Growing vegetables hydroponically has many benefits, and one of the main ones is increased yield.
That’s why we constantly look for different veggies to grow this way, starting from herbs, leafy greens, and root vegetables, and eventually moving on to flowers.
In hydroponic setups, we grow plants without a traditional potting soil. Instead, the roots of the flowers, herbs, and veggies are submerged or constantly misted with a nutrient solution that hydrates and feeds them.
Of course, since this is not a common way to grow veggies, it poses the question of how exactly we should grow hydroponic broccoli.
To help you out, we’ll bring you some top tips you need to know in order to nurture this cool-weather crop in a hydroponic system, such as choosing the right plant variety and method, starting and spacing the broccoli, and eventually caring for it.
We’ll also include some common pests and diseases that can afflict this vegetable in hydroponic setups, as well as the ways you can deal with them.
Finally, we grow broccoli for its head, which is why we’ll mention how to harvest it when grown with hydroponics.
Before we start exploring all these things, let’s learn more about broccoli itself:
|Brassica oleracea var. italica
|Annual and perennial, depending on the variety
|Up to 2.5 feet
|Spring and fall
|USDA hardiness zone:
|2-11 (as annual)
How To Grow Hydroponic Broccoli
Broccoli is a man-made vegetable, but that only means we managed to adjust it to fit our preferences. And we can say that we do a similar thing when exploring novel methods of growing them.
One such thing is using a hydroponic system instead of a traditional soil medium.
For growing broccoli hydroponically, you first need to find a suitable variety and a hydro technique, then you need to start the seeds (or you can use young plants if you have them), and think of the spacing.
When it comes to care, you need to ensure that your hydroponic broccoli is placed in full sun, slightly cooler temperatures, and that they get enough moisture and nutrients.
There is a lot to take into consideration, especially if you’re just starting out with hydroponic farming, but we’ll discuss all these steps in the sections below so that you can see how hydro growing can be easy.
Choose The Broccoli Variety
Technically, you can grow any broccoli in hydroponics, but the most common one is Calabrese, probably because its taste improves in cooler temperatures.
Other popular types include Di Cicco, Arcadia, and Blue Wind. Di Cicco has the fastest growing rate, Arcadia is resistant to various diseases, and Blue Wind has large heads that it produces over a longer period of time.
Calabrese takes a bit longer to mature than the other varieties, but its sweet taste and multiple shoots make it all worth it in the end.
Choose The Method
Once you’ve chosen the broccoli type you want to use in your hydroponic farming, it is time to make a decision about the method.
For instance, knowing about the differences between aeroponics and hydroponics will get you a long way since your broccoli will grow faster in aeroponics (once it develops its roots), but that setup is more expensive than a hydroponic one.
For instance, in aeroponics, the plant roots are misted with a nutrient-rich solution that ensures optimal oxygenation and growth, while in hydroponics, the roots are submerged in water.
However, aeroponics is generally not suitable for beginners because the setup is more complex than hydroponics.
Luckily, there are many popular hydro techniques for growing broccoli, such as deep water culture, the Kratky method, ebb-and-flow, and the nutrient film technique.
Deep Water Culture (DWC)
In this method, the broccoli roots are constantly submerged in a nutrient solution, so you won’t need a water pump to flood and drain it throughout the day.
However, you will need an air stone and an air pump to enrich the liquid with oxygen and prevent root rot.
One of the perks of this system is that it doesn’t require a lot of maintenance, so you can place your broccoli in it and then “forget” about it.
One of the things that most growers love about the Kratky method is the fact that it requires very little work on their part.
All you need to do is submerge the broccoli roots in the nutrient-rich solution, and that’s it.
This passive technique doesn’t use any pumps or air stones because the water level drops as the plant develops and uses the liquid. The more solution the plant uses, the more oxygen is in the container.
