Strawberries are a delicious and small fruit that is well suited to a hydroponic garden. In a traditional garden, the seasons and surroundings greatly affect how well strawberries grow. In a hydroponic garden, with the constant nutrient flow and consistent lighting, you can enjoy fresh strawberries all year round.

With strawberries, it’s important to purchase small runner plants, rather than seeds. If you do purchase the seeds, it may take years of growth before your plant will be ready to harvest.

Bell Peppers

Bell peppers, while they may take more effort to cultivate in a hydroponic garden, are juicy and enjoyable. Because these are tall plants, they must be pruned and held to a shorter height to fit well into your hydroponic garden. Pruning will also stimulate the growth of the peppers and shorten your growing time before harvest.

These peppers will grow best with lots of light. They should be planted alongside other plants with similar light requirements nearby.

Hydroponic gardening is fun and can bring fresh food to any kitchen. By working with simple plants such as herbs or leafy greens and moving towards more needy plants such as bell peppers, home growers can learn about plants and how to grow lush and nutritious food.

Farmshelf's bookcase-sized smart, indoor hydroponic gardens (farmshelf.com/Hydroponic-Garden) are small enough to fit into a home or restaurant and provide pounds of fresh produce every week. To know more, visit https://farmshelf.com/pages/about.