Plants grown in water have been a trend in the past few years and are increasingly popular. They are a real attention-grabber in your living room. It's quite different to having a normal, potted plant on the windowsill. Growing plants in water is called Hydroponics. The Anthurium is a perfect plant to grow in water. By rinsing out the roots of the Anthurium and putting the houseplant in a glass vase like a bouquet of flowers, you can create a real hit in no time. It's cool to see the plant's roots growing. Not only that, but 'forgetting to water' becomes a thing of the past. That makes the Anthurium nice and easy, too.
DIY: Anthurium in water
Follow these simple steps to make your own plants in water:
- Find a large bucket.
- Remove the plant from the nursery pot and carefully rinse all the soil from the roots under lukewarm water (cold water shocks the roots). Be careful not to damage the roots.
- Fill the glass vase with water (at room temperature) until the roots are just covered by the water.
- Find a nice spot in your home for the vase. That's how easy it is!
Extra tip: So you don't get calcium scale in the vase, use spring water from the supermarket instead of tap water. Spring water is also full of minerals that help the plant to grow.
In the video below, we show you how to easily place your indoor plants in water.
Care of hydroponic houseplants
It is easy to care for hydroponic houseplants. You only need to water them sporadically. You have to change the water about once every three weeks. Be sure to clean the vase when you change the water. Remove the calcium deposits and algae from the vase. Then fill the vase back up with water, preferably with spring water or rainwater. Besides fresh water, the plants also need food. Add plant food once a month. Use liquid food that is added to the water. Often, just a drop is enough.
Unlike houseplants in soil, the roots of hydroponic roots won't readily rot. The roots adapt so they can survive in water. Do make sure the leaves don't touch the water. The leaves will start rotting if they are in the water. Pay attention to whether the plant is developing well in the water. The plant might not adapt well to the water. You'll see that's the case if the plant's leaves turn yellow or fall off. If it's still in poor shape after you give it food, we recommend taking the plant out of the water. Then you can always replant it in soil.
Which plants are suited to hydroponics?
There are a lot of houseplants that will grow well in water. However, some can live in water for years whereas another plant might have had enough before long. Besides the anthurium, the Clusia Princess is a well-known plant that thrives in water. This plant originally grew in mangrove forests, so it loves growing in water. In addition, Monsteras, Philodendrons and even succulents and cacti can be planted in water. Geraniums, begonias, ivy and even peace plants can be grown in this way. So there's plenty to choose from. You should always pay attention to how the plant is faring because of course, you want to keep the plant healthy.
Finally, you can also grow cuttings in water. There are many houseplants that can be grown as cuttings in water, including some that were not mentioned above. Cuttings often grow roots faster in water. After about two or three weeks, once they are strong, you can plant the cuttings in a pot.
Are you getting started with your houseplants? Take a look at our wide range of houseplants.