When growing broccoli with this method, place your plant in a mesh container filled with an inorganic medium, such as marbles or LECA pebbles, ensure that the roots protrude from the holes, and dip them into a nutrient solution.
Ebb-and-flow is probably the most popular hydroponic setup due to its simplicity, and it’s perfect for broccoli.
For this method, you place your plants in a tray that is flooded and drained with a nutrient solution multiple times throughout the day.
When the water drains, your broccoli gets oxygen (which prevents root rot), and when it floods, it takes the moisture and nutrients that sustain it.
All you need is a plastic tray (or you can build it from PVC pipes), simple pumps to control the liquids, and some sort of an inorganic medium (our favorite is LECA clay pebbles).
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
Another great hydro setup for growing broccoli is NFT. When setting it up, you need to support this veg with a growing medium such as pebbles or marbles since the broccoli plant is heavy.
The plant’s roots grow in a shallow nutrient solution which the pump takes from the reservoir, brings to your broccoli, and then takes back.
Unlike the DWC, which is a passive technique, NFT is active and therefore requires a bit more expertise to set up.
However, it is beneficial for the broccoli because its roots aren’t constantly submerged in the solution, and they get plenty of oxygen for optimal development.
Starting The Broccoli
There are a couple of ways to start this veg in a hydroponic setup. For instance, you can germinate broccoli seeds, propagate the stems, or buy the plants ready to be transplanted.
For seed propagation, you should plant the seeds in a coco coir or a seed-starting mixture, and once they sprout, start feeding them with a light nutrient solution.
When the seedlings become taller and have 4-5 sets of true leaves, you can transplant them to your hydroponic system. (Just remember to remove the organic medium around the roots.)
And if you want to reduce your chores, you can just get a transplant and place it into your hydro setup. Of course, these plants are more expensive than propagating the seeds or stems yourself.
Spacing The Broccoli
Optimal spacing for broccoli plants planted in the ground is between 12-20 inches, depending on the variety.
However, we shouldn’t disregard this factor when growing this veg hydroponically. In a hydro system, you should place your broccoli plants about 12-16 inches apart so that their leaves and stems can develop without any hindrance or being crowded.
Hydroponic Broccoli Care
The crucial things in hydroponic gardening for all plants include light requirements, consistent temperatures, and a proper nutrient solution.
The amount of light your plant needs is the same for hydroponic soil-grown plants, but the temperature and nutrient requirements are a bit different.
It is much harder to maintain consistent temperatures in hydro farming because the outside conditions affect it tremendously. And if you opt for outdoor hydroponics, rain, wind, and heat can affect the nutrient solution, cause temperature fluctuations, etc., all of which can stress out your broccoli.
Below, you can read more about hydroponic broccoli needs, and discover some clever ways to meet them.
Broccoli plants generally thrive in full sun conditions, and if you grow them hydroponically, you can place them outside in order to save on your energy bill.
But if you prefer indoor cultivation, you can simply get grow lights and your plants will thrive.
Generally speaking, you should expose your broccoli to at least 10-12 hours of light per day. For instance, if you use LED or fluorescent lights that don’t emit too much heat, you should keep them on for about 14-16 hours per day.
Incandescent and HID lights generate too much heat and can potentially burn your plants, so you can use them for about 10-12 hours each day.
When using artificial lights for hydroponics, remember to place them about a foot away from your broccoli plants, and if they emit a lot of heat, increase that distance.
Broccoli is a cool-weather crop, and as such, it doesn’t need too much heat. The key thing is to keep the temperatures lower than 70 degrees Fahrenheit (55-65 degrees is optimal).
If you expose this plant to too much heat, it can bolt (flower prematurely), which can affect its flavor and make it bitter.
Of course, these temperatures aren’t suitable for all the broccoli growing stages. For instance, if you wish to germinate the seeds, you’ll need higher temperatures. Once you notice sprouts developing, you can reduce it.
(Heating mats come in handy during this process, as you can simply turn them off when you wish to lower the heat.)
