How to Grow Hydroponic Basil

Ah, basil -- it's great for pesto, on salads and sandwiches, or in any other number of meals. So how do you grow it? Is basil a good hydroponic crop?

In fact, the answer is yes. Basil is an extremely popular hydroponic crop. It's grown in lots of hydro gardens, in many different ways. Here are some basic tips for cultivating basil in a hydroponic garden.

Choose Media

Lots of growers recommend using a decently draining media for basil. One common suggestion is clay pellets. This may be mixed with some other type of media, but it doesn't need to be, necessarily. Basil is relatively easy to grow from seed, you can grow it in trays and transplant it, or even buy seedlings and transplant them.

Keep Temperatures Warmer

Lots of growers report that basil likes higher temperatures from 70 to 80°, and pretty decent humidity, around 60%. We don't want it to get too dry in the grow area, and some experienced growers also suggest avoiding direct fanning of the basil plants. In other words, you want to keep air circulation a little more indirect.

Adjust the pH Value

Another aspect of growing basil has to do with ph value. In general, hydroponic plants like a range from 5.5 to 6.5. However, some growers are suggesting that basil thrives at about 6.5 to 6.8, so keep that in mind when you're adjusting the pH value of the reservoir water.

Prune and Cut

Lots of people who are growing this kind of herb also suggest cutting it down so that it grows out and not up. When it grows too tall it can outgrow its environment, especially if it's in a small, compact closed grow box. You may also have to trim off some of the flowers of the plant as well.

With these basic steps, you can grow your own basil to make pesto, or just use green leaves in various dishes. Basil is super-popular in Italian cuisine as well as other kinds of world cooking. It's something that's very much valued by restaurant chefs and others who create high quality food products.

For more on hydroponics and everything that goes with it, check out Dealzer and what we’re prepared to offer our community of growers.