We are concentrating on the crops that we feel have the greatest feasibility of bringing the highest value per acre strawberries fit that bill. Hochmuth says that of the 75 acres now being grown hydroponically in Florida, the top crops, in order, are colored bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce. Strawberries are also a crop that has been successfully grown hydroponically. It is toward strawberries that most of UF s hydroponic research is geared. Education Agent Bob Hochmuth checks bell peppers being grown hydroponically at UF's Suwannee Valley Research and Education Center in Live Oak.
Peppers are the leading hydroponically grown crop in Florida.
Critical to hydroponic growing is perlite, a volcanic rock mined in Greece and in the Southwestern United States. It is crushed to the consistency of kitty litter, then heated, which makes it expand. Perlite has a high water-holding capability and aerates the roots well. The black bags in which it is placed minimize the amount of sunlight that reaches the roots. Another key to successful hydroponic agriculture is the plant diet.