And if you’re having trouble with keeping the water in your hydroponic reservoir cool, you can always bury it in the ground (if you keep it outside), use a chiller, place it in shade, add ice, etc.
Ensuring proper hydration and enough nutrients for your hydroponic veggies is crucial if you want to have a good harvest.
Therefore, you need to find the right balance that won’t burn the plant’s roots, but help it grow instead.
The good news about broccoli is that it’s not demanding in this respect, and you can feed it with balanced hydroponic fertilizers. There are some excellent fertilizers for leafy greens you can use that will have your broccoli thriving.
You should also change the nutrient-rich solution about once a week or every 10 days. If you do this, you can replenish the water every day, depending on your hydroponic system. (For instance, if you use the Kratky method, you shouldn’t do this as it could suffocate the roots.)
Finally, you should ensure that the pH value of the solution is between 6.0-6.5, and the EC (electrical conductivity) is between 2.8-3.5 to create the best conditions for optimal moisture and nutrient uptake.
Pests & Diseases
One of the things that many gardeners love about growing hydroponic broccoli is the fact that this veg isn’t as susceptible to pests as some other vegetables.
However, you should still monitor it and watch for insects such as cabbage worms and loopers and aphids.
Luckily, you can get rid of them using some commercial pesticides that are safe to use around vegetables.
The most common disease that can infect your hydroponically grown broccoli is downy mildew. You can recognize it by the yellow discoloration on the upper leaf surface. As the infection progresses, the discoloration spreads and turns brown.
You can treat this disease with special fungicides, but it’s always better to prevent it from happening.
To avoid dealing with downy mildew in the first place, try not to wet the foliage, reduce the humidity, and increase air circulation.
Harvesting Hydroponic Broccoli
Harvesting broccoli heads cultivated in hydroponics is the same as picking regular ones. Wait until they’re fully developed, which usually happens between 60-100 days, depending on the variety.
Simply cut the head close to its base (about 4-5 inches below the broccoli head), and leave the plant in the solution to develop side shoots and produce more, smaller heads over the next couple of weeks.
If you leave the main head on the plant for too long, it’ll lead to blooming broccoli. It is safe to eat, but it turns bitter after flowering so you should harvest it some time before the yellowish blossoms appear and start to open.
How long does broccoli take to grow in hydroponics?
Broccoli plants grown in hydroponics are ready for the harvest about 60-100 days after the transplant, but it all depends on the variety you decide to grow.
And if you want to start it from seeds, then it’ll take you somewhere between 100-150 days before you can harvest the fruits of your labor.
The seeds first have to germinate (which takes about 7-14 days), and then you have to let them get strong enough to survive in a hydroponic system. (Many growers usually wait until 4-5 sets of true leaves appear before moving them.)
What are the disadvantages of growing crops hydroponically?
One of the biggest disadvantages of a hydroponic growing medium is the fact that you have to monitor it constantly and ensure that the weather conditions do not affect the temperature, pH and EC values, water levels, etc.
And even if something changes, you have to recognize it quickly and get it back to normal so that your plant can continue to develop properly.
Also, many hydroponic systems require pumps and automatic setups, which may consume a lot of energy, resulting in a large electricity bill at the end of the month.
(Of course, you can move your hydroponic system outdoors and use solar energy to save money.)
Finally, certain setups are quite costly (for instance, aeroponics), but you can always try and find cheaper methods (e.g. the Kratky method).
Growing and nurturing hydroponic broccoli isn’t as demanding as you’d think, although you do have to monitor your plants more frequently.
The best way to get a large yield involves choosing a suitable variety and hydroponic setup, starting the seeds (or preparing transplants), and moving them to the hydro system.
Then, all you need to do is ensure that your plant gets plenty of light (either full sun or artificial lights for at least 10-12 hours per day), has appropriate temperatures, and that the nutrient solution is adjusted to its needs.
