Plants for your home are always a good idea. You might either like to have them for decorative purposes or to have a small piece of nature indoors. However, the problem with most regular plants is the need to deal with repotting and the messy process, especially if you have a dog or cat. Pets usually tend to litter the pots and it can become a messy scenario. A great solution to avoid such circumstances and reap the benefits of indoor plant ownership is opting for hydroponic plants, or plants that have the capability of growing and thriving in just water. The cost of maintenance for hydroponic plants is comparatively lower than those that grow in soil, and for obvious reasons it is also dirt-free and gnat free. Also, the home decor possibilities are endless and potentially cost-saving. You might also find a new hobby as you dip your toe into this fascinating hydroculture world.
How plants grow in water?
Most houseplants require a few specific things in order to prosper. These few things include oxygen, water, some type of support and nutrients. Soil is the major source of these criterions, but with hydroponic plants what you do is simply replace the medium of nutrients and support from soil to water and a bottle-neck vase that has the capability to provide sustenance and backing to your home grown water plants.
What makes this method so popular?
The reason that makes growing your plants hydroponically one of the best choices is that with the elimination of soil you reduce your chances of causing damages to your house plants. Houseplants generally perish mostly due to over or under watering. By growing the plants in water, you eliminate this possibility as it is only water that they are thriving on. Moreover, the problem of pest, another leading cause of death for houseplants, is also eliminated by removing soil. Maintenance costs are also reduced tenfold by choosing water as the base for your indoor plants to grow in. All you need to do is pour in a fresh pot of water once every two weeks. You can also visually see if you plant requires more water and that takes the guess work out of the process.
How to create your own setup?
There are three important things that you need to do in order to start growing your own plants in water at home. The first is to select a plant that is known to naturally grow in water and cut a section of the plant from a region just below one of the leaf, where you know the plant will root from most naturally. Then select a vase or bottle with a narrow neck in order to facilitate support for the plant and fill it up with rain water or add a little plant food once every other month. The third and final part is to refill the water in case it runs low.
Five of the best plants to grow in water
Five of the best plants that you can grow in water are:
- Pothos AKA Devils Ivy- The plants scientific name is Epipremnum aureus. Don’t let the long name fool you. This is a terrific plant that you can easily grow in water at home. It makes for a great indoor plant because its very hardy and requires little work. All you need to do is pluck some stems from a plant that is mature. Let it rest in water and watch the beautiful roots grow in a months time. Given the right space and time, this leafy vine can grow up to 6-10 feet indoors.
- Begonia AKA Dragon Wing Pink- If you like flowers, this plant might be right for you. Its one of the few plants that produce flowers indoors, most of the year. And its very easy to grow hydroponically at home. Begonias love bright light but do not place this beauty in direct sunlight.
- English Ivy- Common ivy or Hedera helix is an elegant plant that is a fast grower and is one of the most durable of all houseplants. To propagate, make sure you cut a piece with a strong node, one that will have roots below. Place the cutting in a nice hanging vase and should see the roots growing in a few weeks.
- Lotus- Beautiful to look at and strikingly elegant, this flowering plant is known to thrive in water and blooms in a fantastic manner. The flowers found in this plant are large and shaped like a peony, and mainly grows during the summer times. The flowers that can be found in this plant are of many different colors and are known to provide a soothing contrast accompanied by their green-blue leaves. You can grow these plants in an outdoor setting.
- Water Lily- Water lily is a terrific plant, which is known to thrive perennially and produce flowers of almost all the colors that can be found in the light spectrum. Water lilies are also known to float in water and look beautiful with their round petals that might make the plant range from 2’ to 12’ in diameter. Growing Water Lilies indoor is possible but the plants require a lot of water, more than most normal size vases. The ideal setting for this plant is outdoors and in a pond but this plant can also flourish indoors under the right environment.