I’d like to figure out how fast I can expect my plants to grow. Most seed packets and websites tell you how fast seeds grow assuming you are using soil, But hydroponics can grow up to 50% faster!
I doubt very much that my first hydroponic plants will grow 50% faster, however that doesn’t mean that I couldn’t expect to start harvesting from roughly that time onwards. You rarely need to wait until the plant reaches full maturity before you can harvest; just pull off leaves as needed and let the plant keep growing. I added “Potential Maturity” to the table below, but realistically that’s when I suspect I may be able to get my first harvest.
Earlier in the week I announced that we were hoping to grow the following vegetables and fruits in our Kratky hydroponic tubs:
- Amaranth, Red Leaf
- Basil, Purple Petra
- Cucumber, Lemon Cucumber
- Lettuce, New Red Fire
- Lettuce, Red Sails
- Spinach, Matador
- Spinach, Lavewa
- Swiss Chard, Bright Lights
- Tomato, San Marzano
All of our seeds were purchased from Sustainable Organic Q8, and appear to have been imported from Botanical Interests. You can read more about my search from seeds in the post Where to buy organic seeds in Kuwait.
| Days To Maturity | Potential Maturity | |
| Amaranth, Red Leaf | 90-110 | 45-60 |
| Basil, Purple Petra | 45-55 | 23-28 |
| Cucumber, Lemon | 65 | 32 |
| Lettuce, New Red Fire | 55 | 27 |
| Lettuce, Red Sails | 45 | 23 |
| Spinach, Matador | 28-48 | 14-24 |
| Spinach, Lavewa | 28-45 | 14-24 |
| Swiss Chard, Bright Lights | 52 | 26 |
| Tomato, San Marzano | 80-90 | 40-45 |
I’d really to have some plants growing, or even harvestable, by late September/early October. Thats approximately 50-60 days from now. We have space for 2 large plants, along with at least 3 smaller plants and maximum of 5 plants.
The San Marzano Tomatoes are planned as a permanent setup, so these will take priority in one of the largest plant spaces. This tomato plant will be approximately 5-6 feet (1.5-1.8m) in height!
Whilst not quite as large as the tomatoes, the Lemon Cucumbers will stand about 3-4 feet (0.9-1.2m) in height. This will fill my second large grow area.
Lavewa Spinach Artwork, Courtesy of Botanical Interests 
Matador Spinch Artwork, Courtesy of Botanical Interests
There are debates online about which spinach is “better”; matador apparently grows better in many conditions, but the Lavewa looks prettier and is slightly tastier. We want to test both of these spinaches side by side. They grow at the same rate, so we will test both the Lavewa Spinach and the Matador Spinach together.
I want to stagger the harvesting of my plants; I don’t want all my fresh leaf plants to mature at the same time, and then go one to two months with little food. So I have decided that I will start the Amaranth as well for this first hydroponic growth cycle. Granted, with its growth speed, I may be able to grow two batches of spinach by the time it reaches full maturity.
New Red Fire Lettuce Artwork, Courtesy of Botanical Interests 
Swiss Chard Bright Lights Artwork, Courtesy of Botanical Interests
If I can fit anymore plants in my grow area I will add the Swiss Chard and the New Red Fire Lettuce.
What about you?
What are you growing this season? Did you calculate how long it takes to grow? Did you have to plan around seasons and temperature outdoors? Let me know what you’re growing!