This involves getting the EC and the pH values to suit the broccoli, and using hydroponic fertilizers that will support your plant’s development.
And just like all vegetables, hydroponic broccoli can also suffer from certain pest infestations and diseases, but we included solutions and preventions in the article.
Finally, the main goal of growing this vegetable in hydro setups is the harvest, so we examined the best way to do it to increase your yield.
Enjoy this delicious vegetable, and until next time!
Kulima mboga kwa njia ya hydroponic kuna faida nyingi, na mojawapo ya faida kuu ni ongezeko la mazao. Hiyo ndiyo sababu sisi daima kuangalia kwa mboga tofauti kukua kwa njia hii, kuanzia mimea, majani ya kijani, na mboga mizizi, na hatimaye kuhamia maua. Katika mifumo ya hydroponic, tunakua mimea bila udongo wa kawaida wa sufuria. Badala yake, mizizi ya maua, mimea, na mboga hutiwa maji au kuchafuliwa daima kwa mchanganyiko wa virutubisho vinavyowapa maji na chakula. Kwa kweli, kwa kuwa hii sio njia ya kawaida ya kukuza mboga, inauliza swali la jinsi hasa tunapaswa kukuza broccoli ya hydroponic. Ili kukusaidia, tutakuletea vidokezo kadhaa muhimu unahitaji kujua ili kukuza mazao haya ya hali ya hewa baridi katika mfumo wa hydroponic, kama vile kuchagua aina sahihi ya mmea na njia, kuanza na nafasi ya broccoli, na hatimaye kuitunza. Pia tutajumuisha baadhi ya wadudu na magonjwa ya kawaida ambayo yanaweza kuathiri mboga hii katika miundo ya hydroponic, pamoja na njia unazoweza kushughulika nazo. Hatimaye, sisi kukua broccoli kwa ajili ya kichwa chake, ambayo ni kwa nini sisi <unk>ll kutaja jinsi ya kuvuna wakati kukua na hydroponics. Kabla hatujaanza kuchunguza mambo haya yote, hebu tujifunze zaidi kuhusu broccoli yenyewe: Kwa mfano, kwa mimea ya kila mwaka, kama vile broccoli, broccoli ya kila mwaka, broccoli ya kila mwaka, broccoli ya kila mwaka, broccoli ya kila mwaka, broccoli ya kila mwaka, broccoli ya kila mwaka, broccoli ya kila mwaka, broccoli ya kila mwaka, broccoli ya kila mwaka, broccoli ya kila mwaka, broccoli ya kila mwaka. Na tunaweza kusema kwamba tunafanya kitu kama hicho tunapochunguza mbinu mpya za kuzilima. Njia moja ni kutumia mfumo wa hydroponic badala ya udongo wa jadi. Ili kukuza broccoli kwa njia ya hydroponic, unahitaji kwanza kupata aina inayofaa na mbinu ya hydroponic, kisha unahitaji kuanza mbegu (au unaweza kutumia mimea ndogo ikiwa una), na fikiria nafasi. Kwa hivyo, kwa sababu ya hali ya hewa, broccoli ya hydroponic inapaswa kuhifadhiwa kwa jua la jua, na kwa joto la chini, na kwa kiasi cha kutosha. Kuna mengi ya kuzingatia, hasa kama wewe ni tu kuanza nje na kilimo hydroponic, lakini tutaweza kujadili hatua hizi zote katika sehemu hapa chini ili uweze kuona jinsi hydro kulima inaweza kuwa rahisi. Kwa mfano, unaweza kukuza broccoli yoyote katika hydroponics, lakini moja ya kawaida ni Calabrese, labda kwa sababu ladha yake inaboresha katika joto la chini. Aina nyingine