21 Plants Perfect for a Hydroponic Indoor Garden

Hydroponic gardening is not only attractive to city dwellers as it allows them to grow vegetables and herbs in a small indoor space. Even for people who do have a garden, it is a great way to have fresh vegetables year-round.

Once you are familiar with the basics of hydroponic gardening and have a hydroponic system set up, there are lots of plants you can grow. It is possible to grow almost any plant hydroponically; the only plants that aren’t suitable for hydroponic gardening are those that need a lot of vertical or horizontal space (trees and vines) and deep root crops such as potatoes, carrots, or onions.

What Is Hydroponic Gardening?

Hydroponics is a method of cultivating plants in a solution of water and nutrients instead of soil. Some hydroponic techniques use an additional soilless growing medium such as vermiculite, perlite, or coconut coir. The plants receive the nutrients they need through water and because there is no soil, the nutrients in the water go more directly to the plant roots, leading to faster and more vigorous growth.

In hydroponic gardening, you won’t have to struggle with plant pests or weeds but notwithstanding, growing plants hydroponically requires regular caring for the plants and close monitoring to make sure the system is functioning properly, and waterborne plant diseases won’t take hold.

Providing hydroponic plants with the proper amount of light is just as important as giving them water and nutrients. Many ready-to-use hydroponic systems come with LED grow lights. If you build your own hydroponic system, make sure to include strong grow lights in your setup.

Here are 21 plants to grow hydroponically. Unless noted otherwise, the crops on this list are self-pollinating so they will produce fruit indoors without requiring hand-pollination.

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Lettuce

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Lettuce is the poster child of hydroponic gardening—it’s the easiest crop to grow. Butterhead lettuce such as Bibb and Boston lettuce are especially tender when grown hydroponically but any type of salad greens, including fast-maturing baby lettuce, is fair game. For a constant supply, plant small amounts at regular intervals.
- Name: Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)
- Recommended Hydroponic System: Water culture
- Light: Full to partial sun
- Mature Size: 6-12 in. tall and wide
- Days to Maturity: 25-60 days
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Spinach

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Spinach is a spring and fall crop that does poorly in temperatures above 75°F. For best results, grow it together with other crops that prefer cooler temperatures, such as kale.
- Name: Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)
- Recommended Hydroponic System: Water culture
- Light: Full to partial sun
- Mature Size: 6-12 in. tall and wide
- Days to Maturity: 28-55 days
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Kale

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Because kale has large roots, it is rather challenging to grow full-size plants in a hydroponic system in your home. You are better off growing kale as microgreens or harvesting individual leaves as they mature.
- Name: Kale (Brassica oleracea)
- Recommended Hydroponic System: Water culture
- Light: Full to partial sun
- Mature Size: 1-2 ft. tall and wide
- Days to Maturity: 50-55 days
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Swiss Chard

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The leaves of Swiss chard keep growing as you harvest individual leaves, which makes it ideal for hydroponics. Like spinach, it does best in temperatures below 75°F so it’s a good idea to grow the two plants together in your hydroponic garden.
- Name: Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla)
- Recommended Hydroponic System: Wick system, ebb-and-flow
- Light: Full to partial sun
- Mature Size: 18–24 in. tall, 9–12 in. wide
- Days to Maturity: 60-65 days
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Arugula

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Any type of arugula is great for hydroponics because the plants are small and compact. Harvest the leaves as they grow and replant at regular intervals for a constant supply.
- Name: Arugula (Eruca versicaria)
- Recommended Hydroponic System: Water culture
- Light: Full to partial sun
- Mature Size: 6-12 in. tall and wide
- Days to Maturity: 40-45 days
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Basil

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From classic Genovese basil to Thai basil, any type of basil grows well in a hydroponic garden, provided you give it lots of light and adjust the height of the lights as the plants grow.
- Name: Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
- Recommended Hydroponic System: Water culture
- Light: Full sun
- Mature Size: 18-24 in. tall and wide
- Days to Maturity: 65-70 days
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Parsley

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Parsley is slow to germinate, but once it starts growing, it will provide you with a constant supply of fresh, fragrant leaves. Although botanically a biennial, starting with a fresh plant at least three times per year yields the best results.
- Name: Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
- Recommended Hydroponic System: Water culture
- Light: Full sun
- Mature Size: 9-12 in. tall and wide
- Days to Maturity: 60-75 days
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Cilantro

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Cilantro is a fast grower, so you won’t need to wait long to harvest it. The downside is that after two to three harvests, the plant has reached the end of its short lifespan. Make sure to replant it every three to four weeks for an uninterrupted harvest.
- Name: Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)
- Recommended Hydroponic System: Water culture
- Light: Full to partial sun
- Mature Size: 12-18 in. tall and wide
- Days to Maturity: 55-75 days
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Dill

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Dill is one of the easiest hydroponic herbs to grow. In the garden, dill grows to be a tall and often leggy plant but in a hydroponic system, you can keep it much shorter but harvesting it regularly.
- Name: Dill (Anethum graveolens)
- Recommended Hydroponic System: Water culture
- Light: Full sun
- Mature Size: 3-5 ft. tall
- Days to Maturity: 40-60 days
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Mint

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Although mint is a perennial plant, it makes an excellent annual herb to grow hydroponically. Because mint roots so easily in water, it is best to start by propagating it from a cutting in a glass of water.

