Many indoor plants can be grown without soil. The cultivation of plants in a soil-free growing medium is called hydroponics. Let me start our article with one story.
Once, a guy named Mark was sent on a work trip for a week. And then he realized that he had completely forgotten to leave indoor flowers under the supervision of his friends.
When he returned, he found out that his flowers had withered and that all his efforts to grow a flower were in vain.
And one of his friends shared a soil-free method of flower growth (hydroponic systems) that would allow him to leave for long trips without worrying about what would happen to his flowers.
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Best hydroponic flowers to grow
The growth of plants in a hydroponic system is pretty easy, so this method is becoming more and more popular among flower gardeners all over the world. It is easy to explain because hydroponic flowers occupy a little room, and give better yields and more quality.
The time period required to grow flowers in the soil is nearly fifty percent longer than the time required to grow a plant in hydroponics.
The flowers in hydroponics grow in an inorganic medium, so the pathogenic microorganism has no strength to divide there. Beside just the lovers of flowers, plant gardeners use hydroponics for good profits and checks.
Especially in India, hydroponically raised flowers can be encountered very frequently.
Although, even despite the ease of care, some requirements still need to be met.
Criteria for the best flowers for hydroponic growth
We understood that the hydroponic growing of flowers can be very profitable and interesting. Let’s check which flowers correspond to the names of the best flowers in hydroponics. They need only water and mineral substances from the nutrient solutions for growth.
We ordered them based on the following criteria:
- Not frequent changes of water
- Tolerate changes in temperature
- Absence of critical factors for the flowers to grow
- Convenience for caring for flowers
Iris
Iris is a candidate for the ideal plant in hydroponic gardening.
Iris plants have two types: bulbous and rhizomatous irises.
Their distinctive difference is that bulbous iris types will lose their leaves, while rhizomatous iris types will be even greener.
As with every flower, this type of flower that grows in hydroponics is also unique.
Its requirements:
- Only the root can be dipped in the water. The roots and bulbs must be placed in a cool place for a period of 13 to 15 weeks.
- Every day, sunlight totals 5 to 6 hours. But do not overdose on the sun exposure. It may lead to rough and dark green leaves.
- Do not use fertilizers too frequently. Because this flower does not need that much nutrient solution to ensure energy, only one application of fertilizer per two weeks will be enough.
Phlox
Phloxes or Phlox paniculata are perennials, as are freesias, wax plants, roses, etc. They live with a lovely fragrance, and they give colorful flowers when they bloom: blue, pink, white, purple, etc. But what is their advantage over other perennials?
Their advantages are that they can get along with overheating and frosty temperatures. But temperatures below 40 °C are not tolerated by phlox plants. They do not have high needs.
Carnations
We consider them the most popular flowers to grow. Also, they are edible and have a pleasant taste and lovely aroma. Besides growing flowers from seed, the method of growing carnations from cuttings is the most appreciated method in a hydroponic garden.
Steps to grow carnations in hydroponic systems from just a few cuttings:
Start growing carnations from cuttings: the length requirement is 3 to 5 inches because longer will complicate future growth. Rooting hormones will be helpful due to their antiseptic and antifungal properties.
Carnation petals should be moisturized to avoid drying out completely.
In the beginning, especially before 7 to 10 days, it is contraindicated to use any nutrient solution. When the cutting is finally over, some nutrient solution can be added, but it should be mild.
It helps the roots stay healthy and gives strength to our future hydroponic plants.
Carnations require keeping the air temperature in the appropriate range. The temperature for growing the carnations should be a few degrees higher than for growing mature flowers.
The optimal temperature in daylight is 75–80 degrees and at night 70–75 degrees. They can reach very large sizes. When they reach 1.5–2 feet in height, it is recommended to give them support.
Sanitation is needed for the care routine of carnations because they are susceptible to Fusarium, which is very dangerous. Despite this, we recommend that you follow the sterility rules to avoid disease outbreaks.
Orchids
To grow hydroponically, terrestrial orchids are excellently suited.
The originality of orchids’ growth is that they do not grow in the ground at all. The cultivation of orchids in the soil will literally kill them, and they will not further generate flowers. As their origin is in the tropics, like most tropical flowers they need high humidity.
Steps to make orchids grow in hydroponic systems:
- Choose the right container: a large vase or bowl is preferable to give our future orchids more space for further growth. It is preferable for the vase or bowl to be tall in order to hold the stems of the orchids and not make them topple out.
- Transfer the roots. Make sure that the roots are rinsed thoroughly with water and that solids from the roots are removed. A review of the root system should be done; any rots or damages must be cut off from the root.
- Fill the pot with water; distilled water and rainwater are recommended.Make sure that water covers only the roots. We must mention that touching the leaves with water is not at all preferable. Wet leaves can cause the formation of rots in this area. Exceptions can be only the smallest leaves.
