We begin with the gold standard, our best-selling module, the WaterFarm®. Versatile, durable and compact, the WaterFarm® hydroponic system is popular for good reasons. Because it’s made of such high-impact plastic, the system you buy is the system you will have for many years to come. This is the best choice for growers with smaller spaces to work with, as the units create a high-density installation.  However, even though it’s compact, you can still grow many types of plants, large and small. Tomatoes do wonderfully in the WaterFarm® systems, as do avocados, coffee plants and more. Check out these photos from Stephen at Garden Connections in Ohio, to see the WaterFarm® in action:

Coffee in a WaterFarm

Tomatoes in a WaterFarm 8-pack

Are you ready to really get your hydroponic itch scratched? Get the WaterFarm® 8-pack: eight module units, connected to one GH controller for a full-on high-production system with everything you need. How much can you grow with an 8-pack? The sky’s is the limit! (well, ok, maybe the ceiling is the limit).

The WaterFarm® system is a great place to start, if you are new to hydroponics. No matter where you live, you can grow hydroponically and get the fresh fruits and vegetables that you want. Even a small space can be put to work for you. With our complete sets of nutrients to pair with the system, you can get amazing, lush, delicious crops that no outdoor garden could touch. Plants are protected from disease, pests and the weather and they don’t have to compete with weeds for nutrients! Everything they need is right there.

Leave a comment and let us know how the WaterFarm® works for you. What fruits and vegetables grow best in it? If that one isn’t your favorite system, which one is and why? We’ll be covering our other systems in future blogs and we need your input!

We eat all sorts of plant parts so not every vegetable needs pollinating. Leaf and root crops (lettuce, kale, beets, etc) do not need to be pollinated because we eat them before they get to the flower stage of their life cycle. However, there are plants that we eat (like tomatoes, lemons and almonds) that need to be pollinated in order to produce the fruit or seed that we want to eat.

Quick botany lesson:

Male squash flower

Bees (and other pollinators) travel from flower to flower, drinking nectar and spreading pollen. Pollen is the male component of a flower (flower sperm, if you will). When it’s transferred to another flower, it goes into the pistil (female flower part) and fertilizes to make fruit. This process can’t be done without the aid of a pollinator. There are some plants, however, that have both male and female parts and can self-pollinate but you can still give them a little help.

Since there (presumably) aren’t swarms of bees flying around your hydroponic system, you might want to lend a hand to a few of your edible crops. It’s pretty simple. Here’s how to do it:

• Leaf and root crops (like spinach, carrots, onions and garlic): don’t worry about it! They don’t need to be pollinated. Just crunch them and enjoy.

• Self-pollinators (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, beans and peas): They can generally take care of things themselves but you can help: jog the pollen loose by gently (very gently) shaking the plants, tapping the flowers or try this method:

• Cross-pollinators (squash, cucumbers, melons and most fruit): These plants need to trade pollen in order to produce fruit. The squash, cukes and melons have separate male and female flowers. The male flower will have pollen-laden stamens and the female flower will usually have what looks like a tiny fruit bulging at the base. These guys need the most help and must be pollinated to produce fruit. The how-to:

1. Wait until both male and female flowers are in full bloom, petals open.

2. Get a watercolor paintbrush or a Q-tip. Brush it against the male flower (you should see yellow or orange pollen on the brush or Q-tip).

3. Brush it against the pistil on the female flower (the pistil is tall and gooey and right in the middle. You can’t miss it.)

Female squash flower

That’s it! You’ve done it! You should see fruit begin to form in the next few days. Keep repeating the process with subsequent flowers and you should have lots of fruit in no time.

Orchids are incredibly popular among plant enthusiasts and it’s easy to see why. Each of the many species, varieties and colors produce their own kind of unique beauty and appeal. However, growing them can be tricky and getting them to bloom and stay healthy is even trickier! Here, we offer an alternative to the conventional orchid growing method.

