How do you grow hydroponic vegetables at home, and which varieties can you grow?

Recently, the hydroponic vegetables appearing on the market have sparked public discussion because of their rather high prices. Which vegetables exactly are considered hydroponic vegetables? Can we also grow hydroponic vegetables at home ourselves? What problems should we pay attention to during the growing process?

Hydroponic vegetables are vegetables whose roots mostly grow in a nutrient solution layer, and which are supplied with water, nutrients and oxygen only through the nutrient solution, unlike vegetables grown under traditional soil cultivation. Hydroponic vegetables have a short growing cycle and are rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals essential to the human body.

1. What hydroponic vegetables are there?

1. Garlic

Collect some garlic that has sprouted at home, then find a larger container that is not too deep, and put some water in it.

Then place the sprouted garlic evenly in the container with the roots facing down, and finally put it on the balcony.

After about a week, the garlic will send out new shoots, and the leaves will gradually grow. At this point you can choose to move it into soil to grow, where it will grow a little better.

When the garlic sprouts have grown enough, you can pick some to eat, but it is best to leave the roots so that new garlic sprouts can continue to grow.

2. Bean sprouts

Go to the supermarket or a grain and oil shop and buy some mung beans, then soak them in clean water for a while.

Find a container, preferably a shallow one, put them in the container, and add a little water, just enough to cover the mung beans.

After about three days they will sprout. At this point you can add a little more water so they grow faster. In about a week you can eat fresh bean sprouts.

3. Chinese toon

Chinese toon is generally eaten more in autumn. Huahua especially likes pickled Chinese toon; the taste is quite good. Tender Chinese toon can be used to scramble with eggs, and the taste is pretty good. The nutritional value of Chinese toon is also quite good; it is rich in vitamin C and also has a good moisturizing effect on the skin.

You can buy some Chinese toon seeds at the market, then put them in a bag and rub them gently to remove the thin film on the outside of the seeds.

Then put them in a larger container, add a little hot water, and soak them until they swell.

Wrap the soaked seeds in a paper towel and place them in an environment of about 20°C. In a little over a week, new sprouts will grow, and then you can put them on a plate to grow.

Spread the seeds evenly on the plate, then find a piece of gauze, soak it wet, and finally cover the seeds with it. When the seedlings have grown enough, you can remove the gauze.

Spray it with a little water every day to keep enough moisture and prevent it from shriveling.

In about 10 days you can eat fresh Chinese toon sprouts.

4. Cabbage

After eating fresh cabbage, keep the base of the stem and put it in water, with the water just barely covering the cabbage base. After about two or three days, the cabbage will sprout. Likewise, it does not need any special care; just change the water every few days, and with no fertilizer and no root trimming, the cabbage will grow vigorously.

5. Carrot

The top of a carrot is usually cut off directly when cooking. Rather than throwing it in the trash, growing it in a glass vase can become a unique scenery. Why not do it? Green radish, carrot, white radish and so on can all be grown hydroponically. Taking carrot as an example, choose a fresh carrot, preferably with leaves at the top; if there are no leaves, it should still have a complete root base. Cut off the root part of the carrot and put it in water with the cut side facing down. After a short wait, you can eat vegetables you grew yourself.

6. Basil

Cut off 3 to 4 inches of stemmed basil, place it in a water glass, and put it in direct sunlight.

Let it slowly grow and lengthen. When the roots reach 2 inches, it can be transplanted into a flowerpot to grow.

7. Lettuce

Soak the lettuce head in 1/2 inch of water, water it every day, and keep the water level at the same height.

After a few days, roots and new leaves grow, and then it can be transplanted into soil.

2. Common problems with home hydroponic vegetables

Although hydroponic technology is certainly advanced, beginners will also encounter quite a few problems. I have summarized the 8 most likely problems for you.

1. Breeding failure

There may be several reasons for breeding failure: indoor temperatures that are too low cause seeds to sprout slowly, insufficient water in a dark room causes seeds to dry out, and too much water can all lead to seeds rotting.

Therefore, when breeding, we should pay attention to room temperature and the degree of dryness or moisture of the growing sponge.

2. Leggy vegetables

Vegetables become leggy because after the seeds sprout, light is not provided in time, causing poor development of the seedlings and eventually death.

After the seeds sprout, we should promptly turn on the grow light and shine it on them to ensure that plant photosynthesis proceeds normally and prevent legginess.

3. Vegetable leaves are pale in color, stems are slender, and the plants are not sturdy

At home you may often encounter situations where vegetables are ‘listless’ and do not look sturdy. This is caused by a lack of trace elements, mostly iron and zinc. The reason for the deficiency is mostly damaged roots or too low a nutrient solution concentration leading to poor nutrient absorption.

We should not transplant vegetables that have already been successfully transplanted a second time, so as not to damage the roots. The ratio of nutrient solution to clean water is 1:200; do not dilute it too much, so as not to cause malnutrition in the vegetables.

4. Spots or patches appear on the leaves

If spots or patches appear on the leaves and they wrinkle and turn brown, it may be caused by lack of water, or by water that is too cold or by nutrient solution or other chemical substances splashing onto the leaves.

We should regularly check whether the nutrient solution in the tank is insufficient and replenish it in time. When adding nutrient solution or transplanting vegetables, be sure not to splash nutrient solution or chemical substances onto the leaves.

5. Root rot

Root rot is caused by multiple reasons. First is a rise in temperature; drastic changes in plant hormones cause the plant roots to rot. Second, because the temperature rises, the solubility of oxygen in water decreases; when the dissolved oxygen in the water falls below the critical value for root absorption, the plant will suffer root rot due to lack of oxygen. Furthermore, high temperatures favor the growth of microorganisms, and a large amount of bacteria breeds in the water, damaging the roots and causing root rot.

Most of the above reasons are caused by excessively high temperatures, so in summer we need to control room temperature at all times and maintain a normal temperature of 18-28°C. Second, regularly cleaning the buildup on the outside of the water pump to prevent the pump from running dry, which slows the circulation of the nutrient solution and lowers the dissolved oxygen level, is also key. To deal with bacteria in the water, you can add a certain concentration of hydrogen peroxide to the solution, or sterilize by methods such as passing ozone or ultraviolet irradiation. This is an effective way to prevent bacterial root rot.

6. Green algae in the water

Green algae forms after nutrients in the nutrient solution undergo photosynthesis. You should try to avoid exposing the nutrient solution to light, to prevent green algae from growing and consuming the dissolved oxygen in the water.

When green algae appear, we need to remove it by hand and seal the planting holes that are temporarily not in use to avoid light. In addition, we should often observe the cleanliness and hygiene of the water tank and not casually put our hands into the nutrient solution, so as to ensure that the water used does not deteriorate or become contaminated.

7. Mosquitoes and insects in the water

Growing vegetables in summer will face mosquito and insect problems. The nutrient solution is rich in nutrients and water and is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. We need to cover tightly the planting holes that are temporarily not in use and ensure the water tank is sealed to prevent mosquitoes and insects from entering.

8. Poor fruit development

Poor fruit development may be because the nutrient solution dilution ratio is too high or the roots have been damaged, leading to insufficient nutrient absorption. Second, indoor temperature and humidity that are too low and extremely insufficient light will both cause fruits and vegetables to become deformed or stop developing.

Therefore, we must ensure normal room temperature and sufficient light, and keep the nutrient solution dilution ratio constant at 1:200.

Summer temperatures are relatively high, so while growing vegetables, everyone also needs to pay attention to changes in the vegetables' growth.