Two avid gardeners share their experience as they begin their journey into hydroponic growing
The following comments were sent to Les Verts by customers Stu & Debbie Innes from Winnipeg, Manitoba.
We purchased a Les Verts Terrace Pro 3-Tier unit in January 2025 having lots of horticultural experience, but no background in hydroponics whatsoever. There’s no better way to learn than to dive in and try it! The unit is in a temporary location in our basement until other renovations are completed nearby.
There has been a lot to learn about the unit itself, about water and fertilizer aspects and measurements, and about growing media, but there is plenty of information available on Les Verts’ Resources page, and good starting recommendations.
Our intention was to do some indoor gardening in the winter, but also to experiment with it in other seasons, and to see how the unit might work for propagating, seedling growth, and other purposes, e.g. I also grow bonsai. Their recommendations clearly work, but we wanted to see what else could be accomplished with it. One of the attractions of this unit was that it can easily be configured for flooding only certain levels, programming all lights, pumps, fans at will, and using each platform level in different ways, allowing lots of experimentation.
The convenience of having edible greens so readily available has us considering year round operation. Our rental garden is far enough away that we can’t go there daily, so catching greens at their peak is hit-and-miss, and weather dependent. There is also a significant psychological boost for lifelong gardeners in frequently passing by a very bright patch of healthy and colourful greenery on cold or rainy days; don’t underestimate the impact that this can have during a prairie winter.
With the eagerness to “try everything” at first comes occasional “learning moments”, and sometimes over-production, but giving away surplus is never a problem. We need to either master crop cycling so as to avoid crowding, or eat faster. My wife loves her greens, and my body appreciates it. We are indeed in “the greens”.
There is plenty of information on-line about hydroponics in general, and people with experience are eager to give advice, but make sure that their comments are relevant to this type of unit, vs very different configurations or those with roots constantly immersed; although we have one small area adapted to work in that way as well, again as an experiment. I found that water pH level measurement became an immediate priority, though not difficult. Don’t judge adjustments by anyone else’s situation, just test. pH strips are OK, liquid drop testers are better, but even a simple pH meter (calibrated) was highly desirable at the start to establish baselines for water sources, water after adjustments, and even in learning how to interpret (and trust) the strips and drops. Each time that we try new horticultural ventures, we learn things that are applicable to other areas as well. It’s a growing pleasure!
Stu & Debbie Innes, Winnipeg
