What Grows Best?

by Roger
(Maryland)

What grows best in a DWC? That's what I want to do. I'm interested in salad greens, herbs, spinach, collard greens....basic veggies....what do, and to, suggest? Thanks Roger

Answer: Roger- the veggies you just listed are a good group to grow together....all of them produce edible parts in the vegetative state, and all of them should grow well when fed a 50% strength nutrient solution high in Nitrogen (veg formula). This means there would be no need to ever give them a regular dark period to force them to fruit.

The next most useful indoor crops are tomatoes and peppers. Some varieties of tomatoes and peppers will start fruiting without being given a dark period. These varieties can be a little easier to grow. Both of these crops will need to be given a flowering formula (high in Phosphorus), and the nutrient strength can be somewhat stronger than what you give to your leafy green veggies....900 ppm should be fine.

Strawberries are popular to grow. If you decide to grow strawberries, do not grow them in a deep water culture type system....they do not like standing water and they tend to rot, starting with the roots just above the water level. Most vine crops, such as honey dew, watermelon, and zucchini, become unmanageable in a hydroponic system unless you plan well.

You may also want to avoid crops with large roots if your system is made from 4 inch PVC. In this case, kohlrabi, fennel, and potatoes may be off your list as well. Corn is best grown outdoors in soil. Any other crop you can imagine can be grown in a hydroponic system....and even the ones mentioned above can do very well when a few adjustments are made to accommodate their growth habits. Potatoes, for example, can be grown in storage totes filled with perlite. Hope this gets you off to a good start, and Happy Growing!