How to care for ivy in hot weather? Hydroponics makes it grow especially fast

As a representative of "home-style" greenery, ivy is known to everyone. Many people are used to growing some at home, either letting it cover an entire wall or letting it trail down naturally from a height. In short, as long as you grow ivy at home, you will always discover its beauty. But in summer, plants like ivy really suffer, as the hot temperatures are a major enemy of their growth. And if we relax our guard a little and forget to replenish water in time, it may directly cause the plant to age. So how can we effectively grow ivy in summer? Perhaps hydroponics is a good way!

Can ivy be grown hydroponically?

First, before hydroponics, we need to ask ourselves this question, because not every plant is suitable for this cultivation method. Of course, ivy is a special case and is perfectly suited for hydroponics. The reason is that hydroponics not only solves the problem of watering ivy in summer, but also takes its ornamental value up a notch. It removes the weight of the flower pot and improves portability, so it is a very suitable cultivation method.

So how exactly should it be done?

First, if you want to start hydroponics from seedlings, then we recommend the "stem cutting water rooting method." The roots produced this way are not only attractive, but there will also be no root damage like what happens when washing roots. Select tender ivy branches that have aerial roots and insert them into a prepared transparent container. In about 10 days, water roots will grow. And if you want to directly hydroponically grow healthy ivy that is currently in just the right condition, then you can also skip the steps above and start directly from placing it in a bottle. However, note that whether it is water rooting from cuttings or direct bottling, the water in the container should not be too much, and you should try to leave some air for the plant's roots. Otherwise, placing the entire ivy in water may cause the stems and leaves to rot, affecting both appearance and normal plant growth.

In the early stage of hydroponic ivy, you need to change the water frequently to keep the water clean and free of contamination. Generally, changing the water once every 1-2 days is more suitable. And if the cultivation time is longer and the ivy has already grown white roots, we can appropriately change this water-changing frequency to 2 times a week. By following this practice, you can at least ensure that the water quality will not have problems during the growth of hydroponic ivy, and naturally it will grow lush and green!

Whether ivy can grow well depends on sunlight as one of the more key factors. Generally speaking, the root development stage in hydroponics is not suitable for exposure to sunlight. You can place it in a place with weaker bedroom light, which can also improve the air quality there. Only after it has fully rooted should light be gradually provided. Ivy is a shade-tolerant plant and avoids direct strong light, so when growing hydroponic ivy, just provide scattered light.

After hydroponic ivy is potted, the first application of nutrient solution should be a thorough watering, and afterward replenish the solution once every 10 days. Replenish water on ordinary days to keep the substrate moist. But note that it must not be too waterlogged, to avoid causing root rot. During the peak growth season, a 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution can be used for foliar fertilization. After that, the nutrient solution should still be replaced once every 2 or 3 weeks. In addition, when planting hydroponic ivy, be careful to protect the root system, and try to straighten it out so that most of all the roots can be immersed in water.