zinazopendwa sana ni Di Cicco, Arcadia, na Blue Wind. DiCicco ina kiwango cha haraka zaidi cha ukuaji, Arcadia ni sugu kwa magonjwa mbalimbali, na Upepo wa Bluu una vichwa vikubwa ambavyo hutokeza kwa muda mrefu. Calabrese inachukua muda mrefu kukomaa kuliko aina nyingine, lakini ladha yake tamu na shina nyingi hufanya yote yawe na thamani yake. Kuamua mbinu Mara baada ya kuchagua aina ya broccoli unataka kutumia katika kilimo yako hydroponic, ni wakati wa kufanya uamuzi kuhusu mbinu. Kwa mfano, kujua kuhusu tofauti kati ya aeroponics na hydroponics itakupata njia ndefu tangu broccoli yako itakua haraka katika aeroponics (mara tu inapokua mizizi yake), lakini kuanzisha hiyo ni ghali zaidi kuliko moja ya hydroponic. Kwa mfano, katika aeroponics, mizizi ya mimea hutiwa mchanganyiko na suluhisho lenye virutubisho ambavyo hutegemeza oksijeni bora na ukuaji, wakati katika hydroponics, mizizi hutiwa ndani ya maji. Hata hivyo, aeroponics kwa ujumla si yanafaa kwa ajili ya wapya kwa sababu kuanzisha ni ngumu zaidi kuliko hydroponics. Kwa bahati nzuri, kuna mbinu nyingi maarufu za hydro kwa ajili ya kukua broccoli, kama vile utamaduni wa maji ya kina, mbinu ya Kratky, ebb-na-mtiririko, na mbinu ya filamu ya virutubisho. Utamaduni wa Maji ya kina (DWC) Katika njia hii, mizizi ya broccoli ni daima kuzamishwa katika ufumbuzi wa virutubisho, hivyo hutahitaji pampu ya maji ya mafuriko na drain yake siku nzima. Hata hivyo, unahitaji jiwe la hewa na pampu ya hewa ili kutajirisha kioevu hicho kwa oksijeni na kuzuia kuoza kwa mizizi. Moja ya faida ya mfumo huu ni kwamba haina haja ya matengenezo mengi, hivyo unaweza kuweka broccoli yako ndani yake na kisha "kusahau" kuhusu hilo. Moja ya mambo ambayo wakulima wengi wanapenda kuhusu njia ya Kratky ni ukweli kwamba inahitaji kazi kidogo sana kwa upande wao. Unachohitaji kufanya ni kuzamisha mizizi ya broccoli katika suluhisho lenye virutubisho vingi, na ndivyo ilivyo. Mbinu hii ya kutofanya kazi haitumi pampu au mawe ya hewa kwa sababu kiwango cha maji hupungua wakati mmea unakua na kutumia kioevu. Kadiri mmea unavyotumia suluhisho zaidi, ndivyo oksijeni inavyozidi kuwa ndani ya chombo hicho. Wakati wa kukuza broccoli kwa njia hii, weka mmea wako katika chombo cha mesh kilichojaa vyombo vya anorganiki, kama vile marbles au pebbles za L.E.C.A. Hakikisha mizizi inatokea kutoka kwa mashimo na kuzamisha katika suluhisho la virutubisho. Ebb-na-mtiririko ni pengine maarufu zaidi hydroponic kuanzisha kutokana na unyenyekevu wake, na ni kamili kwa broccoli. Kwa njia hii, mimea yako huwekwa kwenye sahani ambayo hufurika na kutiririka na suluhisho la virutubisho mara nyingi kwa siku. Wakati maji yanapoondoka, broccoli hupata oksijeni (ambayo huzuia kuoza kwa mizizi), na wakati maji yanapofurika, huchukua unyevu na virutubisho vinavyoitunza. Unahitaji tu tray ya plastiki (au unaweza kuijenga kutoka kwa mabomba ya PVC), pampu rahisi kudhibiti kioevu, na aina fulani ya njia