Sign up, it’s free and lets you unlock all the site’s features (online grow log, saved calculations, forum): unlock all features.

Create my account Log in
Learning paths Hydroponic garden · hobbyist Français

I want to produce

Produce really, in little space

Three planters of tomatoes is nice; feeding part of the household takes a different kind of organization. Choosing systems, crops, succession sowing and realistic numbers.

150 to 600 € depending on the area 1 to 2 hours a week 7 steps

Buckets of lettuce, basil and Swiss chard in a sunroom
  1. 1

    Choosing the system by available space

    Vertical towers to save space, NFT channels for lettuces in series, DWC buckets for large plants.

    Which system to choose? DWC and air pumps

  2. 2

    Check the constraints of the location

    Wind, sun, the weight of water (1 liter = 1 kilo), outdoor electricity.

    Balcony and patio: the constraints

  3. 3

    Sizing for the household

    A simple rule of thumb: better 4 to 8 lettuces reaching maturity every week for a household of three than 30 at once. Sow a little, but often.

    “Sowing and crops” tips Reservoir volume

  4. 4

    Planning the year

    The calendar says what to sow, plant and harvest each month; leafy crops turn over fast, fruiting vegetables take up the summer.

    The sowing calendar

  5. 5

    Choosing the crops that pay off

    Lettuce, herbs, Swiss chard and cherry tomatoes give a lot per square meter; squash and root vegetables, much less in hydroponics.

    The 78 crop guides Tomato

  6. 6

    Measuring what you harvest

    Weigh, record, work out the cost per kilo: your own numbers, not the promises, will tell you what deserves its place.

    Productivity and profitability Cost per kilo

  7. 7

    Storing and using

    Dried or frozen herbs, legumes, microgreens in the fridge: you harvest more when you know what to do with it.

    Storing your herbs

Next

For going further

Care routines Going on vacation

To the forum

Questions people ask

Ask your question

Other learning paths

I’m just startingFrom zero to the first harvest I want to buildBuilding rather than buying I want to optimizeOptimize, monitor, automate Small spaceHydroponics in less than 1 m² Soil gardenerFrom the soil garden to hydroponics For cookingWhat can I grow for my kitchen? Fish and plantsCombining fish and plants