Pandan

Quick facts

Category

herbs woody

Difficulty

intermediate

Days to harvest

365 to 545 days

Harvest type

continuous production over weeks or months

Spacing

100 cm between plants

Environment

Temperature

18–35°C

pH

5.5 to 7

EC (hydroponic)

1.2 to 1.8 mS/cm

Daily light

14 to 22 mol/m²/day

Climate and zones

USDA zones

10 to 12 (winter low around -1°C or warmer)

Frost tolerance

frost sensitive (dies at first frost)

Season

year-round tropical (needs consistent warmth)

Viable growing environments:

• outdoor in growing season (annual)
• heated greenhouse
• indoor (heated home)

USDA zone bounds reflect outdoor year-round survival. Anywhere outside the bounded zone range, this crop still grows as an annual in the warm months (outdoor_seasonal), under cover (greenhouse), or indoors under lights.

Growing systems

Pandan works in:

• media bed (ebb and flow)
• soil bed

Root mass is heavy - thin-channel systems (NFT, vertical towers) can't hold this crop mechanically, hence the system list above.

Growing media

The substrate the roots sit in. Choice depends on the system (clay pebbles don't fit NFT channels; rockwool isn't used in media beds) and the crop (pandan works in the media listed below).

Bacterial surface area matters for aquaponics: clay pebbles, lava rock, and pumice double as biofilter substrate. Low-surface media (rockwool, perlite, pea gravel) work in hydroponics but need a separate biofilter in aquaponics.

Nutrient demand by stage

NPK ratios are relative weights at each growth stage; the nutrient mix calculator scales them to absolute grams or ml. EC targets shift through the plant's life: seedlings need a much lighter solution than fruiting adults.

Aquaponics suitability

Compatible with typical aquaponics nutrient profiles. Fish waste provides enough nitrogen for healthy growth; supplemental potassium, calcium, and iron may still be needed depending on fish stocking density.

Care notes

A tropical houseplant-style crop for warm conditions. Container (10 L) with well-drained media. EC 1.5-2.5 mS/cm. pH 5.5-7.0. Temperature: 20–35°C (tropical; growth stops below 15°C, frost kills the plant). Moderate to high light (DLI 14-22 mol/m2/day; tolerates lower light than most edible crops, growing acceptably in bright indirect light). The plant grows slowly (adding a few new leaves per month) and reaches 60–100 cm in containers. Harvest individual lower leaves as needed; the plant continues producing new leaves from the center. For cooking: tie a leaf in a knot and simmer in rice or coconut milk. For extract: blend leaves with a small amount of water, strain, and use the bright green liquid. Fresh leaves freeze well and can be used directly from frozen. Propagation by separating basal shoots (pups) from the mother plant. The plant never needs pollination or produces seeds; all commercially grown pandan is clonal. For Southeast Asian cooking, a pandan plant provides a continuous supply of a leaf that transforms rice and desserts.

Further reading

• Best crops for hydroponic beginners
• The Kratky method: grow lettuce with zero electricity