Once it has developed roots, transfer it to your hydroponic garden. It will grow quickly and the more you keep it pinched by harvesting the tip growth leaves, the bushier it will grow.
- Name: Mint (Mentha spp.)
- Recommended Hydroponic System: Water culture
- Light: Full sun
- Mature Size: 12-18 in. tall, 18-24 in. wide
- Days to Maturity: 30-40 days
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Strawberries

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Growing strawberries in a hydroponic system is more challenging than other crops. To start, you’ll need small plants that already have small flowers on them (strawberry seeds are notoriously difficult to germinate).

To provide the roots of the strawberry plants with oxygen, a specially designed hydroponic system such as the Nutrient Film Technique (NFT), a special form of the ebb-and-flow system, is required.
- Name: Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa)
- Recommended Hydroponic System: Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
- Light: Full sun
- Mature Size: 4-12 in. tall, 6-24 in. wide
- Days to Maturity: 28-42 days
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Tomatoes

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With many choices for dwarf tomato plants, you should not have any trouble finding one to your taste. Prune the plants as needed to keep them under control. While tomatoes are self-pollinating, it helps to gently shake the branches with flowers to help along with the plant’s self-pollination.
- Name: Tomato (Solanum lycopersium)
- Recommended Hydroponic System: Wick system, ebb-and-flow
- Light: Full sun
- Mature Size: 2-4 ft. tall, 2 ft. wide
- Days to Maturity: 75-90 days
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Peppers

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All kinds of peppers, from bell peppers to chili peppers, are suitable for hydroponics as long as the plants are compact, such as ‘Yum Yum’ mini bell peppers. To prevent the plants from toppling over when they are loaded with fruit, support them with wooden sticks.
- Name: Pepper (Capsicum spp.)
- Recommended Hydroponic System: Wick system, ebb-and-flow
- Light: Full sun
- Mature Size: 24 in. tall, 18 in. wide
- Days to Maturity: 70-85 days
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Eggplant

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Look for small, bush-type varieties such as ‘Fairytale’. Once they start to flower, they require additional phosphorus to fruit.
- Name: Eggplant (Solanum melongena)
- Recommended Hydroponic System: Wick system, ebb-and-flow
- Light: Full sun
- Mature Size: 18-24 in. tall and wide
- Days to Maturity: 105-130 days
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Cucumbers

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Look for compact bush varieties such as ‘Spacemaster’. With the exception of parthenocarpic varieties that do not need pollination, cucumbers need to be hand-pollinated when grown indoors. Once the plants are flowering, they require less nitrogen and more phosphorus and potassium for fruit production.
- Name: Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)
- Recommended Hydroponic System: Wick system, ebb-and-flow
- Light: Full to partial sun
- Mature Size: 6-8 in. tall, 26 in. wide
- Days to Maturity: 56-60 days
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Radishes

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Root vegetables are generally not suitable for hydroponic culture, but radishes are an exception because they are so small. The tops of hydroponic plants tend to be more tender than radishes grown outdoors so don’t skip eating those as well.
- Name: Radish (Raphanus sativus)
- Recommended Hydroponic System: Wick system, ebb-and-flow
- Light: Full sun
- Mature Size: 6-8 in. tall
- Days to Maturity: 30-60 days
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Beans

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Bush beans are compact plants but it is still a good idea to top them when they get 8 to 10 inches tall so they will branch out more and grow denser.
- Name: Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)
- Recommended Hydroponic System: Wick system, ebb-and-flow
- Light: Full sun
- Mature Size: 12-24 in. tall and wide
- Days to Maturity: 50-60 days
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Marigold

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Because French marigolds (Tagetes patula) are compact bushy plants, they work best for hydroponics. The dwarf French marigold ‘Janie Spry’ grows only eight inches tall.
- Name: Marigold (Tagetes spp.)
- Recommended Hydroponic System: Water culture, ebb-and-flow
- Light: Full sun
- Mature Size: 6-24 in. tall, 6-18 in. wide
- Days to Maturity: 56-63 days
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Nasturtium

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The vibrant flowers of nasturtiums not only brighten up grey winter days, they are also edible. For hydroponic gardening, pick a compact, bush or dwarf variety such as the ‘Alaska’ series or ‘Peach Melba’.
- Name: Nasturtium (Tropaeolum spp.)
- Recommended Hydroponic System: Water culture, ebb-and-flow
- Light: Full sun
- Mature Size: 8-12 in. tall and wide
- Days to Maturity: 360-70 days
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Petunia

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Petunias, even compact varieties such as Petunia nana compacta, are spreading plants. To prevent them from taking over your hydroponic garden, pinch them to encourage bushier growth.
- Name: Petunia (Petunia spp.)
- Recommended Hydroponic System: Water culture, ebb-and-flow
- Light: Full sun
- Mature Size: 6-24 in. tall, 6-36 in. wide
- Days to Maturity: 70-84 days
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Moss Rose

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Its low-growing growth habit makes moss rose ideal for hydroponics. And there are so many cheerful colors to choose from you’ll be pressed for choice.
- Name: Moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora)
- Recommended Hydroponic System: Water culture, ebb-and-flow
- Light: Full sun
- Mature Size: 4-8 in. tall, 6-12 in. wide
- Days to Bloom: 60-98 days

Hydroponic Systems

There are several different hydroponics systems, and they either use a solution or a medium. The three systems that are the easiest to manage even if you are new to hydroponic gardening before are wick, water culture, and ebb and flow (all of which you can build yourself). However, not all systems are equally suitable for all plants.

Medium-based systems provide better support for heavy plants, plants with deep roots, or top-heavy plants. Therefore, it is important to match your plants to the system, or, if you are starting from zero, pick a hydroponic system that works best for the plants you intend to grow.

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