If you stick to easy-to-care-for plants that grow in water, you won’t need a complicated hydroponics setup. The best part: If you get tired of growing plants in water, all you have to do is pot them in soil.
How to Grow Plants in Water
Growing plants in water can be as simple as placing cuttings in a watertight vessel. However, if you want your plant to thrive (and eventually harvest edibles), a little more work is involved. Here’s what you need to grow plants in water.
Check the Plants’ Light Requirements
Like growing plants in pots or outdoors, light is essential for photosynthesis, and without the right amount of it, the plants will not thrive. Just like when growing plants in soil, plants that grow in water all require different amounts of light, so it’s best to check the light preferences for each specific variety you grow.
Choose the Right Vessel
Any watertight container will work for growing plants in water. Glass containers are easy to come by, and it’s nice to see the roots growing. However, glass containers are also more susceptible to algae growth due to light exposure and stagnant water. One way to avoid this is to use an opaque container (plastic, glass, or ceramic). An opaque container does not prevent algae growth, but it does slow it. Add a pinch of powdered charcoal or a few small pieces of charcoal to the water to help inhibit algae growth. Forgo metal containers—metal corrodes, and some metals react to plant fertilizer.
Fertilize Hydroponic Houseplants
Although plants will easily root in plain water, they will eventually need food. Typically, plants grown in water require lower-strength fertilizer than those grown in soil. Generally, you want to dilute a water-soluble fertilizer to a quarter strength, but this will also depend on the plant and the type of fertilizer you’re using.
Use the Right Water
Unchlorinated water is best for plants. Use tap water that has sat at room temperature overnight for best results. Most plants only need a monthly water change to stay healthy, but that depends on the type of vessel, the plant, and the amount of sunlight it gets. Over time, the water will evaporate from the container. Replenish the water weekly and completely change the water once it starts to look murky.
9 Plants That Can Grow in Water
Now that the basic growing requirements are covered, all you need are plants! These nine plants grow remarkably well in water with little effort. Keep about 3 inches of the bottom part of the vegetables and place them in a shallow bowl of water. Your scraps will root and put out new growth from the center. It’s also a vining plant that produces aerial roots, making it even easier to root out. All these roots need is exposure to water to have a growth spurt. The same holds true for any vining plant, including monstera, English ivy, and hoyas.