- Care routine:
- Change the water every one to two weeks.
- Give orchids as much sunlight exposure as possible to help them grow more effectively. Those flowers are used to needing sunlight due to the usual tropical climates.
- Do not use deep water culture or drip system; they create the risk of mold or rot issues in the growing orchids. If you notice the mold or rot on one leaf of the orchid, it is best to rinse it off with warm water and apply a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution.
- Wait for the blooming season of growing orchids; they do not have an exact timetable for the growing and blooming seasons.Their inner clock tells them when to grow and bloom, and it is not the same for all types. So if the plant does not produce flowers for some time, it does not mean that it dies. It just needs time, and the plant is healthy.
Peace Lilies
Peace lilies are houseplant classics, they are the best flowers that grow in hydroponics. Despite this, the flower needs attention, at least for a while. The peace lily is included in a group of the Stathyphillum family.
To give peace lilies a good shot at thriving in the water, there are some rules that plant gardeners must know. Unless you are diligent with the care routine for the Statyphyllum family of flowers, they cannot live as long as you want them to.
To avoid being diligent, some requirements for routine care in growing peace lily include:
- Keep pH at intervals between 5.8 and 6.5
- Change the water every two weeks
- Arisen algae have to be scrubbed out of the container
Steps for growing peace lilies in water:
- Container preparation: we would like to recommend choosing a plastic or glass container with a wide mouth.This recommendation has value because the gardener has a chance to see how algae grow. A wide mouth is needed to bring plants up easier, and we need to do this often.
- Uproot the peace lily: for that, you have to hold the plant in the region of the stems and pull out the plant. If the roots are tight, you can beat the pot from outside and jog them free.
- Fill the pot with water until the roots are fully covered. Distilled or rainwater is preferable.Do not add organic blooming fertilizer at this stage to grow flowers; it can work the other way and damage our future beautiful flowers.
- Establish them: indirect and bright light is needed, but remember that direct sunlight is contraindicated. Especially in the very beginning, those growing plants are vulnerable to sunburn. Direct sunlight causes overheated water and algae growth.
Long-term care routine and just waiting:
- Keep them in the shade with indirect and bright sunlight, only 2 hours are allowed for them to keep under the sunlight when they have already grown in
- Change the water every 2 weeks. Fertilizer with nutrients to keep peace lilies healthy
- Organic gardening of peace lilies can be examined by gardeners. But the use of fertilizers has a more positive effect on their strength
- Warmth with temperatures between 65 and 85 degrees. Maintain the right pH between 5.8 and 6.5
For busy lovers of peace lilies, we would like to recommend that you try a self-contained hydroponics system, which waters and fertilizes plants automatically. I guess this technology can be used not only on this flower, but on others as well.
Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemums are attractive and hardy-cut flowers that add colorful blooms to any garden. Aside from that, they are easy to care for. But of course, to ensure vibrant colors and to deliver blooming colors, special care can be provided.
There is good news: chrysanthemums can grow new plants from their cuttings. So that the chrysanthemums can be the indoor plant. But there are no findings comparing plants grown in an indoor and outdoor hydroponics system.
Hydroponic chrysanthemum cultivation steps:
- Take stem cuttings with several sets of leaves, cutting below the set of leaves.Remove any buds or flowers and their stems.Remove any lower leaves. You have to cut off all the leaves, because the ones that touch the water may lead to rotting issues.
- Deep-water culture is the perfect choice for easy-to-maintain growing chrysanthemums with hydroponics. At the same time, the nutrient film technique is ideal for gardeners seeking efficient hydroponic growing.
- Care routine. Environmental conditions needed for those growers to grow:
- Provide an optimal temperature range between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit
- Provide adequate humidity for the plant species. (The ideal is in the range between 40 and 70 percent.)
- The light should be provided for at least eight hours per day. The direct sun is preferable
- Water levels. Change the water regularly every few days to make flowers grow more efficiently
- pH levels need to be balanced between 5.5 and 6.5
- Good air ventilation helps prevent mold
- An important factor of successfully growing flowers like chrysanthemums is a nutrient solution. This should be done accurately because they require different nutrient solutions than other plants.
- The nutrient solution for the chrysanthemums may include nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. It can also add trace elements like zinc and magnesium. They are all needed because they produce energy for further blooming, root development, flower formation, and photosynthesis.
Roses
It will be a hard challenge to find a girl who does not prefer roses in her vases. They add beauty to any garden, and their aroma is driving me crazy! Because of this, the great majority of whole-flower gardeners raise them in water growing medium.
Due to the demand in the flower market for them, roses are treated as commercially grown flowers. Even though some of the lovers of those stunning flowers grow roses as indoor plants for themselves and just enjoy the process.
One of the systems for growing roses is the nutrient film technique.
