Truleaf Insights

Tomato prices are up 39.7% and fresh vegetables rose 11.5% year-over-year (USDA, April 2026). These 15 crops deliver the highest ROI for home growers — with cost-per-plant breakdowns and links to full growing guides.

Propagate blueberry bushes from softwood or hardwood cuttings with 57-83% success rates. Research-backed IBA doses, rooting media, timing, and layering methods.

Grow up to 13 lbs of potatoes per bag with the right varieties, soil mix, and hilling technique. Includes yield data by bag size and the tower myth debunked.

Learn how to propagate lavender from cuttings with research-backed success rates up to 97%. Covers softwood, semi-hardwood, and hardwood cuttings, rooting hormones (IBA), best media, water propagation, timing by season, and the common mistakes that kill cuttings before they root.

Compare the three most popular hydroponic systems — DWC, NFT, and Kratky — side by side. Covers yield, cost, maintenance, water use, crop options, and a decision framework for beginners backed by academic research.

The 3 things that make hydroponic basil grow 2x faster than soil: system choice, nutrient management (EC/pH by stage), and optimized LED lighting. Science-backed guide covering DWC, NFT, Kratky, aeroponics, varieties, pruning, pest control, and yields up to 438 g per plant.

Science-backed guide to growing hydroponic cucumbers. Covers best systems (Dutch bucket, drip, DWC), stage-specific EC/pH charts, parthenocarpic varieties, umbrella training, nutrient schedules, lighting, and yield expectations up to 30+ fruit per plant.

Science-backed guide to growing hydroponic bell peppers. Covers best systems (Dutch bucket, DWC, NFT), stage-specific EC/pH charts, nutrient schedules, calcium for blossom end rot prevention, LED lighting, indoor pollination, and yield expectations.

Most growers jump straight to nutrients, but source water quality decides whether your hydroponic system thrives or struggles. Learn the science behind TDS, chlorine, chloramine, hard water, and RO — plus the exact parameters to hit before you mix.

One planting, weeks of salads. Learn the cut-and-come-again technique that keeps lettuce producing fresh leaves for up to 12 weeks — plus variety-specific methods for loose-leaf, romaine, butterhead, and crisphead types.

Never cut into old wood — that one rule doubles thyme's stem count. Learn the science-backed harvest technique, when to cut for peak flavor, and how to keep one plant producing for years.

Rosemary lives for decades — but one wrong cut kills a branch forever. Learn the green-wood rule, the exact pruning technique that triggers bushier growth, best harvest timing for peak flavor, and how to store rosemary for months.