isiyo ya kikaboni (mpendwa wetu ni LECA pebbles ya udongo). NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) ni mbinu ya kukua broccoli ya kawaida. Wakati wa kuanzisha, unahitaji kuunga mkono mboga hii na njia ya kukua kama vile mawe au marumaru, kwa kuwa mmea wa broccoli ni nzito. Mizizi ya mmea hukua katika ufumbuzi wa virutubisho visivyo na kina ambacho pampu inachukua kutoka kwenye hifadhi, huleta kwa broccoli yako, na kisha huchukua nyuma. Tofauti na DWC, ambayo ni mbinu ya kutokuwa na shughuli, NFT ni kazi na kwa hivyo inahitaji utaalam zaidi kuanzisha. Hata hivyo, ni muhimu kwa broccoli kwa sababu mizizi yake si daima kuzamishwa katika ufumbuzi, na wao kupata mengi ya oksijeni kwa ajili ya maendeleo bora. Ili kuanzisha broccoli, kuna njia kadhaa za kuanzisha mboga hii katika mazingira ya hydroponic. Kwa mfano, unaweza kuchipua mbegu za brokoli, kuzalisha shina, au kununua mimea iliyo tayari kupandwa. Kwa ajili ya kueneza mbegu, unapaswa kupanda mbegu katika mchanganyiko wa mbegu za kokosi, na mara tu zinapochipuka, kuanza kuzalisha na suluhisho la virutubisho nyepesi. Wakati miche inapoanza kukua na kuwa na majani ya kweli, unaweza kuipandikiza kwenye mfumo wako wa hydroponic. (Kumbuka tu kuondoa mazingira ya kikaboni kuzunguka mizizi.) Ikiwa unataka kupunguza kazi yako, unaweza kuchukua kipimo cha mimea na kuifanya. Bila shaka, mimea hiyo ni ghali zaidi kuliko kueneza mbegu au shina mwenyewe. Broccoli: Kwa sababu ya aina yake, nafasi bora ya kupanda mimea ya broccoli ni kati ya inchi 12 na 20, kulingana na aina. Hata hivyo, hatupaswi kupuuza jambo hili tunapokua mboga hii kwa njia ya hydroponic. Katika mfumo wa maji, unapaswa kuweka mimea yako ya broccoli karibu inchi 12-16 mbali ili majani na shina ziweze kuendeleza bila kizuizi chochote au kuwa na msongamano. Hydroponic Broccoli Care: Kwa sababu ya matumizi yake katika kilimo cha bustani, mimea ya kawaida hupata joto la kawaida, joto la kawaida, na joto la kawaida. Kiasi cha mwanga unaohitajika kwa mimea ya hydroponic ni sawa na kiwango cha joto na mahitaji ya virutubisho. Ni vigumu sana kudumisha joto la kawaida katika kilimo cha maji kwa sababu hali za nje huathiri sana. Kwa hivyo, ikiwa utaamua kutumia hydroponics ya nje, mvua, upepo, na joto zinaweza kuathiri suluhisho la virutubisho, kusababisha mabadiliko ya joto, na kadhalika, ambayo yote yanaweza kusisitiza broccoli yako. Hapa chini unaweza kusoma zaidi juu ya mahitaji ya hydroponic broccoli, na kugundua njia za busara za kukidhi. Mimea ya broccoli hupenda jua, na ikiwa unazalisha kwa njia ya hydroponic, unaweza kuifanya nje ili kuokoa gharama za nishati. Ikiwa unapendelea kulima ndani ya nyumba, unaweza kutumia taa za kukuza na mimea yako itafanikiwa. Kwa kawaida, broccoli inapaswa kuangazwa kwa angalau masaa 10 hadi 12 kwa siku. Kwa mfano, ikiwa unatumia taa za LED au za fluorescent ambazo hazitoi joto nyingi, unapaswa kuziweka kwa masaa 14-16 kwa siku. Taa za