When you think of growing vegetables, do you only imagine large fields lined with crops? This picture of greenery is certainly widespread in an agricultural powerhouse like India. But modern growers now prefer Indian vegetables to grow hydroponically.
After all, hydroponic farming doesn’t need soil and acres and acres of land. You can feed your plants by adding nutrients to water solutions. Everything from climate to water will be under your control. But which are the best hydroponic vegetables in India?
Let’s find out!
Best Indian Vegetables to Grow Hydroponically
Do you want to build your own vegetable garden on your balcony? Wouldn’t you love to have a stock of fresh veggies grown in your own backyard to put in your dishes or sell to a local eatery? Hydroponics is the perfect way to do that without the mess of soil.
Here’s a list of Indian vegetables to grow hydroponically.
a) Spinach
Do you know why there’s an abundance of spinach-based delicacies at home in winter? That’s because it’s a cool-weather crop – and it will respond well to lower temperatures and less light. Spinach is one of the best crops to grow hydroponically, giving you 3 months of harvesting!
b) Ginger
Contrary to spinach, ginger grows well in a warm and humid environment. It is also well-suited for the protected farming process of hydroponics. Are you planning to be a commercial hydroponic grower? Then ginger might be the right crop for you – with plenty of research materials available to help you.
c) Tomato
Technically, tomato might be a fruit – but in the culinary world, especially in India, it is a vegetable, a flavoring agent, and the base of many curries. With plenty of light and a drip hydroponic system, you can enjoy an all-year yield. No wonder tomato is a commonly grown hydroponic crop!
d) Basil
Basil is not just a popular herb growing in every Indian house. It’s also an excellent crop for your hydroponic growth, giving you a fresh harvest every week! Plus, it doesn’t demand much space or time. All it needs is a drip hydroponic system – along with 9-11 hours of sunlight for prolific growth.
e) Cucumber
For commercial hydroponic growers, cucumber is a popular crop. It is environmentally friendly and shows rapid growth, giving you high yields when you grow it with a drip hydroponic system. But you will have to provide lots of light and a high temperature to the plant to boost your crop’s growth!
f) Beans
Different bean varieties grow in India, like yardlong beans, French beans, lima beans, etc. They’re extremely productive, without too much maintenance. Once the seeds start to germinate within a week, you need to provide the crops filtered sunlight to begin harvesting within 6-8 weeks. What’s more, you can harvest for another 3-4 months!
g) Radish
Radish is a versatile vegetable that goes into salads and bread. It’s also one of the favorites among hydroponic growers as it’s easy to grow! You’ll see the seedlings within 7 days of planting, and the plants will flourish in cool temperatures with low light. They grow fast in deep water culture hydroponics.
h) Kale
Health-conscious Indians swear by kale, a source of nutrients. This makes it a great plant for you to grow commercially – and you can get an incredible yield with hydroponics, even as a beginner. All you need to do is provide cool temperatures – and you’ll see it thrive in the water culture system!
i) Capsicum
Capsicum is a delicious addition to any dish, making it everyone’s favourite. Naturally, you’ll get lots of takers if you grow it on a large scale hydroponically. You’ll need a combination of warmth, sunlight, and a drip hydroponic system. The temperature must rise during the night and drop during the day.
j) Peppermint
Mint has a record of growing well in the soil system and hydroponics. This aromatic, healthy herb has roots that proliferate, which is why hydroponics is ideal for it. You will need to give it full sunlight – and the seedlings will appear within 16 days. Mint plants grow rapidly and provide harvests every 3-4 weeks.
k) Okra
Okra, popularly known as lady finger in India, is another crop that responds well to hydroponic farming. It also has beautiful flowers. It grows well in a warm season and indoor cultivation. The warmer the season, the better okra will grow! It matures within 50-65 days after sprouting and produces pods for 6 weeks.
l) Bitter Gourd
A versatile crop added to the start of Indian meals, bitter gourd is a creeping vine. So your hydroponic arrangement should support this type of crop. Deep water culture hydroponics and nutrient film technique are the best for bitter gourd. The green bitter gourds are ready to harvest 12-16 weeks after plantation.
m) Cabbage
Cabbage is fairly easy to grow hydroponically. It only needs proper light for good growth. Floating raft beds produce larger cabbage heads than tote systems do. Cabbage is an excellent crop for outdoor growth and can handle drops in temperature quite well. It’s ideal to grow them in the shade during hot and humid seasons.
Potential of Hydroponics in India
The first thing we think about while discussing hydroponics is the magic of farming without soil. After all, even NASA has been experimenting with hydroponics aboard space stations. It only needs you to direct air, water, and nutrients to the root zone.
This contemporary technology has shown great promise and is becoming more popular in India. It’s more popular in the urban regions, mainly in the startup sector. Here’s why:
- It doesn’t need soil – and is the perfect solution to contamination and infertility.
- It gives you complete control over humidity, light, heat, airflow, etc.
- It allows recirculation of the water and prevents wastage of run-off water.
- It allows you to monitor and feed the required amounts of nutrients to plants.
- It solves the problem of space limitation and works in any location.
Do you know the best part? Since you are fully in charge of the conditions and optimize everything from light to nutrients to air for the best plant growth, you’ll see faster growth! It seems that hydroponics is the answer to the rising demand for food around the world.
Final Words:
There’s plenty of scope to succeed with hydroponics in India. All you need is to start with the right vegetables. Of course, you will need to pay attention to your setup, as well, like the hydroponic system, the solution being used, etc.
So take a plunge – and enjoy the magic of farming – in your balcony, roof, or balcony!