How to grow hydroponic zucchini

How To Grow Hydroponic Zucchini

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Summary

Are you wanting to learn how to grow hydroponic zucchini? Then you’re in the right place! While not the most space efficient, zucchini plants thrive in hydroponic systems and are pretty easy to grow.

Here’s what you need to know about growing hydroponic zucchini!

When it comes to selecting the zucchini variety for your hydroponic garden I recommend looking for space-saving varieties. Zucchini typically grow to become pretty large so any space-saving traits are going to come in useful.

My favorite varieties of zucchini to grow hydroponically are “bush baby” and “spacemiser“. They are both space-saving varieties.

How to grow hydroponic zucchini

Getting Hydroponic Zucchini Started

Now that you’ve chosen the variety you’ll need to decide how your going to start your garden. Here are your options.

Germinating seeds-Zucchini is easy to start from seed and takes anywhere from 7 to 14 days to germinate. When germinating zucchini seeds temperatures should be kept around the 75 degree range. I prefer to germinate my seeds using rapid rooter plugs and a heat mat.

Store-bought zucchini in dirt– Buying zucchini plants from the store and transplanting them into your hydroponic system is an easy way to get your garden started. If you’re starting your garden at a time when plants are being sold locally then I would recommend going this route. It’s going to save you time and effort.

Cloning zucchini- Zucchini can also be cloned. Cloning your hydroponic zucchini saves you money from having to buy seeds or plants.

Cut a 5-7 inch lung sucker leaf that doesn’t have a bud attached and place it in your grow medium, keeping it moist. Rapid rooter plugs also work great for cloning. 

What Hydroponic Systems Works Best For Growing Zucchini?

Zucchini needs to be grown in a hydroponic system that offers plenty of space. For this reason, I recommend growing hydroponic zucchini using drip, deep water culture (DWC), or dutch bucket methods.

I prefer to grow my hydroponic zucchini in 5-gallon hydroponic buckets or in totes also using the DWC method.

What Is The Best Temperature For Hydroponic Zucchini?

Zucchini is a summer crop so best grown in warmer temperatures.

The best “daylight” temperature for hydroponic zucchini is 75-85 degrees. During the dark period of light, it’s good to decrease the temperature 10 degrees to between 65-75 degrees.

Spacing Requirements For Hydroponic Zucchini

Hydroponic zucchini should be given at least 2 feet of space between plants to provide plenty of room to spread and they will spread out.

How Much Light Does Hydroponic Zucchini Need?

Zucchini plants grow like crazy and can produce a lot of fruits. That production takes energy, so make sure to give your hydroponic Zucchini plenty of light. Hydroponic zucchini should receive full sun or 14-16 hours of light each day.

The recommended pH level for hydroponic zucchini is 6.0.

Remember to check your pH levels often.

Hydroponic Zucchini Nutrient Requirements

Zucchini plants should start off being grown with a nutrient regimen geared towards vegetative growth. A simple one-part nutrient solution like Dyna Gro Grow works well up until your zucchini plants are ready for flowering.

For the flowering and fruiting stage, you should switch to a nutrient regimen with less nitrogen and more phosphorus and potassium for flower and fruit production.  Dyna-Gro Liquid Bloom is easy to use for the flower and fruiting stage of growth. I also use Dyna-Gro’s Pro Tekt throughout the growth cycle. I’m a big fan of Dyna-Gro’s products because they are simple to use and work well for general hobby growing.

When you start to understand the nutrient needs of the plant you’re growing, you may look to a more advanced nutrient regimen like General Hydroponics Flora Series. Plants can also benefit from various supplements that go by different names depending on the nutrient regimen you’re using.

How to Hand Pollinate Your Indoor Zucchini Plant

Zucchini plants produce flowers that need to be pollinated before they are able to produce fruits.

When growing plants that require pollination outdoors, nature does most of the work. Between insects and wind, flowers will typically get pollinated without human assistance. When growing indoors we miss out on nature’s help with pollination so you’ll need to pollinate flowers by hand.

For hand pollination, I recommend using a qtip or small paintbrush. Before pollinating you will need to distinguish between the 2 types of flowers, male and female, which is pretty easy to do. Female flowers have a small fruit at the base of the flower whereas male flowers do not.

zucchini male vs female flowers

Take your qtip or paintbrush and rub the inside bottom of the male zucchini flower. Next, rub the inside bottom of the female flower. Repeat this for the next couple of days to ensure the best pollination.

How Harvest Hydroponic Zucchini

Most long zucchini varieties are ready to harvest at about 6-9 inches long. Your zucchini could grow larger than this but it will start to lose it flavor when grown too large.

Harvesting hydroponic zucchini is as easy as cutting the stem right above the zucchini. The stems of the vegetable are pretty thick, so I recommend using a good pair of garden shears. Trying to tear off zucchini from the plant can be tough and damage the plant.

Conclusion

Now you’re ready to grow some hydroponic zucchini! With a little bit of planning growing hydroponic zucchini can be pretty easy and very rewarding. Just provide plenty of space, nutrients and light. Have you grown hydroponic zucchini? Let us know how it went in the comments! Happy growing!

How to Grow Hydroponic Zucchini

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