HydroGrowLab
Free EC to PPM, DLI, and grow light tools — plus home setup guides without the sales pitch.
Free hydroponics calculators — EC to PPM, DLI, grow light coverage — plus plant guides for peppers and lettuce, NFT/Kratky tutorials, and meter reviews.
Popular searches on HydroGrowLab
Direct links to the tools and guides people look up most — EC/PPM, grow lights, peppers, NFT, DLI, and home setups.
- Grow light for leafy greensLED picks, PPFD targets, and hang height for lettuce.
- Best TDS meter for hydroponicsEC vs PPM scales and Bluelab Truncheon notes.
- Hydroponic peppers & hot chiliesEC, PPFD, Dutch buckets, and flower-drop fixes.
- Nutrient film technique (NFT)What NFT is, channel slope, and when to skip it.
- DLI calculatorConvert PPFD × hours into mol/m²/day.
- EC to PPM converter (500 vs 700)Stop comparing meters on different scales.
- Grow light coverage calculatorFootprint from wattage and hang height.
- Grow light distance calculatorStarting LED hang range by crop class.
- Hydroponics at homeApartment/kitchen setup with video walkthroughs.
- Best hydroponic beginner kitCountertop kit vs DIY DWC — honest tradeoffs.
- AeroGarden lettuce bitter?Heat, EC, harvest timing — fix the next tray.
- NFT hydroponics at homeFilm, slope, flow — and when DWC is kinder.
From the grow
Real hydroponic crops & systems
Photos from plant guides and posts — lettuce, peppers, NFT channels, and indoor LEDs.
Tools
EC, DLI & light calculators
Nutrients
EC to PPM Converter (500 vs 700)
Convert between Electrical Conductivity (EC) and PPM across 500, 640, and 700 TDS scales.
Lighting
DLI Calculator — Free PPFD Tool
Calculate Daily Light Integral from PPFD and your light schedule to optimise photosynthesis.
Lighting
Grow Light Coverage & Distance Calculator
Plan grow light coverage and hanging distance from wattage and height for leafy greens and indoor tents.
Lighting
Grow Light Distance Calculator
Estimate starting hang height for seedlings, leafy greens, or fruiting crops from fixture wattage.
Nutrients
Flora Series Calculator (GH 3-Part)
Dose FloraMicro, FloraGro, and FloraBloom by reservoir volume from classic stage charts — then verify with EC.
Nutrients
Master Blend Calculator
Dose MasterBlend 4-18-38, calcium nitrate, and Epsom salt by reservoir volume — classic dry-salt hydro recipe.
Crops
Peppers, lettuce & more
Intermediate
Hydroponic Peppers & Hot Chili Guide
From sweet bells to hot chilies, peppers excel under high light with stable calcium and potassium.
5.5–6.5 pH · 1.8–2.8 mS/cm
Beginner
Hydroponic Lettuce
Fast, forgiving, and perfect for DWC or NFT. Lettuce is the classic first hydroponic crop — crisp heads in weeks, not months.
5.5–6.5 (aim 5.8–6.2) pH · 0.8–1.2 mS/cm
Beginner
Hydroponic Basil
Aromatic and vigorous under hydroponics. Basil loves steady nutrients and strong light — pinch early for bushier plants.
5.5–6.5 pH · 1.0–1.6 mS/cm
Intermediate
Hydroponic Strawberries
Compact and highly marketable. Vertical towers and NFT channels keep fruit clean and easy to harvest.
5.5–6.2 pH · 1.0–1.8 mS/cm
Intermediate
Hydroponic Tomatoes
High-reward fruiting crop that thrives in Dutch buckets and drip systems. Demands stronger light, higher EC, and careful calcium management.
5.5–6.5 pH · 2.0–3.5 mS/cm (stage-dependent)
Beginner
Hydroponic Spinach
Cool-loving leafy green that bolts fast in heat. Ideal for cooler rooms and winter indoor grows.
5.5–6.6 pH · 1.8–2.3 mS/cm
Guides
Home, NFT & beginners
Beginner
Hydroponics at Home: Apartment & Kitchen Setup
A practical home build: where to put it, what to buy, Kratky vs DWC, mixing nutrients in a small space, and how to avoid algae, leaks, and noise complaints.
14 min
Intermediate
Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) Guide
A continuous flow system ideal for commercial and high-density leafy green production.
9 min
Beginner
Hydroponics for Beginners: Start Guide
Everything you need to know to start your first hydroponic garden — from choosing a system to your first harvest.
12 min
Beginner
Kratky Method Guide (Nutrients & Setup)
The simplest hydroponic method — no pumps, no electricity, just a container and nutrients.
7 min
Reviews
Grow lights & meters
4.8 / 5
Grow Light for Leafy Greens: Best LED 2026
Efficient full-spectrum coverage for 2×2 to 3×3 leafy green tents without cooking tender lettuce.
Lighting
4.6 / 5
Best TDS Meter for Hydroponics (2026)
No calibration fuss and tough enough for wet grow rooms — our pick for the best TDS and EC meter workflow on reservoir day.
Meters
4.4 / 5
Best Hydroponic Beginner Kit (2026)
Countertop simplicity with guided lighting — ideal for herbs and lettuce while you learn hydroponic fundamentals.
Systems
4.7 / 5
Best pH Meter for Hydroponics (2026)
Accurate, replaceable probe, and stable in nutrient solution — our pick for serious home labs that check pH daily.
Meters
Blog
Recent posts
2026-09-21
How Much Does Hydroponics Cost at Home?
Startup gear, monthly nutrients and power, and when a countertop kit stops being the cheap option.
15 min
2026-09-21
Blossom End Rot in Hydroponics (Tomatoes & Peppers)
It’s usually water and EC chaos, not “zero calcium in the bottle.” Stabilize irrigation, pH, and transpiration.
14 min
2026-09-21
How to Prep Rockwool for Hydroponics (pH Soak)
Rockwool starts alkaline. Soak, drain, and handle cubes so seedlings don’t stall before they start.
13 min
Frequently asked
What free hydroponic calculators do you have?
EC to PPM (500/700 scales), DLI, grow light coverage and distance, pH adjuster, Master Blend dosing, reservoir top-off, and more — all free, no account.
Where should I start hydroponics at home?
Read Hydroponics at Home, then pick Kratky jars or a single DWC bucket. Buy a pH meter and EC meter before upgrading lights.
What grow light for leafy greens?
A dimmable full-spectrum LED aimed at roughly 200–400 PPFD. See our leafy-greens grow light review and hang-distance calculator.
How do I convert EC to PPM?
Use our EC↔PPM converter and pick your meter’s scale (500, 640, or 700). Prefer logging EC so charts stay comparable.