Hydroponic cultivation is not particularly widespread in Greece. However, at Magic Garden, a hydroponic greenhouse in Boeotia, this method has already reached a high level of specialization, as it now focuses exclusively on potted salad production. “Our unit began operating in 2020, and since 2022, we have focused solely on salad in pots. When stored in the refrigerator, it can offer fresh salad for up to three weeks. By the end of this year, our annual production will reach 9 million units. We cultivate a wide variety of salad types, and we even have pots with three different varieties: red lollo, green lollo, and oak leaf,” notes Mr. Kostas Filippakopoulos, General Manager of the greenhouse unit, which belongs to the company IGC.

© Magic Garden“As winter approaches, our production process, from the development of the initial plant to the harvest of the final product, approaches 45 days, compared to 29 during the summer. Potted cultivation, when carried out through a combination of MGS and NFT methods, requires great precision and balance. A single wrong move can compromise the quality of the final product. However, we’ve become skilled in potted cultivation and have achieved the optimal production cycle. So, we don’t change it, we just aim to improve by increasing our production density,” emphasizes Mr. Filippakopoulos.

© Magic Garden As he explains: “This month, we are completing successful trials with the company that installed our moving-gutter system, in order to increase planting density by 12–15%. The test was conducted on one of our twelve gutter systems, and the goal is for all twelve to switch to the new production method by next May.”

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Magic Garden also has new investment plans thanks to the strong demand for its products: “We are present in all Greek supermarket chains, and since the summer of 2024, we have also started exports to Poland and Romania. These are carried out both under our own brand and private label, while our packaging now also bears the EPD certification label. We are planning to create a new hydroponic facility to increase our production by an additional 65%. We also want to include potted dill and parsley in it. At least in the Greek market, the time is ripe for that. Currently, these products are sold only in bunches, which means zero shelf life and a lot of waste.”

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However, not everything is magical at Magic Garden. As the General Manager points out, “Energy costs have skyrocketed since 2022. For that reason, for the past two years, we have installed our own photovoltaic system under the virtual net metering scheme. We are certainly seeing significant savings, but the Greek power network cannot support the total load of all similar renewable energy additions. Thus, during the summer, in order to prevent a nationwide blackout, sources like ours were disconnected from the network from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.—precisely during the hours of highest energy consumption.”

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For more information:
Kostas Filippakopoulos
Magic Garden
Tel: +30 210 681 6803
Mob: +30 697 334 0780
Email: [email protected]