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Did you know that you don't have to grow your houseplants in potting soil? Potting soil is just a medium holding the plant up and allowing the roots to absorb nutrients with the water. You can throw out potting soil and potential insects and diseases along with it! Many houseplants grow very nicely in a simple double pot with a simple water solution, sometimes called passive hydroponics. In hydroculture, special pebbles rather than potting soil hold the plant's stem and roots.
Steps
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Purchase a hydroculture pot and the clay-fired pebbles (often called LECA). Alternatively, use a glass jar or vase to hold the pebbles. Rinse the clay pebbles with water to remove dust and minute pebble particles. The pebbles should be dust-free when completely washed.
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Clean the plant's roots. Remove the plant and potting soil from its pot. Place the plant and potting soil in a bucket of shallow water to soften the potting soil. Gently tease the plants roots from the potting soil, use a pencil if necessary. Hold the roots under gently running tap water at room temperature to rinse off the remainder of the dirt. Trim off dead or extra roots.
- If you have clean rooted cuttings, you can skip this step.
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Transplant the plant. Cover the bottom of the inner pot with pebbles, about an inch. Place the plant on the pebbles, and spread out roots. Hold in place with one hand while pouring more pebbles around the plant roots up to the base. Tap the container to settle the pebbles, and then rinse under room temperature running tap water.
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Finish and feed the plant. Place the inner container in the outer container, and fill the pot with nutrient solution until the water level indicator shows its full enough.
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Place the plant in hydroculture in a bright location indoors. Add water to the pot or vase as water evaporates over time. Replace the water and nutrient solution occasionally.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionI have seen some people grow orchids on pebbles in glass jars. Is that good for orchids and successful?NinoxTop AnswererPebbles can be successful to grow orchids. If the orchids don't grow as expected, you can replace the pebbles with pine barks.
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QuestionHow high should the water level be?NinoxTop AnswererThe water level should be roughly 1/3 of the pot height. The level can be lower but never higher, otherwise the roots will rot.
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QuestionCan hydroculture plants live in distilled water?Community AnswerNo, because plants need nutrition to grow. Usually, that comes in the form of soil, but in hydroculture nutrition needs to be added manually. You can buy them online or at stores. However, plants can survive in distilled water for about two weeks, so it's okay if you don't get the nutrition right away.
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Things You'll Need
- Water – tap water is generally fine.
- Nutrients – can be ordered with potting materials and then mixed with water.
- The plant - many houseplants, pothos, philodendron, peace lily, etc., grow well with the hydroculture process.
- Pebbles - For hydroculture we use clay-fired pebbles that come in several sizes, from pea size to grape size.
- Inner pot - the pebbles sit in an inner pot that has slits for water access. The inner pot also has a slot for a water level indicator.
- Water level indicator - a simple float tells you when the pot needs water (lowest level), and when you have enough liquid (upper level).
- Outer pot - the inner pot sits in a decorative non-porous pot that is slightly larger.
- Kit – kits are available with everything you need to get started.
Tips
- Many plants do well in hydroculture, including cacti and succulents. Don’t be afraid to experiment.Thanks
- Start with a pothos vine, easy to grow, and as easy to root cuttings in water.Thanks
- You can enjoy hydroculture houseplants without ever playing in the dirt. Buy pre-planted, or plant water rooted cuttings.Thanks
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Warnings
- Do not keep topping off the water to maintain the full level. The plants do much better if the water level is allowed to drop to or below the fill level before refilling.Thanks
- Don’t skip the water level indicator and try to measure by eye. The trick to hydroculture is that with the indicator you cannot over water or under water.Thanks
- The nutrients aren’t especially dangerous but don’t store them where children can reach.Thanks
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References
- Houseplant Hydroculture – a fan site with useful experience.
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