Most orchids, especially the popular Phalaenopsis, grow naturally in treetops and jungle canopies, where there is little soil. Generally speaking, their roots thrive in bark and moss in the wild. That is the usual medium for growing orchids in pots. There is normally no soil involved. So, it’s just an easy step from there to growing hydroponically! Orchids thrive in a soilless environment. Plant your orchids into a hydroponic system, add a growing media, water and nutrients. That is all you need to do! It takes the guess work out of wondering when to water; you can stop worrying about root rot and wilting leaves. It also eliminates the threat of most diseases, since the growing media are inert.

The well-balanced nutrients, found in our FloraNova Grow, are the perfect way to start healthy root and foliage growth. It’s is especially ideal for helping your orchids get established in their new hydroponic home. Healthy root growth builds the essential foundation for overall success. FloraNova Grow is a unique formulation of highly purified minerals, plus natural additives that combine the best of both the hydroponic and natural gardening methods to facilitate healthy growth. Use FloraNova Grow throughout the structural growth phase and into the first 7-10 days of transition. Switch to FloraNova Bloom for the flowering growth phase.

Our FloraNova Series has the perfect nutrient balance to support orchids. The NPK is 7-2-10, with many micronutrients (like iron and calcium) included, to form a near-complete, nourishing product to aid in the foliage growth and establishment of young and fragile orchids. Try growing these unique beauties hydroponically and watch them flourish!

This video of flowers glowing in the dark after drinking highlighter ink is really trippy. It proves what hydroponic growers have always known to be true- that plants are super sensitive to everything they are exposed to.

The tiny honeybee can often be overlooked as an essential part of gardening. This was highlighted to me recently when my friend was discussing the giant avocado tree that has grown in her neighbor’s yard for decades. It never produced even one avocado until another neighbor on their block started keeping bees. The humble bees were able to finally properly pollinate the flowers and now the 4 story tree is finally covered in avocados. I’d love to know if you incorporate beekeeping into your garden, let us know in the comments!

Related Content:
Bees in the GH Greenhouse
Clue to the Vanishing Honeybee

No matter what time of year, there is always some kind of amazing flower blooming here at General Hydroponics. And some flowers, like these dahlias seem to be perpetually producing massive flowers. These beauties are growing in CocoTek planters, and are fed the latest bloom formulas.

I’ve been watching the hydrangea bloom behind the office here at GH. I love how the bright green buds open into pale pink blooms. The transformative power of plants blows my mind.

Spring is officially here. At General Hydroponics headquarters that means rainbows and wildflowers.

This lovely yellow flower is a type of sorrel, commonly called Sour Grass. I can’t believe I got that shot of the bee in mid flight, with its little tongue sticking out!

I took this shot on August 11:

They have exploded in the last month. Amazing.

This is the traditional blue cornflower.

Here is a pale lavender version.

This one is pink.

Facts about Cornflowers, from wikipedia:

It used to be worn by young men in love- The flower got it’s name because it was a common weed that grew in between crop rows- The flower is the national flower of Estonia- The blue color has it’s own Crayola Crayon- The flower can be an herbal remedy that soothes and heals the eye- It is considered endangered in it’s native habitat of the UK

One of the benefits of using General Hydroponics nutrients and supplements is increased flowering sites. I think these roses really illustrate that point. Look at the number of buds on each plant. Some of them are literally covered in buds. I can’t wait for these to bloom!

They are all lined up buckets, and the reservoir sits at one end of the row. They get watered via drip emitters. The set up is easy and reliable. Besides pruning and keeping an eye out for aphids, these roses hardly need any attention at all.

When you pull into the parking lot at the General Hydroponics manufacturing facility in Sebastopol, CA, the first thing you notice are the roses. They are set up in bato buckets as a sort of European growing style,  like the EuroGrower. The roses are planted in Hydroton and fed all sorts of interesting new fertilizers. I think they are amazing, and every year they bloom more and more.

These trays are packed with Zinnias, Marigolds and bedding Sunflowers. Aren’t they awesome?!