How to Grow Bell Peppers Hydroponically

Bell peppers grow very well in a hydroponic system. Knowing how to grow bell peppers hydroponically may have you growing your bell peppers no other way. In order to get started, you just need to follow some simple guidelines.

Step 1 - Prepare Seed Bed

Prepare the environment you will be growing your seeds in. Start with new netting in which to start your seeds. The netting should be porous enough to allow a sturdy root system to grow. Hydroponic peppers grow pretty big, so they need all the support they can get. Using Styrofoam or other support will help the plant to stay upright as it grows.

Step 2 - Plant Seeds

When planting the seeds, make sure they are resting in the water and nutrient solution. It is important that at the beginning of the plant's life you are providing nutrients in the water a couple times a day. Later on you can cut back to just once a day, but it is a good idea to remain with a two time a day nutrient injection into the water. This will allow the bell pepper seeds to get everything they need in order to grow the necessary root systems which will support them as they grow big and strong.

Step 3 - Aerate Water

In order to get your bell pepper everything it needs, you need to have a good amount of air in the water. The water helps to deliver nutrients to the bell pepper root system. Your system should already have an air pump. Simply make sure the air pump is working properly and is creating the right amount of air in the water.

Step 4 - Provide The Right Amount Of Light

Your bell pepper plant needs a very decent amount of light in order to grow. Set your hydroponic light system to provide at least eight hours of direct light a day. You can provide either natural or artificial light. It is suggested if you provide natural light to your bell peppers you use shaded light to do so. This is accomplished by using dark netting over the cover for your hydroponic system. The shade will help you to control not only the amount of light, but also the temperature the bell peppers are growing in.

Step 5 - Provide Warm Temperatures

The best peppers grow in a very warm environment. The hot house pepper grows more uniformly as well as growing sweeter. The warmth of the air gets into the meat of the vegetable and comes through in the flavor of the finished bell pepper. This is why growing outdoors is risky for growing peppers in. The changes in climate causes the peppers to grow in odd shapes. Use control over light as well as a heating system in order to create the right environment.