If you are someone who has something of an interest in growing things then the chances are high that you have at least heard of hydroponics and have a passing curiosity about how it all works. You may even have gone as far as to wonder whether it’s something you can do yourself, and how you might get started if you were to give it a try. If this sounds like you, and you have still not taken the plunge and given it a go, it’s probably because you have come upon a common stumbling block for newbie indoor gardeners, and simply can’t decide what you’d want to grow first.
This is where most newcomers to hydroponics will struggle, even if they get as far as buying a system and propagating their seedlings. The problem mainly stems from their previous experience. Many fall into the trap of thinking they will be able to manage needier plants because they have already grown them using conventional methods. Hydroponics is so different to growing plants conventionally that even an experienced gardener can inadvertently kill their plants.
You will have more success early on, and are therefore more likely to stick with hydroponics, if you keep things simple and choose some beginner friendly plants to grow for your first try. Luckily, some of the easiest plants to grow are common kitchen and garden favourites so you’ll still have plenty of variety to choose from. These are some of the best plants to grow to get you on the path to success with hydroponics.
Tomatoes
Everyone loves a beautiful, ripe, homegrown tomato and they are largely seen as a summer salad staple. You can grow delicious tomatoes all year round using hydroponics, and they will taste every bit as good as your greenhouse grown toms at the height of summer. Whether you prefer tiny cherry tomatoes or a bigger, beefier variety, tomatoes take exceptionally well to being grown using hydroponics because they are thirsty plants and hydroponics gives them free access to all the water they need. They also need more nutrients than many other plants, and using hydroponics gives you a lot more control over the nutrients your tomatoes will get.
Lettuce
Another salad staple, all kinds of lettuce can be grown very well using a hydroponic system such as a deep water culture or ebb and flow system. Lettuce has a short lifespan, going from seed to harvesting in a matter of weeks, so it is very forgiving for even the most inexperienced indoor gardener. The plants are so short lived that only the most serious issues with your technique will show in the quality of your harvest, so as long as you’re close to being on the money with your nutrients and light levels you should be able to enjoy a tasty harvest of greens in no time.
Berries
If you fancy growing something a little fruitier, strawberries are a very beginner friendly option to grow hydroponically. The best thing about growing strawberries in this way is that they will be better protected from pests who also find a ripe strawberry completely irresistible, and you will not have to worry about blackbirds stealing your strawberries either.
There are many different varieties of strawberries you can grow in this way, though they are far from the only fruit that is simple enough for beginners to start with. Blueberries are one of the priciest fruits to buy in a supermarket, but they are so easy to grow at home using hydroponics that you really shouldn’t miss out on giving them a try.
Flowers
Most flowering plants will do better outdoors purely because they need insects for natural pollination. If you are willing to do the pollinating yourself then you definitely can grow flowers well indoors, though some are easier than others. To start with, choose easier flowers like daisies, marigolds and snapdragon and avoid the trickier flowering plants such as hibiscus.
Plants to avoid
Now we’ve covered some of the best ones to try, these are some that you might want to avoid as a beginner. Any plant with deep roots will be harder to grow using hydroponics, so consider avoiding potatoes and carrots, and anything that needs lots of space to grow such as pumpkins and watermelons.
