5 Easy Crops to Grow When Starting with Hydroponics

Learn about five of the most common hydroponic crops, their main light, temperature, and nutritional requirements, and how long they take to reach harvest.

9/25/20264 min read

1. Lettuce: A Hydroponic Classic

Lettuce is probably one of the crops most closely associated with hydroponics. Its relatively short growing cycle, compact size, and ability to be produced year-round make it an excellent option for both small home systems and commercial operations.

It is particularly well suited to NFT and floating systems, where the roots can have continuous access to water and nutrients. In addition, there are numerous varieties with different sizes, colours, and leaf shapes, allowing growers to adapt production to the target market or available space.

One of the main factors to monitor is temperature. When temperatures are too high, the plant may accelerate its reproductive development and begin to bolt, reducing its commercial quality.

☀️ Light: 12–16 hours/day
🌡️ Temperature: approximately 15–22 °C
💧 pH: 5.5–6.5
🧪 Target EC: 0.8–1.8 mS/cm
🌱 Nutrients: moderate demand, with particular importance placed on nitrogen, potassium, and calcium
⏱️ Harvest: approximately 30–50 days after transplanting

2. Arugula: Fast Growth and Multiple Harvests

Arugula is one of the most interesting options when looking for a fast-growing leafy crop. It can be harvested relatively young and, depending on the system and management practices, can provide multiple successive cuts.

Its compact size makes it well suited to high-density growing systems, and it adapts well to NFT and other hydroponic designs intended for leafy crops.

As with lettuce, high temperatures can accelerate flowering. Keeping the crop under relatively cool conditions helps prolong the vegetative phase and maintain leaf quality.

☀️ Light: 12–16 hours/day
🌡️ Temperature: approximately 15–22 °C
💧 pH: 6.0–6.5
🧪 Target EC: 0.8–1.8 mS/cm
🌱 Nutrients: moderate requirements, with good nitrogen availability
⏱️ Harvest: approximately 20–35 days after transplanting

3. Spinach: A Crop That Prefers Cool Temperatures

Spinach can also be grown successfully in hydroponic systems and is particularly interesting for facilities where relatively low temperatures can be maintained.

Its main challenge is precisely heat. High temperatures can promote premature flowering, so it is advisable to maintain cool conditions and good ventilation, especially during the vegetative growth stages.

It can be grown in NFT, floating, and other systems designed for leafy crops. Its growth habit also allows for selective harvesting of individual leaves, rather than necessarily removing the entire plant.

☀️ Light: 10–14 hours/day
🌡️ Temperature: approximately 10–20 °C
💧 pH: 6.0–6.5
🧪 Target EC: 1.5–2.0 mS/cm
🌱 Nutrients: moderate requirements, particularly nitrogen
⏱️ Harvest: approximately 30–50 days after transplanting

4. Basil: A Particularly Well-Adapted Herb

Basil is one of the most widely used herbs in hydroponic systems. Its rapid growth, high commercial value, and ability to be harvested multiple times throughout the growing cycle make it particularly well suited to this type of production.

Unlike lettuce or spinach, basil is a warm-season crop. It requires relatively high temperatures and good light availability to develop abundant foliage and produce high-quality leaves.

In hydroponic systems, NFT, drip irrigation, and various vertical designs are commonly used. A good supply of nitrogen promotes vegetative growth, although maintaining the overall balance of the nutrient solution is essential to prevent weak growth or quality issues.

☀️ Light: 14–16 hours/day
🌡️ Temperature: approximately 20–28 °C
💧 pH: 5.5–6.5
🧪 Target EC: 1.0–1.8 mS/cm
🌱 Nutrients: relatively high requirements for nitrogen and potassium
⏱️ First harvest: approximately 30–45 days after transplanting, followed by successive harvests

Introduction

Hydroponics allows you to grow a wide variety of plant species without the need for soil, but not all plants have the same requirements. Leafy greens and some herbs are among the easiest options for beginners, thanks to their relatively short growing cycles, manageable size, and good adaptation to different hydroponic systems.

In addition to choosing a suitable system, it is important to understand the basic requirements of each crop: temperature, lighting, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and nutrient availability. Below, we review five of the most common hydroponic crops and some of their key requirements.

5. Swiss Chard: Prolonged Leaf Production

Swiss chard is a vigorous crop capable of producing leaves over an extended period. Although it requires somewhat more space than lettuce or arugula, it offers the advantage of allowing staggered harvesting by removing the outer leaves while allowing the plant to continue growing.

Its tolerance to different environmental conditions makes it an interesting option for small- and medium-scale hydroponic systems. However, due to its larger size and more extensive root development, it is advisable to provide sufficient spacing between plants and use a system capable of maintaining good availability of water, oxygen, and nutrients.

☀️ Light: 12–16 hours/day
🌡️ Temperature: approximately 15–24 °C
💧 pH: 6.0–6.5
🧪 Target EC: 1.8–2.3 mS/cm
🌱 Nutrients: moderate to high requirements, particularly nitrogen, potassium, and calcium
⏱️ First harvest: approximately 40–60 days after transplanting, with the possibility of successive harvests

Conclusion

Lettuce, arugula, spinach, basil, and Swiss chard are some of the most accessible options for getting started with hydroponic production. Their relatively short growing cycles and manageable requirements make it possible to learn the basic principles of soilless cultivation while also experimenting with different systems.

Beyond the specific figures, the key is to understand the interaction between light, temperature, water, nutrients, and oxygen in the root zone. Once these factors are properly controlled, it becomes much easier to adapt the system to other species and progress towards crops with more demanding requirements.