The latest green interior design trend is growing indoor plants in water, also known as hydroponics. These plants in glass vases not only look nice but they have also extra care advantages. For example, you hardly ever have to water these plants, which is very convenient if you are often away from home or occasionally forget to water your plants. We also have a few other care tips to give you, to help you keep your hydroponic plants healthy and beautiful.
Get off to a good start and you're halfway there
Our hydroponic plants arrive at your home with an elegant vase, so you don't have to find one yourself or buy one specially. Do clean the vase well to keep the plant healthy. We recommend filling it with spring water, as this contains all the minerals indoor plants need to grow, but you can also use tap water if you don't have any to hand. Don't forget to add some plant food for the right nutrients, then place the plant with its roots in the water. The upper part of the roots should remain above the water so that they can breathe. Make sure that no leaves are touching the water to prevent mould.
No more forgetting to water
Finally, plants that you can never water too much or too little! With hydroponic plants, forgetting to water them doesn't matter and that gives you peace of mind. However, these plants do need care, just like any other indoor plant. For example, change the water in the vase once every three to four weeks. Sometimes you will need to change the water a little more often; for instance, if you see it getting dirty or if green algae start to form. If you use tap water, lime deposits may appear on the vase, so remember to clean that once in a while too. Just as with other indoor plants, these plants like food. Add a few drops of liquid plant food in the water once a month and give them some extra food if yellow leaves appear.
Plant babies
Cuttings are also ideal for growing in water. You can create all kinds of plant babies this way and they will develop into mature plants. The easy way to take a cutting is to cut off a piece of the stem underneath an aerial root, which is usually a brown or white tip growing out of the stem just below a leaf. Remove a few leaves from this stem so that they do not touch the water, then simply fill a vase or pot with water and place the plant in the water.
The process is slightly different with some indoor plants, like the Chinese money plant, which multiplies by developing baby plants that grow while still attached to the mother plant. Take these plants out of the pot, carefully detach these babies from the mother plant and then plant them in water again immediately.
Planting seeds on water
Finally, planting seeds on water is also great fun and avocado and mango stones are great for this. To use them as seeds, start by rinsing them well and removing the skin. Stick four toothpicks in the stone with its point upwards, so that you can support it on the edges of the vase, or use a saucer with a hole in the bottom. You can also let the stone germinate a little more first by wrapping it in moist kitchen paper, putting it in a plastic bag and keeping it in a warm place. You will see a little root start to appear after a few weeks and planting it in water will then be easier and faster. Proper care is very important from this point on. Add water if the level drops below the stone and change the water every few weeks. Clean the stone if it develops a brown layer. Always place the stone in a warm place to allow it to grow well.
If you want to start growing indoor plants in water, then take a look at our extensive hydroponics range.
