Chillies in Hydroponics

Hydroponics is growing plants without using soil by feeding them on mineral nutrient
solution. Plant roots are exposed directly to all the nutrients they need, which results in
monstrous growth and massive yields. This short guide explains the positives and negatives
of growing this way and simple care instructions.

Hydroponics Overview

Positives: Roots exposed directly to nutrients, no chance of soil borne disease, stunningly
big plants and yields

Negatives: Set up costs can be expensive, regular monitoring required of systems and
nutrient solutions, can seem complex to start with (it’s not though, trust us!)

Growing chillies hydroponically will result in the largest possible plants and biggest possible
yields. There are several different methods of growing chillies hydroponically, but the most
common are Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) and Deep Water Culture (DWC). In each case
your plants roots are exposed directly to water which contains mineral nutrients, this is
called your nutrient solution.

In an NFT system, your plant is grown in a rockwool cube which is placed in a stream of
constantly running nutrient solution. This solution is contained in a reservoir and
recirculates constantly.
In a DWC system, your plug or plant (plants must be grown in rockwool) is placed in a basket
above your nutrient solution. The plant is normally held in place by placing clay pebbles
around it. The solution contains a bubbler which creates oxygen. The plants roots grow
down and directly into this aerated solution.

Whichever system you choose for your plants, you must use specific hydroponic nutrients
and monitor your nutrient solution regularly.

Firstly, you must monitor the pH of your solution either using test strips or a pH probe. pH
should be around 6 (between 5.5 to 6.5 is generally fine).

Secondly, the temperature of your nutrient solutions is important. As the roots are exposed
directly to the solution, they are not protected from extremes in temperature. If your
nutrient solution is below 15c plants can become shocked. Above 25c and oxygen levels
start to drop off and your plant can literally suffocate. Aquarium chillers and heaters can be
used to keep temperature stable.

Thirdly, the strength of your nutrient solution is important. Too strong and your plants will
burn, too weak and your plants will grow poorly. The best way to monitor your solution is by
using an EC truncheon. EC is the electrical conductivity of your nutrient solution and tells
you how strong it is. All brands of hydroponic nutrients provide feed charts stating how
much you need to add to your water and the target EC to make a perfect nutrient solution.
Don’t stress too much if you don’t have an EC truncheon to test your solution, just make it
slightly weaker than the suggested dilution rates and go from there. It’s always easier to
increase the strength if you your plants need it, rather than making the solution too strong!

You need to keep an eye that any water pumps or bubblers are running 24/7. Even a short
electrical outage can cause plants to die. Also, care must be taken when combining
electricity and water! Make sure all electric is off before sticking your hands into a reservoir!

Finally, remember to never put plants grown in soil into a hydroponic set up. They will clog
the system and can contain diseases from the soil. Either plugs or plants grown in rockwool
must be used. It’s also good practice to only put the plants into your system when they have
a decent number of roots showing.

Left: Chilli plant in a

DWC system

Below Left: Chilli plant in an NFT system

Below Right: Chilli plant grown in rockwool, ready to be planted in either system
General care instructions for chillies in hydroponics

Temp: Above 12c at night is required. During the day, between 20c to 30c is perfect, with
hotter varieties preferring it nearer 30c. Above this range can cause your plants to stress
and impact flowering and fruiting. Below 12c and your plants growth will be slow / poor.

Sun: As much as you can give your plants! Chillies love full sun. If you are growing indoors,
consider adding a grow light. In our opinion, LED grow lights are the best (and cheapest to
run). Set them to 18 hours on during the growth phase of your plant and 12 hours on when
the plant starts to produce flowers and fruits.

Nutrient solution: Fill your reservoir and add your nutrients as per dilution rates. If you have
an EC truncheon, then test your nutrient solution to determine strength is in line with feed
charts. Try to keep your pH around 6. Test your pH regularly and adjust with pH up or down.
Remember to test pH after you have added any nutrients as they will affect the pH. Aim to
keep your nutrient solution between 18 to 21c. You should completely replace your nutrient
solution every 3 weeks. Topping up in-between when it gets low.

Humidity: Chilli plants require around 70% humidity during the growth phase. When the
plants start to flower and set fruit, try to reduce the humidity to nearer 50%. This will help
stop any of your fruits going mouldy or squishy.

Air flow: Make sure that wherever you are growing your chillies has adequate air flow. This
will aid pollination and also reduce the chance of any diseases taking hold. Adding a fan to
your greenhouse is always a good idea if you can!

Pests / diseases / issues: The most common pest you are likely to encounter are aphids.
Small green or white flies which are typically under leaves or at the very top of your plants.
They are a real pain! We recommend a 3-pronged attack; squish them, spray weekly with SB
Plant Invigorator, release lacewing larvae every few months (they gobble up the aphids likes
there’s no tomorrow!). Try to inspect your plants daily and keep on top of aphids, otherwise
they can smother your plants.
You may observe magnesium deficiency (picture below) when growing hydroponically,
specifically if you have soft water. This is easily countered by applying a decent CalMag to
your solution.

Left: Magnesium deficiency is characterised by mottled light green

patches, with veins remaining dark green.