incandescent na HID zinatoa joto la kutosha na zinaweza kuharibu mimea yako, kwa hivyo unaweza kuzitumia kwa masaa 10-12 kila siku. Wakati wa kutumia taa za bandia kwa hydroponics, kumbuka kuziweka karibu na miguu moja kutoka kwa mimea yako ya broccoli, na ikiwa hutokeza joto nyingi, ongeza umbali huo. Broccoli ni mazao ya hali ya hewa baridi, na kama vile, haina haja ya joto sana. Kwa sababu ya hali ya hewa ya joto, ni muhimu kuweka joto chini ya 70 ° F (55-65 ° C) kwa ajili ya matumizi ya kawaida. Ikiwa mmea huu utawekwa kwenye joto la juu sana, unaweza kupasuka (kuchanua maua mapema), ambayo inaweza kuathiri ladha yake na kuifanya iwe na uchungu. Bila shaka, joto hili si sahihi kwa hatua zote za kukua kwa broccoli. Kwa mfano, ikiwa unataka kuota mbegu, utahitaji joto la juu zaidi. Mara tu unapogundua kwamba miche inaanza kukua, unaweza kuipunguza. (Matofali ya kupasha joto ni muhimu wakati wa mchakato huu, kwa kuwa unaweza tu kuyafuta unapotaka kupunguza joto.) Na kama wewe ni kuwa na matatizo na kuweka maji katika hifadhi yako hydroponic baridi, unaweza daima kuzikwa katika ardhi (kama wewe kuweka nje), kutumia chiller, kuweka katika kivuli, kuongeza barafu, nk. Kuhifadhi maji na virutubisho vya kutosha kwa mboga yako ya hydroponic ni muhimu ikiwa unataka mavuno mazuri. Kwa hiyo, unahitaji kupata usawa sahihi ambao hautakuchoma mizizi ya mmea, lakini badala yake unasaidia kukua. Habari njema kuhusu broccoli ni kwamba si ya kudai katika suala hili, na unaweza kulisha na mbolea ya usawa hydroponic. Kuna mbolea nzuri za mboga za majani ambayo unaweza kutumia ili broccoli yako ikue. Pia, unapaswa kubadilisha suluhisho lenye virutubisho mara moja kwa wiki au kila baada ya siku kumi. Kwa hivyo, kwa kawaida, unaweza kuondoa maji ya maji kila siku, kulingana na hali ya hydroponic. (Kwa mfano, kama wewe kutumia njia Kratky, unapaswa si kufanya hivyo kama inaweza suffocate mizizi.) Mwishowe, unapaswa kuhakikisha kuwa pH ya suluhisho ni kati ya 6.0-6.5, na EC (kuongoza umeme) ni kati ya 2.8-3.5 ili kuunda hali bora kwa unyevu bora na uingizaji wa virutubisho. Wadudu na Magonjwa Moja ya mambo ambayo wakulima wengi upendo kuhusu kukua broccoli hydroponic ni ukweli kwamba mboga hii si kama nyeti kwa wadudu kama baadhi ya mboga nyingine. Hata hivyo, unapaswa bado kufuatilia na kuangalia kwa wadudu kama vile minyoo ya kabichi na loopers na aphids. Kwa bahati nzuri, unaweza kuondoa kwa kutumia dawa za kuua wadudu ambazo ni salama kutumia karibu na mboga. Ugonjwa unaosababishwa na broccoli inayokua kwa njia ya hydroponic ni kuvu. Unaweza kuitambua kwa sababu ya rangi ya manjano iliyo kwenye sehemu ya juu ya jani. Maambukizo yanapoendelea, rangi hiyo huenea na kuwa kahawia. Unaweza kutibu ugonjwa huu kwa dawa maalum za kuua kuvu, lakini sikuzote ni afadhali kuuzuia usitokee. Ili kuepuka kuambukizwa na kuvu, jaribu kuondoa mvua kwenye majani, kupunguza unyevu, na kuongeza mzunguko wa hewa. Kuvuna Broccoli ya Hydroponic