Growing your own fruit and vegetables at home may be something you’ve considered before, but if you’ve hesitated because of the space the plants will take up or the mess it will make in your home, the good news is that neither of these things need to stop you. Whether you have no floor space to spare, can’t grow outdoors, or simply don’t consider yourself green-fingered, it’s never been easier to grow your own crops at home.

What is Hydroponic Growing?

Hydroponic growing is a method of growing plants in nutrient enriched water – just water and nutrients. There’s no soil involved; instead, nutrition is added directly to the water, to make up for what the plants would normally receive from the soil. Many plants will root and grow in something as simple as a glass jar, but you can make your hydroponic system as big or as little as you want.

What can I grow?

You can grow a massive variety of vegetables hydroponically so it really depends on what your favorites are.

Here’s a list of ten common fruit and veggies to get you started:

Lettuce

Probably the most common vegetable to be hydroponically grown, it’s not unusual to find people placing the head of a used lettuce into a glass or jar filled with water and leaving it to regrow. It really is that simple! You can harvest the lettuce as it grows, meaning you can have crispy lettuce leaves to add to your salads or sandwiches without affecting later harvests.

Spinach

As with many leafy vegetables, spinach also grows well in hydroponic systems. It is a cool plant, meaning it does not require much light and likes cool to warm temperatures so storing it near a window is the best option to ensure your spinach flourishes. You can harvest spinach all at once, or tear off some leaves as and when you need it.

Tomatoes

Whether you think of the tomato as a fruit or a vegetable, you can definitely grow it without soil. Many types of tomato take well to hydroponic systems, including traditional and cherry tomatoes. Whichever variety you grow, tomatoes require a lot of light. The good news is that, as they are a vine and can be trained to grow upwards, they only require a small amount of ground space.

Cucumber

Given enough space and support, cucumbers will grow abundantly in a hydroponic system – which is no surprise given that it is a water loving fruit. Cucumber vines grow vertically, so it’s important to ensure they have some sort of structure or support to hold them up.