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If you’ve ever savoured the delicate sweetness of pink rhubarb or the tender crunch of Belgian endive, you’ve likely enjoyed a forced vegetable. “Forcing” is a traditional growing technique used to enhance flavour, reduce bitterness, and create visually stunning produce. Technically known as etiolation, this process involves growing crops in complete darkness or very low light to reduce chlorophyll, which results in pale, tender, and less bitter plants.
Deep in northern England lies the Rhubarb Triangle, a legendary region producing 90% of the world’s forced rhubarb. These plants begin life outdoors, but after a chilling period, they’re moved into dark, humid sheds—historically lit by candlelight, now by green LEDs that don’t trigger plant light sensors.
The result?
Deliciously sweet, pale-pink stems far superior in flavour to field-grown rhubarb. But don’t eat the leaves—they’re toxic and can cause severe digestive issues.
💡 Fun Fact: Rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid, a compound that can lead to kidney stones if consumed in large quantities.
White asparagus is grown by covering the spears with soil or forcing them indoors to keep them from photosynthesizing. The lack of chlorophyll gives them a delicate taste and premium market price.
Ever heard of hop asparagus? These rare shoots from hop plants (yes, the same used in beer) are among the world’s most expensive vegetables, fetching upwards of £10 per stalk. However, harvesting hop shoots compromises future hop yields, limiting commercial viability.
Perhaps the most important forced vegetable in hydroponics, chicory is stored and regrown in total darkness to create Belgian endive—the white, torpedo-shaped leaves you’ve seen in gourmet salads.
This crop is commonly hydroponically grown, particularly in Belgium, where it’s called witloof. In fact, it was one of the first vegetables to be grown hydroponically commercially, dating back to the 1970s.
Technically yes, but it’s not practical. Rhubarb plants are too large and require significant chilling periods and space, making them poor candidates for hydroponic systems. That said, hydroponics is still booming in Yorkshire due to other crops and innovations.
You don’t need expensive terracotta jars to force vegetables. A large opaque plant pot with drainage holes sealed can work just as well.
✅ Use dark containers
✅ Mimic cold storage before forcing
✅ Choose crops like chicory, asparagus, or rhubarb (if you have space)
Chicory (endive) remains the poster child for hydroponic forcing. Known for its nutty flavour and crisp texture, it thrives in nutrient film technique (NFT) and deep water culture systems. The modern approach combines cold storage with hydroponic regrowth in light-free environments, resulting in consistent, high-value yields.
Forced vegetables may sound like a relic of the past, but they’re finding new life in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) and hydroponics. With climate-controlled grow rooms and tailored light spectra, gourmet growers are rediscovering the value—and the profit—of these pale powerhouses.
From rhubarb sheds in Yorkshire to chicory tanks in Belgium, forcing is one of the rare intersections of tradition and innovation that deserves a place in your hydroponic knowledge base.
Article by Dr Russell Sharp
If you would like to keep up to date with subjects just like this, you can listen to both our podcasts! Links can be found bellow:
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