Do hydroponic vegetables taste different? This is quickly becoming a common question across the globe all thanks to the increased adoption of hydroponic gardening…
Food production in general agriculture faces a lot of challenges when it comes to bi-products, maintaining certain flavors, providing nutrition, and meeting human consumption.
A group of MIT scientists has come up with a method to use technology to create the ultimate digital farm. Their work brings a great level of precision as it uses an AI to balance out factors to control humidity, UV light creating conditions that change the taste of the plant.
They concluded that if you are using hydroponic lights efficiently, you will notice the fruits your plant produces, taste different. The group stated that computer-controlled growth environments can produce maximum quality while minimizing waste products. The highest level of flavor density was produced by giving the lights 24/7 light to which the results demonstrated that it was more effective than other more traditional approaches.
Do hydroponic vegetables taste different?
There is a common misconception that hydroponic vegetables taste different than regular vegetables.
The truth is that hydroponic vegetables don’t taste different… even naturally grown vegetables will taste different depending on factors like soil and prevailing climatic conditions.
Most people cannot tell the difference between a hydroponic vegetable and one that grows naturally.
Many people still enjoy growing their vegetables outside and some inside and some with growth light and artificial areas. When a vegetable is outside interacting with billions of microbes it can subject it to things it wouldn’t experience when grown in doors.
When you grow something in an enclosed space, the microbes are limited. If you look at the label on a tomato plant, and it says old-fashioned flavor, they generally mean that these can be more acidic but flavorsome.
We generally say when you pick a fruit, you can judge it on whether it is ripe enough and ready to be picked. The thing about hydroponics is, they give it the plants essential light whenever it needs it. When growing tomatoes with hydroponics make sure you are giving them enough water as they are exposed to UV more often.
Is full spectrum lighting good for plants?
Full-spectrum light provides an excellent substitute for any other light a plant needs and lets plants grow indoors. Experts have disagreed on whether pure fluorescent light or a mixture of lights was better for plant growth.
According to MSU, “One big aim behind studying chloroplasts and photosynthesis is to grow more productive crops,” said Hussien Alameldin, a researcher in the lab of Beronda Montgomery. “We already know much about the major processes that happen inside a plant. Now, the field is trying to understand the many roles played by a plant’s environment. And light is one of many factors that challenge plants daily.” They concluded that too much red light was harmful to plants.
Because these plants are not exposed to the regular elements they would face outdoors, they don’t need the same level of protection as a normal farm would. Because of the higher humidity created, these plants can be subject to salmonella.
If you want to experiment with how you grow and want to experiment with the taste difference between growing hydroponic or organic vegetables, we have some bulb recommendations.
Do hydroponic vegetables have the same nutrients?
We advise people that if you are looking for excellent plant growth throughout the year, hydroponics is the way to go. The plants get excellent nutrition from the constant light they receive while being protected in growth tents. So, they aren’t exposed to the elements as often.
There are a few drawbacks to starting a hydroponic operation like the fact that it can be quite costly to start up.
When it comes to your indoor garden, make sure the plants are well watered and are within the optimum temperature. This gives them more than enough nutrients for the plant to succeed.
Full Spectrum LED Ideas for Hydroponic Gardening
COB LED Grow Light 2500W – Full Spectrum
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This light is amazing and can operate in a great 4×4 growth area. From top to bottom it can illuminate areas that are much needed and provides excellent opportunities for light to penetrate your plants.
How intense the light is, can affect how your plant grows, especially flowering plants and other plants that yield. The COB LED has a great light output and can be very bright at times. It does offer a wide light spectrum and a low heat output. It is a very compact and lightweight option and the manufacturer says it operates up to 60,000 hours which is many times higher than other LED’s.
This LED operates in bigger areas and growth tents and the results are generally positive. The growth periods are increased and overall flowering has been great. They have been tested on a small tomato plant, increasing the fruit yield.
- COB With Higher Brightness
- Smaller thermal resistance
- Full spectrum LED
- Veg / Bloom switch
- Lifetime after sale service
- Core Coverage at 32″: 6.2×5.7ft
- Input Voltage: AC 110-240V
King Plus 1200w LED – Grow Light Full Spectrum
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The King Plus 1200W LED is a full spectrum light, enabling germination from beginning to end. It contains LED light which output blue, red and white light. Blue light which enables germination, helping your seeds to grow. Red light, impacting certain wavelengths that help with growing and fruition. Swapping these functions around will be paramount in optimal growth throughout the year. Depending on the stages of your plant you can swap LED’s or growth boxes with any King Plus LED range. These cover a solid area of 3×4 and offer maximum efficiency. They are very quiet when running and don’t dull out with continuous use. When leaving these LED’s you will definitely see an increase in production and find that these bulbs are still very powerful and penetrate the plants well.
