What to Grow

Things you need to know covers all of the little things that other stores overlook -- and we put importance to.

When it comes to hydroponics you can grow just about anything, including most house plants, flowering plants, vegetables, several different kinds of fruits, and many different kind of herbs for seasoning or health purposes.

Hydroponic gardening indoors can provide you with a year-round supply of fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, plants and flowers. The choices are almost endless and depend on your personal preferences. Here is a quick list of some of the most popular items people grow in their hydroponic gardens. Once you gain experience with this powerful growing process, you can experiment with other plants.

» Vegetables - By growing vegetables hydroponically, you can raise more vegetables faster than in an outdoor garden. You can grow most vegetables year-round, giving you a constant supply of healthy produce any time.

Vegetable plants grown in soil must be spaced as much as a foot apart to keep their root systems from fighting for necessary water and nutrients. Using hydroponics, all of the nutrients and moisture is pumped directly to the plants. Hydroponic gardening lets you place individual plants closer together, taking up less space.

The basic requirements for growing vegetables does not change much in a hydroponic garden. They still need the appropriate levels of light and warmth, and you must follow all the normal procedures for caring for each plant. Since you can control most factors in your hydroponic garden, you don't have to rely on the weather and other outside conditions. You can grow no matter what the season or weather.

» Fruits - Hydroponic gardening allows you to grow fruits and melons all year long. However, to be successful, you need to understand and pay attention to the growing conditions a particular fruit needs to reach it's full potential.

Water based fruits make a good choice for your hydroponic garden. These include watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes (technically a fruit), strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and grapes. Many hydroponic gardeners also successfully grow exotic fruits such as kiwi and pineapple.

» Herbs - Fresh herbs are very popular, and can be fun and rewarding to grow. Herbs mature rapidly, require little care, and have a wide variety of culinary and health uses. Even small hydroponic units can produce an impressive crop of herbs.

Many people grow herbs in small hydroponic units for decoration and for natural air freshness. Many herbs create scents that can mask daily household odors that you would usually remove with chemical air fresheners. Once they reach their maturity, they now become a part of your cooking pleasures.

Grow Anything

There is almost nothing that cannot be successfully grown hydroponically, it simply comes down to how much time you want to put into your hydroponic garden. Some other growing ideas include flowers, foliage, corn, cacao, sugar cane, rice, tea, tobacco and cereal grains. In most cases these crops are started hydroponically, and when the seedlings reach their desired size they are transplanted to gardens and fields.