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THE GROWGRID JOURNAL

Small beginnings. Better growing.

Practical hydroponic basics for a little garden at home. Start with the essentials, then learn one thing at a time.

Start with hydroponics →
Countertop hydroponic garden with leafy plants

Your growing library.

9 guides

Compact leafy hydroponic garden at one end of a kitchen counter, with open work space beside it; AI illustrationAI illustration
Getting started

Where to put a countertop garden.

A few placement checks before a countertop garden moves in: light, elbow room and the evening glow.

3 min readRead the guide →
Basil in a white planter beside closed scissors and a few cut sprigs on a wooden board; AI illustrationAI illustration
Garden care

Pick basil for tonight’s dinner.

Where to cut, what to leave and when a small basil plant needs a break from harvesting.

3 min readRead the guide →
Separate small planters with lettuce at different growth stages on a kitchen counter; AI illustrationAI illustration
Garden care

Sow a little lettuce, more often.

Space out your sowing so a small garden is easier to eat from, with room for seedlings and older plants.

3 min readRead the guide →
Lettuce and basil growing in a compact white kitchen planter; AI illustrationAI illustration
Getting started

Choose your first crop, not your biggest crop.

Why lettuce and herbs are a practical starting point—and fruiting crops need more planning.

3 min readRead the guide →
White LED grow light above lettuce in a countertop hydroponic planter; AI illustrationAI illustration
Light & water

Grow lights: hours are only half the story.

Understand duration, intensity and lamp distance before changing your timer.

3 min readRead the guide →
Two water-testing pens beside sample cups and a notebook on a kitchen counter; AI illustrationAI illustration
Light & water

Water, nutrients, pH and EC—made simpler.

Know what to measure, what the readings mean and why guessing is a poor shortcut.

3 min readRead the guide →

THE BASICS, AT A GLANCE

A few words you’ll see along the way.

Hydroponics
Growing plants without soil, with nutrients supplied in water.
Growing medium
Material that supports the plant; it is not necessarily a source of nutrients.
pH
A measure of the solution’s acidity or alkalinity.
EC
Electrical conductivity: an indicator of dissolved ions, not a complete nutrient analysis.
Photoperiod
The length of the light period in a day.
True leaves
Leaves that develop after the initial seed leaves.

Definitions are a starting point. Crop-specific targets and product instructions take priority.

Understand pH and EC →