- Excellent customer service
- Great reviews
- Veg and bloom switches
- Full spectrum led
- Multiple highspeed fans
- Working temp – 68~104℉
- 100000 hours operating time
- 61 pounds
TopoGrow New Tech Hydroponic 1200W LED
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The 1200W LED from TopoGrow is another excellent example of an indoor growing LED. It offers full spectrum light, uniform PPFD with lazy and easy grow functions. The light offers enough opportunity for plants to grow and can increase the speed from seedling to fruition. When purchasing this Led make sure it fits the needs that you are looking for. Doing your research is paramount to getting excellent results when buying necessary equipment. All round this LED operates fantastically and has 2 fans to promote great air circulation. You can definitely splash out on this brand.
- Full Spectrum and High PPF: it suits for the whole stage of plant growth from Veg to Bloom. It includes universal Blue Red IR and white light provide everything plant desire in the natural sunlight.
- Quite LED Grow Light with excellent heat dissipation function.
- Energy efficiency: the whole kit wattage is 240 watts
- 2FT with 4 light.
- A professional LED light manufacturer
TopoGrow New Tech LED 1800W Full Spectrum Grow Light
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This LED is made for commercial growth horticulture and have some amazing features that have redefined how LED lights should operate. Because of its full spectrum range, it promotes excellent plant growth and enough light for plants to consume. The lap uses 360W and will enable record growth. It’s a very well-made product and we wanted to see what all the fuss was about. It is a fantastic affordable option for a more higher-powered growth operation.
- Input power 360w
- Autosensing 120-240v
- Passive thermal management
- 90ura rendering index
- 8kgs in weight
- Comes with rope hangers
Bloom Plus LED Grow Light BP1500 Full Spectrum LED
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The BP1500 is a great addition to this list by providing all the necessary features an indoor growth area needs. It operates with absolutely zero noise and has a whopping 50,000 hours of operation. It generates higher yields using their latest LED technology all while consuming 150W of power. It operates at full spectrum so it provides all the plants that they need for growth. Because of their full spectrum lighting, the BP1500 can also increase flowering and make an amazing seasonal harvest. The BP LED family offers a 30-day money back guarantee and a 3-year warranty. So, if you aren’t happy with the product, or it doesn’t meet your needs, consider other options. The BP1500 is a great heavy-duty bulb and operates very well.
- 5 g/w
- Operates in all growth stages
- Eco-friendly
- 50,000 hours of operation
- Zero noise
- 3 years warranty and 30-day money back guaranteed
GE Lighting Horticulture 18-Watt T8 LED Bulb Grow Light for Indoor Plants
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The 18 LED buld from GE is an 18w LED bulb, great for indoor growing and growing kits. They are great for high light plants like, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers and low light plants like greens. With the 36 micromoles per second out put, they are a very low energy option while producing a good amount of light. Like the GE range, the t8 has an operational life of 25,000 or 3 years. The bulb is equipped with a photosynthetic photon flux to provide great amounts of light, while the white light appears more natural to humans. This also makes it easier to spot any anomalies on your plants.
- Great light output
- Balanced light spectrum
- 18w output
- Low heat and energy use
- 36 micromoles per second
GE Lighting BR30 Full Spectrum LED Grow Light Bulb for Indoor Plants – 9W
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Just like the PAR38 these LEDs are easily on par with their counterpart. They use a color balanced spectrum, enabling perfect indoor growing conditions. They give your plant the much-needed natural light it needs, while operating at 9W. They run with very low heat, and operate for 3 years or 25000 hours. This bulb is suitable for seeding or budding and low yield fruit plants. These emit the highest light output providing 16 micromoles per second. You really can’t go wrong with these bulbs; they are a great addition to any indoor growing areas.
- Long lasting
- Low energy and heat emission
- Great for many indoor plants
- Enables growth throughout the year
- 25,000 hours or 3 years operation
GE Lighting PAR38 Full Spectrum LED Grow – Great for Indoor Plants
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These bulbs are some of the best LED’s for growing plants indoors. They use a balanced light spectrum enabling optimal growth and fruition. It uses an advanced red-light spectrum efficiently indoors and is perfect for all plants indoors. If you’re looking for a lightweight, affordable option for indoor growth, the PAR38 fulfils those needs. The white light illuminated from these bulbs appears more natural to human beings, so it lets you operate around the home without them being a hassle. The PAR38 uses balanced light spectrum which lets plants like peppers and other low yield plants.
- Plants grown throughout the year
- 50 micromoles per second
- Red-blue spectrum
- 9 watts
- 25,000 hours or 3 years operation
Parting Shot
Many people enjoy the taste of hydroponically grown vegetables because the growing process favors specific tastes. That’s why most hydroponic vegetables have a certain sweetness to them, regardless of whether you’re growing tomatoes, peppers, or lettuce.
The sweetness is typically more pronounced in leafy greens, so if that’s your favorite, you may find you like hydroponic vegetables better than those grown in soil.
