9 Best Plants For Hydroponics That You Can Grow At Home

Last updated on November 9th, 2022 at 02:12 pm

If you are wondering what can you grow with Hydroponics then this guide is for you. We have put together a list of 9 Best Plants for Hydroponics that you can grow at your home with ease.

You have read several articles on Hydroponics and gone through step-by-step instructions on how to build a hydroponic system but if you can’t yet decide on best hydroponic plants to grow then we are here to clear your doubts

We will explain every point in detail later in the post but here’s a quick overview of the 9 Best plants for Hydroponics:

Best Plants For Hydroponics

Hydroponic plants can grow faster than soil if managed properly but still, there are some plants that do well in hydroponics even if you try to ignore them. Here is our list of 9 Best Hydroponic Plants to grow at Home:

1. Spinach
2. Lettuce
3. Kale
4. Tomatoes
5. Bell Peppers
6. Strawberries
7. Cucumbers
8. Broccoli
9. Eggplants

Let’s learn more about these vegetables and the best systems for them to grow hydroponically

Spinach In Hydroponics

Spinach is a great crop to grow in Hydroponics as it is a fast-growing leafy green with shallow roots best suited to hydroponic systems like Nutrient Film Technique, Floating Rafts or Deep Water Culture System, and Kratky method

In the abovementioned above systems, roots are always in touch with nutrient solution and very little growing media is used to support the plants

You can also read our articles on Hydroponic Spinach in NFT and Kratky Spinach for in-depth how-to-grow information as spinach is one of the best plants for hydroponics

You can also grow spinach in substrate hydroponics where you can use growing media such as cocopeat and sow seeds directly

Lettuce In Hydroponics

Lettuce is yet another fast-growing shallow-rooted crop that grows extremely well in recirculating systems like Nutrient Film Technique as well as other methods such as Deep Water Culture and the Kratky method

It is very easy to start lettuce seeds first and then transplant the seedlings to any of the above-mentioned hydroponic systems. You can harvest various lettuce varieties within 5-8 weeks after germination.

It does not take much gardening space and is number two on our list of best plants for hydroponics. It can be grown indoors using artificial lighting

Kale In Hydroponics

Kale which is number 3 on our list of best plants for hydroponics, is a wonderful crop to grow in hydroponics with rich flavor and growers love how easy it is to grow kale whether it is the Floating Raft System, Nutrient Film Technique, or Kratky method.

You can harvest kale in 20-30 days if you want baby kale otherwise for kale to fully mature, it can take anywhere between 3 to 4 months.

This leafy green superfood has been enjoyed since Roman times and has many excellent qualities.

Tomatoes In Hydroponics

Talk about hydroponics and you can’t keep tomatoes away from the topic. Tomatoes grow very well in hydroponics and are well suited to systems that support big plants like Dutch Buckets and Substrate Hydroponics such as Grow Bags.

It is also one of the best plants for hydroponics

You can also use other hydroponic systems for tomatoes such as Nutrient Film Technique, Deep Water Culture, Kratky, or Ebb & Flow but these are not the ideal systems as tomato plants are top heavy and that can make it difficult to keep the system stabilized

Bell Peppers in Hydroponics

One of the best plants for hydroponics, A nightshade family plant like tomatoes, Bell Peppers is also a good crop to grow in hydroponics. It is a very rewarding crop and you can grow various colored bell peppers in systems that are best for its growth like Dutch Buckets, Grow bags, Ebb & Flow, Kratky method

Other systems can also be used but they are less preferable such as Deep Water Culture, Nutrient Film Technique, etc.

Strawberries In Hydroponics

Delicious strawberries are always a treat irrespective of how you grow them. Hydroponics lets you grow some amazing strawberries with exquisite taste and without unwanted risks of soil-borne diseases and pests

It one of the best plants for hydroponics and grows very well in systems like Ebb & Flow, Deep Water Culture, and Nutrient Film Technique as these are small plants with shallow root structures.

Cucumbers in Hydroponics

We love cucumbers! and so do most hydroponic growers because this vining crop being a fruiting vegetable crop grow really fast in hydroponics and reward growers with amazing cucumbers.

It is definitely one of the best plants for hydroponics. Dutch Buckets, Grow Bags, Ebb & Flow, and Kratky are some of the most popular methods used to grow cucumbers. They don’t do well in Nutrient Film Technique and are difficult to manage in a system like Deep water culture

You may want to check out our post on Hydroponic Cucumbers in 5 gallon buckets if you wish to grow these in grow bags/substrate hydroponics or Buckets

Broccoli in Hydroponics

Broccoli plants have neither too deep root structure nor too shallow so they can be grown in almost all types of hydroponic systems. The Most preferred systems to grow broccoli are Ebb & Flow, Grow Bags, Deep Water Culture, and Kratky.

The Nutrient Film Technique is a little less preferred due to the fact that it can clog the pipes and cause trouble but you can still grow Hydroponic Broccoli in NFT quite well

Broccoli usually takes between 80-100 days to be ready for harvest from germination and is one of the best plants for hydroponics

Eggplants In Hydroponics

Eggplants, one of the best plants for hydroponics, are sometimes thought to be not so popular of a crop to grow in hydroponics but you can’t be more wrong because it grows exceptionally well hydroponically given the right conditions.

You can grow Hydroponic Eggplants in Grow Bags, Ebb & Flow, and Dutch Buckets very easily in summer and enjoy them whole-heartedly

Eggplants start forming fruits after around 45-60 days from starting seeds

Conclusion

So, we have shared our two cents on what we think are some of the best plants for hydroponics and mentioned above great vegetables that you can grow at your home in the hydroponic system of your choice.

Always remember that vegetables that have fast-growing time are best suited to hydroponics especially when you are growing indoors or in a recirculating system

Please feel free to ask any questions in the comment section below and we will be happy to answer them

FAQ

What is the easiest plant to grow in Hydroponics?

Leafy greens are the easiest plants to grow in hydroponics that have short growth time and their root system is not very deep. Below is the list of leafy greens you can grow easily in hydroponics:

• Kale
• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Coriander
• Mint
• Fenugreek
• Bok Choy
• Water Cress
• Arugula
• Swiss Chard
• Herbs

What are Some Good Plants for Hydroponics Beginners?

Hydroponics beginners would find it easy to grow plants that have short growth cycles and/or don’t need a lot of maintenance. These can be:

• Spinach
• Lettuce
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Kale
• Coriander
• Mint