Hydroponic Vegetable

In My Kitchen

A Little 

Hydroponic Garden

I am highly allergic to worms like centipedes, earwigs, and millipedes. I believe many people, like myself, prefer not to have these types of pests indoors. That’s why I’ve opted for an Organic Hydroponic system for my culinary garden—it’s quite charming. Which plants can be grown and what setup will be needed? It will make your kitchen green and colorful.

Here, I share my experience with using hydroponics at home:

1. Which plants to grow in water
2. Home-scale hydroponic setup
3. Whether fertilizer is required
4. Dealing with mosquito problems
5. Advantages and disadvantages

For my small kitchen, I chose plants like mint, coriander, fenugreek, chickpeas, spinach, lettuce, and mustard. I even experimented with growing garlic, onion, and ginger greens—it’s refreshing.

I made a slight modification to this basic hydroponic system for growing garlic and onion. I used two vessels: the lower one for water and the upper one for seedlings.

Lower vessel: 

The vessel used for containing water should be a dark-coloured plastic or steel bowl or bottle to prevent light penetration. In my experience with a glass jar, light caused green algae to grow on my mint roots and the bottleneck. Switching to a colourful plastic bottle resolved this issue. This way, the roots of hydroponically grown plants remained white and the water stayed clean.

Colander with exact holes:

It’s crucial to select a tray or plate with holes of the right size for seeds or seedlings. If larger holes are needed, a colander with bigger holes can be used.

How to support seeds or seedlings: 

During this stage, I avoid using coco peat or soil. Instead, I place a piece of plastic netting at the bottom of the colander. If the holes are large, I add clean, large pieces of sand or tiny stones. Before sowing seeds, I soak the colander in water for five minutes, ensuring the seeds remain wet. After sowing, I cover the seeds with tissue paper or a wet cloth for 2-3 days. The tray is placed above the water level in the bottle or bowl; if submerged too deeply, seeds may rot. Following this method ensures proper germination.

Fertilizer :

In this hydroponic system, I found that changing the water every 2-4 days eliminates the need for fertiliser. However, if water is changed less frequently, fertiliser should be used every 15 days. Liquid hydroponic fertilisers or water-soluble NPK fertilisers are available in the market. When I am busy, I use fertiliser when changing the water every 15 days.

Mosquito solution:

Changing the water every 3-4 days prevents mosquito growth, as mosquitoes need at least 5-10 days to mature. When using fertiliser and changing the water every 15-20 days, the fertiliser solution further prevents mosquito larvae growth. My recommendation is to change the water every 10-15 days with fertiliser.

Advantages:

There are numerous advantages to growing plants hydroponically. Unlike soil-grown plants, there are no weeds to compete with your plants or harm them. All you need is to harvest seeds and watch seedlings sprout in your kitchen—no soil or seasoning required. Simply provide indirect sunlight or use an 18-watt LED light if direct sunlight isn’t possible.

Disadvantages: 

If I were to mention disadvantages: Firstly, forgetting to change the water can lead to mosquito breeding. Secondly, if water isn’t refilled, roots can dry up and plants may die quickly. Forgetting to clean algae and fungus from the bottle can damage the system.

Ensure water TDS levels are neither too high nor too low, and monitor water pH closely. A TDS of 50-100 ppm is ideal for germination; rainwater, AC water, or mineral water can be used, or a TDS meter can be purchased.

The morning sun is key to any success. If possible, place your plants near an east-facing window.

Know the light requirements of your plants to maximize natural light levels in your space. Consider switching to GE Grow Light 9-watt Balanced Spectrum LED bulbs for seeds and greens, or GE Red for flowering and fruit production.