Plant stem cutting and rose seeds are the most popular ways to grow roses. Planting stem cutting is used more frequently nowadays.
Steps to growing roses in water:
- Choose healthy stem cuttings; ensure they are free of disease or insect-borne infections.
- The upper part of the plant must be cut off carefully. The stem, with a height of 4 to 6 inches and 2–3 leaves, has remained. Cut the plant’s roots using the 45-degree angle technique to maximize the rooting area.
- Put rooting hormone in the lower part of the stem. Use a pencil to make a hole to localize the cutting stems. Approximately 2 inches from the lower side are placed in this solution.
- This partially ready part of the stem is placed in a region of the house with high exposure to the sun. At least 6 hours under the direct sun or 12 hours under artificial light are required.
- Ensure that they remain hydrated in your growing medium.
- Do not forget to keep the pH between the 6.5 and 7.5 ranges.
Amaryllis
Amaryllis is not only one of the types of flowers that can give colorful blooms; those flowers also give large appendages. Exactly because of this, amaryllis is considered to have massive flowers. All of the attention in your garden will be on them!
Amaryllis is grown in sandy, rocky soil. So it is too easy to overwater those flowers, it will be a guessing game.
You need LECA pebbles, a water gauge, and a container for their growth. They do not even need a nutrient solution.
To grow amaryllis in hydroponics:
- The amaryllis needs LECA pebbles below the roots. Because LECA pebbles replace soil. They ensure moisture to the plant, and as a consequence, the maximal air consumption to the roots of the amaryllis is produced by those unique pebbles
- A water gauge placed in the full length of the pot will tell you whether you overwatered or not. Because going too far with watering is too dangerous for this type of flower. We are at risk of losing them.
I think that this is the best advantage of these flowers. Because it allows very busy people to keep their hobbies alive. Even people with limited time can raise them.
Although, it does not mean that you can just forget about them and, after one month, not realize why they died.
So their humble requirements must be mentioned:
- Every two weeks, refill the water
- More hydrating amaryllis will make them dry out. Then may come the situation when you find out that your flowers wilt
- But do not forget that overwatering may lead to unpleasant consequences
Dahlias
If you were researching the easiest flowers to grow hydroponically, surprise! Read again the name of the paragraph—you already found them; they are Dahlias.
For me, they are far more beautiful than other types of flowers. Their appearance never leaves anyone calm. With their beauty, some disadvantages are present.
We need to highlight their requirements at this time:
- They need space; their primary length is 12 inches. Firstly, for placing in the pot for further growth, a 12-inch length is required
- They need space again; they need it to grow to a greater extent on the lateral sides
- They need a lot of water
- High humidity levels and excellent water drainage are required to keep them from rotting. A humidifier in a growing room will provide additional prevention from their drying out
- They require good exposure to light to flourish
Petunia
Petunias are one of several flowers that grow in both indoor and outdoor gardens.
Petunias need direct sunlight as well as air.
So, the flower gardens give them a chance to bloom outdoors.
Although their one disadvantage is that they cannot get along with the frosty weather in the gardens, if you are an avid lover of petunias, you can see them in your vases all year round if you give the hydroponically raised petunias a chance.
Besides, petunias have different varieties of colors to make them bloom in your home or garden. The velvety petunias are the lovely flowers of many girls!
Requirements that petunias need:
- Sunlight: minimally 5 to 6 hours per day. When they do not get enough sun, these plants will give you an alarm in the form of brown spots within the leaves
- Do not overdose on the water. Watering is enough when you just make the upper leaves damp. Unless you take care with the drainage of excess water, the root rots will appear and kill petunias
- Fertilize petunias every two weeks to make sure they are be strong
Flowers in a hydroponic garden with a more controlled growing method
Growth of carnations, gerbera daisies, and lisianthus in a hydroponic system has advantages in that it allows for a more controlled growing method. It means that hydroponic gardeners have complete control over the delivery of nutrients and pH balance. This gives a chance to adapt the environment to the needs of each type of flower.
Results:
There are different varieties of flowers that can easily grow in hydroponics. We found the best of them. Choose which flower to garden to your taste!
FAQ:
Can you use hydroponics to grow flowers?
Why hydroponic flowers?
• In comparison with the soil-growing medium, it takes less time to grow crops. • Research shows that hydroponically raised plants grow fifty percent faster
• Flowers can be grown anywhere (at home, in any free space)
• Produce flowers all year round in a hydroponic system: an indoor hydroponic garden gives you the chance to enjoy exotic flowers in any climate
• More sterile because the soil medium can lead to the evolution of pesticides. • Therefore, less exposure to harmful bacteria and, thus, diseases in hydroponic gardening
• Better yields in hydroponics systems, more quality
• Less effort when caring: no need to cut off the leaves