trends & technology
Which Crops to Grow ?
Edible root , tuber , and bulb crops incorporate a wide range of plants , the most familiar being potato , sweet potato , onions , shallots , garlic , carrots , parsnips , radish , turnip , and beets . Also included in this category are several yam species , oca , ulluco , elephant garlic ( which is a type of leek ), ginger , turmeric , horseradish , salsify , rutabaga , Jerusalem artichoke , and taro . While some of these plants are simply too large for the average indoor garden or have rather specific day length requirements , many others are well-suited to growing in containers and thrive under hydroponic nutrition . The simplest crops to begin with are the baby gourmet versions of carrots , turnips , radish , and beets . These can be sown directly into the surface of media beds , lightly thinned if required after germination , and grown through to a small , succulent baby stage . ( In particular , the sweetness and crispness of hydroponically grown baby carrots plucked from the bed and eaten immediately are far superior to any stored vegetable .) Baby root and bulb vegetables grown in this way have a very short shelf life and are thus ideal for pick-andeat meals that prevent any loss of flavor .
Gourmet hydroponically grown tubers can be colorful and taste great .
“ FOR more reliable results and a quicker time to harvest , tubers are typically ‘ chitted ’ or pre-sprouted before planting .”
Tuber Crops
Tuber crops such as potato and sweet potato perform extremely well in hydroponics ; however , the most productive use of an indoor garden space is with the more unique varieties . These include heirloom types , which are typically lower yielding than modern commercial varieties but can produce a plentiful yield of gourmet tubers under hydroponic production . Growing purple skinned and fleshed potatoes provides an added antioxidant boost as well as a unique color , which is retained after cooking . Other varieties , particularly older types , offer some great flavor profiles and different textures that are not available commercially . When selecting seed tubers for hydroponics , ideally choose only certified planting stock as these tubers will be disease-free . Note that this may not always be an option with heirloom suppliers , however . Seed tubers can be planted directly into a hydroponic grow bed , but for more reliable results and a quicker time to harvest , tubers are typically “ chitted ” or pre-sprouted before planting . This involves storing the tubers in a warm place until shoots have started to form from the “ eyes ” or dormant buds on the surface of the seed potato . Once these are seen , the tubers can be placed on a cardboard tray in the light to let the shoots develop to a length of two or three inches . Seed potatoes with several shoots may be cut to provide two or three new plants ( each section must have at least one new shoot ). The sprouted potato tubers are then planted into the hydroponic growing substrate with the shoot pointing upwards at a depth of approximately five to six inches . Shoots will emerge from the substrate surface within a week or two and the plant develops new foliage rapidly .
66 grow cycle