Wondering What You Can Grow Indoors with Hydroponics? Here’s the Ultimate List

What Types of Plants Can You Grow Hydroponically Indoors?

If you're standing in your kitchen staring at your countertop and wondering what types of plants can you grow hydroponically indoors, you’re not alone. This is one of the most common (and most important) questions to ask before jumping into indoor hydroponic gardening.

The answer? You can grow a lot. From fast-growing leafy greens and hearty herbs to tomatoes, strawberries, beans, and peppers, hydroponics unlocks more variety than most people expect. But not everything grows well without soil, and some crops require more space and effort than others.

So before you toss in a pack of carrot seeds or imagine potatoes hanging from your ceiling, let’s get clear on what works, what doesn’t, and how to match your crops to the right hydroponic setup.

Skip the Root Vegetables

Let’s start with what not to grow in a standard indoor hydroponic system.

Root vegetables are not a good match for hydroponics indoors. Crops like carrots, beets, onions, and potatoes require deep grow beds and extra space for root expansion. While it’s technically possible to grow them hydroponically with a custom system, it’s not practical or popular. You’ll need specialty containers, extra room, and a setup that most indoor gardeners just don’t have.

Unless your system was specifically built for root crops, skip them. The good news? Everything else below works incredibly well and is way easier to manage.

Leafy Greens: Fast, Foolproof, and Perfect for Beginners

If hydroponics had a starter pack, leafy greens would be in it. These plants are quick to grow, low effort, and do not require flowering, pollination, or nutrient changes. They’re perfect for new growers or anyone who wants a steady supply of salad greens without a trip to the store.

Some of the best leafy greens for indoor hydroponic systems include:

• Buttercrunch lettuce

• Romaine

• Green leaf

• Red leaf

• Spinach (like Bloomsdale or Tyee)

• Swiss chard

• Arugula

• Kale (Dwarf Blue Curled, Red Russian, or Lacinato)

Most varieties are harvest-ready in 21 to 30 days. You can harvest the full head or trim the outer leaves and let the plant regrow. Many leafy greens are cut-and-come-again, meaning you’ll get multiple rounds of harvest from a single planting.

They also handle imperfect conditions well. Slight temperature fluctuations, a missed light cycle, or a skipped day of maintenance won’t send them into shock. This makes them the most forgiving option for indoor hydroponic gardening, and the best place to start if you're new to it.

Herbs: Flavorful, Forgiving, and Always Useful

Next up in the hydroponic dream team: herbs. These small but mighty plants are incredibly rewarding, especially if you cook at home and want access to fresh flavor year-round.

Great herbs for hydroponic growing indoors include:

• Basil (Genovese, Thai, Lemon)

• Mint (Spearmint, Chocolate, Peppermint)

• Cilantro (Santo, Calypso)

• Parsley (Italian flat-leaf, Curly)

• Dill

• Thyme

• Oregano

• Chives

They are also long-lasting. Many hydroponic herbs can be harvested over and over again for months. Just snip what you need and let the plant keep growing. Mint, in particular, is a powerhouse but can get a little aggressive, so give it extra room or plant it separately if needed.

Hydroponic herbs are low-maintenance, space-saving, and useful. Once you start growing them indoors, there’s no going back to grocery-store bundles that wilt in the fridge.

Fruiting Plants: A Little Work, A Lot of Wow

Now we’re getting into the fun stuff. Yes, you can grow fruiting plants indoors with hydroponics. But unlike leafy greens and herbs, these plants are a bit higher maintenance. You’re now dealing with flowers, pollination, blooming nutrients, and sometimes even a little manual pruning. But once they get going, the results are totally worth it.

Some of the best indoor-friendly fruiting plants include:

• Tomatoes (especially dwarf types like Tiny Tim or Patio)

• Peppers (try compact varieties like Lunchbox or Wonder)

• Cucumbers (stick to parthenocarpic ones like Muncher that don’t need pollination)

• Strawberries

• Bush-type beans

These crops need more time to grow, but they reward your effort with juicy harvests. Just know that you'll need to switch from vegetative to blooming nutrients once the first flowers appear. You’ll also need to give them a little nudge to pollinate, either by shaking the plant gently or using a brush or cotton swab to move pollen from flower to flower.

For best results, choose determinate or bushy dwarf varieties that naturally stay smaller. They’re easier to manage in indoor spaces and won’t take over your system.

So yes, fruiting plants need more attention. But if you're up for it, the payoff is fresh tomatoes and strawberries grown right in your living room. And that never gets old.

How Much Space Do You Really Need?

Here’s where a lot of growers go wrong. Just because you’re growing in water doesn’t mean you can jam a bunch of plants into one tight space. Every plant, hydroponic or not, needs room for its roots to stretch and its leaves to breathe.

Leafy greens and herbs need about 4 inches of space between each plant. That gives them enough room for airflow and growth without wasting space.

Fruiting plants need 8 to 12 inches between each plant, especially the bigger ones like tomatoes and cucumbers. Give them space or get ready for tangled stems, stunted growth, and poor airflow.

If you’re using a vertical garden like the Eden Tower, plant 1 to 2 fruiting plants per layer to prevent shading and airflow problems. You can fit 4 leafy greens and herbs in the same space, but fruiting plants demand elbow room, both above and below.

Cramming in too many plants leads to nutrient competition, mold, and poor yields. Give each plant the space it needs, and your harvest will be bigger, better, and easier to manage.

Choosing the Right Hydroponic System for Each Plant Type

Not every system is built for every crop. Some plants need more root space, while others stay compact and can grow in tighter setups. Here's a quick guide to which systems work best for what you’re growing:

NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) is great for growing leafy greens because it keeps their shallow roots moist without taking up much space. Herbs also thrive in this setup, especially in vertical gardens.

Deep Water Culture works well for both leafy greens and fruiting plants, but it takes up more space. Most people use it for fruiting crops like tomatoes and peppers since the roots grow large and need constant access to oxygen and nutrients.

Kratky is good for leafy greens and herbs because it's simple, doesn’t require pumps, and supports fast-growing plants that don’t need a lot of maintenance.

Vertical gardens are excellent for leafy greens and herbs and can support fruiting plants depending on the system. Spacing is the biggest consideration, most setups work best with one to two fruiting plants per layer to avoid crowding.

If you want a breakdown of how each system works, how to set it up, and which one might be best for your space, check out our blog on the most common hydroponic systems [insert internal link here].

Final Thoughts

So, what types of plants can you grow hydroponically indoors?

The short answer is: a whole lot. Leafy greens, herbs, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, and beans all thrive in a home hydroponic garden, if you give them the space, support, and care they need.

Just don’t try to grow carrots or potatoes indoors unless you’re building a custom setup. Stick with the crops that love water, light, and a little attention.

Start with the easy ones like spinach and basil. Then work your way up to tomatoes and strawberries. Once you’ve got the hang of your system, you’ll be amazed at what you can grow.

Hydroponics takes the guesswork out of gardening and brings fresh food right into your home, all year round.