Kuvuna vichwa vya broccoli vilivyopandwa katika hydroponics ni sawa na kukusanya kawaida. Kwa kawaida, wakati wa kukua huanza baada ya siku 60-100, kulingana na aina. Kuondoa kichwa karibu na msingi (kwa karibu inchi 4 chini ya kichwa cha broccoli) na kuacha mmea katika suluhisho ili kuendeleza shina za upande na kuzalisha vichwa zaidi na vidogo zaidi katika wiki chache zijazo. Ukiwaacha vichwa vikuu kwenye mmea kwa muda mrefu sana, itasababisha maua ya broccoli. Ni salama kula, lakini inakuwa uchungu baada ya maua, kwa hiyo unapaswa kuvuna muda kabla ya maua ya manjano kuonekana na kuanza kufunguliwa. Broccoli huchukua muda gani kukua katika kilimo cha maji? Mimea ya broccoli iliyopandwa katika hydroponics iko tayari kwa mavuno karibu siku 60-100 baada ya kupandikiza, lakini yote inategemea aina ya mimea unayoamua kukuza. Ikiwa unataka kuanza kutoka kwa mbegu, itachukua siku 100 hadi 150 kabla ya kukusanya matunda ya kazi yako. Mbegu lazima kwanza kuota (kuchukua siku 7-14), na kisha lazima kuruhusu nguvu yao kupata kutosha kuishi katika mfumo hydroponic. Kwa kawaida, wakulima wa kienyeji huchukua muda wa miezi mitatu hadi sita kabla ya kuhamisha majani yao. Ni nini hasara ya kulima mazao kwa njia ya hydroponic? Moja ya hasara kubwa ya hydroponic ni kwamba ni lazima daima kuangalia hali ya hewa na kuhakikisha kwamba hali ya hewa haina kuathiri joto, pH, EC, viwango vya maji, na kadhalika. Hata kama kuna mabadiliko, unapaswa kugundua haraka na kurudisha hali ya kawaida ili mmea wako uweze kuendelea kukua vizuri. Pia, mifumo mingi ya hydroponic inahitaji pampu na miundo ya moja kwa moja, ambayo inaweza kutumia nishati nyingi, na kusababisha muswada mkubwa wa umeme mwishoni mwa mwezi. (Bila shaka, unaweza kuhamisha mfumo wako wa kilimo cha maji nje na kutumia nishati ya jua ili kuokoa pesa.) Mwishowe, baadhi ya setups ni ghali sana (kwa mfano, aeroponics), lakini unaweza daima kujaribu na kupata mbinu nafuu (kwa mfano Kratky Method Kukua na kulisha broccoli hydroponic si kama mahitaji kama ungependa kufikiri, ingawa una kuangalia mimea yako mara kwa mara zaidi. Njia bora ya kupata mavuno makubwa ni kuchagua aina inayofaa na kuanzisha hydroponic, kuanza mbegu (au kuandaa kupandikiza), na kuhamisha kwa mfumo wa maji. Kwa hiyo, ni muhimu kuhakikisha kwamba mmea wako anapata mwanga wa kutosha (au jua kamili au taa bandia kwa angalau masaa 10-12 kwa siku), joto sahihi, na kwamba ufumbuzi wa virutubisho umebadilishwa kwa mahitaji yake. Hii inahusisha kupata EC na pH maadili ya kukidhi broccoli, na kutumia mbolea hydroponic ambayo itasaidia maendeleo ya mmea wako. Kama mboga zote, broccoli inaweza pia kuathiriwa na wadudu na magonjwa fulani, lakini tumejumuisha suluhisho na kuzuia katika makala hii. Kwa hivyo, lengo kuu la kukuza mboga hii katika mazingira ya maji ni mavuno, kwa hivyo tulichunguza njia bora ya kufanya hivyo ili kuongeza mavuno yako. Furahia mboga hii tamu, na hadi mara inayofuata!