Hydroponic Onion Experiment: A Beginner’s Guide
Are you looking for a simple and easy way to grow onions? Look no further than hydroponics. In this article, we’ll break down a recent hydroponic onion experiment by Kevin from Exponx, and provide you with a beginner’s guide to growing onions hydroponically.
Kevin’s hydroponic onion experiment is a great example of how easy it can be to get started with hydroponics. All he used was a tray, six net pots, some perlite, water, and basic air accessories (an air stone, airline, and air pump). He purchased some onion sets from Home Depot and planted them inside the net pot with the perlite. Then, he just let them go.
When Kevin started his experiment, almost none of the onions had sprouted out of the top. But after just a few days, he noticed growth of about an inch per day. Kevin plans to keep his followers updated on the progress of his hydroponic onions, and he’s also written a blog post about it, which you can check out and leave a comment on.
Hydroponic growing is a great option for beginners because it requires less space, and is generally easier to manage than traditional soil gardening. It’s also a great way to grow plants indoors or in areas with poor soil quality. With hydroponics, you can easily control the growing environment, including temperature, humidity, and nutrient levels.
To get started with hydroponic onion growing, you’ll need to gather a few supplies. The supplies required include:
- A tray
- Net pots
- Perlite
- Water
- Air accessories (air stone, airline, and air pump)
- Onion sets
Once you have your supplies, the first step is to prepare your tray. Fill it with water and add your air accessories to ensure adequate oxygenation for the plants. Then, add the perlite to the net pots and place the onion sets inside. Finally, place the net pots in the tray, making sure that the plants have adequate access to the water.
It’s important to monitor the pH and nutrient levels of the water regularly, and adjust as necessary. Onions require a pH level of around 6.0 to 6.5, and they thrive with a nutrient solution that’s high in nitrogen and potassium.
In conclusion, hydroponic onion growing is a great option for beginners who want to try their hand at growing onions. With the right supplies and some basic knowledge, anyone can grow hydroponic onions successfully. If you’re interested in trying it out, start small and work your way up to more advanced techniques. Happy growing!
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I’ve decided to start a couple unique growing experiments and this first one is growing root crops. They’re not a common hydroponic plant, so I wanted to see what kinds of problems people have growing these, and if they’re even suited for hydroponics! I’ll be updating this grow as it progresses.
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how did this go for you? Any issues…i am thinking about doing the same with onions…if you can recommend anything let me know please!
Hey Julia – thanks for the question. This didn't go to well as I had part of the bulbs in the water, which led to some rot. If I did it again, I'd make sure only the root system was in the water and I would watch the water level a bit closer. Should work just fine – not very cost effective but definitely fun!
I grow with a nft system 3 in pipe Onion can be cut one inch above pot and will grow out again, but roots will fill the pipe and clog it after the second cutting. Going to a 4 in pipe next. Roots are eatable too.
I was able to grow radish successfully by keeping the roots in the nutrients and the bulb out via netpot / perlite and basic DWC. I'm gonna try to do the same with onion seed, have you used this same method?
Sorry for the failure…but that's how we learn 🙂 I wonder if you could use the Kratky method. Put the bulbs in a net pot with perlite and full the container so it's right at the bottom of the net pot (so the roots have some access to water to start with). As the plant uses up the water, the level drops and keeps the bulb from getting too wet. I might just try that myself!
How did this work out??
Try putting 3 onions in each pot for better yield and economy
Thanks. I'll get some perlite and try it.
That is really cool how you put only pearlite in the net pots. How do you keep them from floating around and falling over?
can we grow onions in hydroponic system..verticle tower hydroponic system ??
Reality , muy bueno,
is Vermiculite good for hydroponics?
What kind of nutrients were you using? I would think they would be different then for other vegetables.
You don’t need the air pump and you don’t need the perlite.
I use the “Kratky” method and only the roots are in solution. The part we recognize as an “onion” spends its life in the open air nestled in a chunk of foam rubber.
Maybe an idea to cut the top of a soda bottle and flip it upside down with a few holes in the bottom. Feed the roots through the holes keeping the bulb dry and roots in the nutrient solution.
I've been starting things in a Compost Tea Aquarium setup for several years. Oxygenation of the water is HEAVEN for roots. Occasional downside is that some plants, (avocado trees), can develop a weaker root system that is at least initially dependent on a high O2 sat. level & can struggle & fail in soil. Transitioning might get you past the problem. Doesn't happen with everything. I'm just now trying to get practical with it and actually harvest something useful.
I even got a couple of mango trees once. One just died. The other, the really nice one… got roundupped by mistake. I realized I'd grabbed the wrong sprayer instead of the mister. I thoroughly rinsed and repotted it immediately. Took about a week to die. Beyond depressing. Total dumbass. I'm still not done punishing myself for that one.
I'd really love to see if he got a yield out of these.
it looks like you might have updated your website since you posted this video. the link you added for your article doesn't match up.
Do you know how long it took for them to grow from being tiny bulbs?
Awesome. I love to see people pushing new limits on hydroponics technology. If you can, monitor the ph, color and odor of the water coming off the onions to see if they can be grown aquaphonics as well. I have also heard of aerophonics systems that can grow root vegetables, but never onions!
7 years ago I know, but was there ever an update video to this? Would love to see it if so.
I’m the first person to comment on this vid for 9 months…..SHEEEESH suc that in…
There’s no way this was the quality of Kevin’s videos from 8 years ago? What?