A detailed guide to home soilless cultivation techniques, easy to master at home

You can choose ordinary pots such as plastic pots and unglazed clay pots for home soilless cultivation. The seedlings to be transplanted must not carry soil, and the root soil must be carefully washed clean in clear water. Place the roots in diluted nutrient solution so they fully absorb nutrients before cultivating. A small amount of small stones should be placed around the plant so that it does not topple over. Water with an appropriate amount of nutrient solution and water according to the growth situation, give appropriate light, and do a good job of managing temperature, humidity, and so on.

1. Ordinary pots such as unglazed clay pots and plastic pots can be used for soilless cultivation. Before cultivation, the raw materials of various substrates should first be mixed at a ratio of 1:1, or placed separately into plastic pots.

2. When the seedlings grow 3-5 leaves, transplant them into pots for growing. Before transplanting, first place the soil-bearing root system in clear water and gently rub and wash the root soil clean, being careful not to damage the roots. Then place it in a solution of nutrient solution diluted 5-10 times compared with the normal concentration, and soak for about 10 minutes so that the root system fully absorbs nutrients.

3. After transplanting, cover the area around the plant with a small amount of quartz sand or small stones so that the plant stands upright and does not topple over. Then water with 0.5 times strength nutrient solution around the plant until the nutrient solution flows out from the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.

4. During the growing process, water once every 1-3 days, and apply diluted nutrient solution once every 7-10 days. After the plant recovers its growth momentum, apply nutrient solution at normal concentration.

5. The frequency and amount of nutrient solution application should be determined according to the flower species, plant size, different growth stages, different seasons, placement location, and so on. When growing potted flowers indoors, during the growth process nutrient solution can be applied once every 7-15 days. For flowers grown with soilless cultivation, ordinary care and management are basically the same as with soil cultivation. Both require giving good environmental conditions such as light, temperature, and humidity according to the habits of the flowers.

6. During the seedling stage, water once every 15-20 days. During the dormancy period of the flowers, water once every 15 days. Generally, for sun-loving flowers in flower pots with an inner diameter of about 20cm, apply about 100 milliliters of nutrient solution each time. For shade-loving flowers, the amount needs to be reduced. If a long-acting flower fertilizer is applied, its amount should refer to the instructions.

7. When first applying nutrient solution, pay attention to the appropriate amount. It is better to use less rather than more. If nutrient solution is applied excessively, it can easily cause harm such as scorched leaves. When growing flowers soillessly, in addition to mastering the timing and amount of nutrient solution application, you also need to water according to the water requirements of different flower varieties, so as to keep the substrate in the pot moist and promote robust flower growth.

8. To prevent the loss of nutrient solution, a watertight container can be chosen for cultivation. A container relatively suitable for home soilless cultivation consists of two parts: prepare 1 flower pot with substrate, then place the flower seedling in it, and then prepare 1 watertight container for holding the nutrient solution.

9. During growing, before the plant roots extend into the nutrient solution, water appropriately, then apply a small amount of dilute nutrient solution every 5-7 days. After the roots extend into the nutrient solution, normal management can be resumed.

10. During this period, nutrient solution and water can be added regularly according to the growth habits of the flowers. The nutrient solution needs to be completely replaced once a month, and the container holding the nutrient solution should be cleaned thoroughly. Usually, the amount of nutrient solution in the container should be about 2/3 of the container depth. If too much is added, there will be no gap, causing all the roots to be soaked in the nutrient solution, and the plant will suffer root rot due to lack of oxygen.