Explaining Hydroponic Methods for Flowers: Static Container Hydroponics and Floating Landscape Hydroponics

  Nowadays many people create a fish tank at home with mountains, water, flowers, grass and fish, with flowers and plants growing on the water surface as a garden landscape. This not only makes our lives more natural and cozy, but also makes the monotonous water surface richer and more lively. The main methods of growing hydroponic flowers are static container hydroponics and floating landscape hydroponics; the details are explained below.

  I. Static Container Hydroponics

  1. Static container hydroponics involves fixing the plant inside a container and letting the roots grow in still water or nutrient solution. The growing container can be a fish tank, glassware or an artistic vase, etc. Of course, it is best to choose a transparent container, so that you can keep flowers and fish together, and also view the roots and admire the fish.

  2. With its unique ornamental appeal, cleanliness and ease of care, static container hydroponics surpasses the previous placement restrictions of potted flowers and can be used in hotels, shopping malls, government offices, hospitals, homes and various other settings. Placing these hydroponic plants on a family dining table, the coffee table in the living room, or the reception desk of a hotel or shopping mall, and in any other position, is both beneficial to people's physical and mental health and makes the environment more elegant and full of charm.

  3. Static container hydroponics can be divided into bare-root hydroponics and nested-pot hydroponics. Bare-root hydroponic containers are mostly made of clear glass, and all the roots of the plant are required to be water roots. The plant is fixed inside a container, with part of the root system exposed to the air layer and part in the nutrient solution. Nested-pot hydroponics consists of two containers, one inside the other; the outer container can be clear glass or opaque. There is a gap space between the inner container and the bottom of the outer container; this gap space can be used to store nutrient solution, and at the same time a certain air layer must be left between the bottom of the inner container and the surface of the nutrient solution. The growing medium is mostly ceramsite, though perlite, vermiculite, peat or colored sand, etc., can also be used; which one to use specifically varies from person to person.

  II. Floating Landscape Hydroponics

  1. Floating landscape hydroponics generally refers to water-surface landscape greening for garden landscapes, courtyard ponds, rivers and lakes, rooftop and balcony greening, and indoor water bodies, such as the floating gardens we commonly see.

  2. The construction of a floating garden involves designing the greening of the water surface, then combining cultivation carriers and framed large floating-body technology to create planting space on the water surface, and then fixing the hydroponic plants onto the carriers to achieve floating cultivation. The main feature of floating landscape hydroponics is that plants grow floating on the water surface using floating boards. Because the water flows or fully contacts the flowing natural air, such water bodies often contain abundant dissolved oxygen.

Hydroponic Flower Knowledge | Complete Guide to Hydroponic Flower Knowledge

Hydroponic Flower Knowledge | Complete Guide to Hydroponic Flower Knowledge

Ten Questions on Hydroponic Flower Techniques

1. What flowers are suitable for hydroponics? What advantages do they have?

Answer: In theory any flower can be grown hydroponically, but different types of flowers have different environmental requirements. For example, some varieties that need water control to promote flowering may have their flowering affected under hydroponic conditions, and some plants that are sensitive to oxygen deficiency need air pumped into the nutrient solution at regular intervals to supplement oxygen. At the same time, different types of flowers have different nutritional requirements, so appropriate nutrient solution formulas must be used. Therefore, flowers and plants must undergo proper acclimation before they can be grown hydroponically. There are many plants suitable for hydroponics, including golden
pothos, money tree, Peperomia obtusifolia, Sun God, arrowroot, Cupid peperomia, Marianne, snake plant, golden barrel cactus and other cacti, as well as jewel orchid, snake plant, etc. Hydroponic flowers can go a long time without watering and fertilizing, have no foreign leaves, are clean and hygienic, beautiful and elegant, and are the first choice for home beautification and greening.

2. What substances are contained in the nutrient solution for hydroponic flowers?

Answer: Hydroponic nutrient solution contains all the essential nutrient elements needed for flower growth, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, manganese, zinc, copper, boron, molybdenum, etc. It is a colorless, odorless, non-toxic product, so please use it with confidence.

3. Why do hydroponic flowers need two concentrated solutions?

Answer: The main reason the concentrated nutrient solution for hydroponic flowers is divided into two parts is that when the concentration of metal nutrient elements such as calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and copper in the nutrient solution is too high, they can precipitate each other and make the nutrients ineffective. Therefore, in order to ensure adequate and balanced nutrient supply, these non-toxic compounds cannot be mixed together in the concentrated nutrient solution. So the hydroponic nutrient solutions currently sold on the market, if there is only one type, often have unbalanced nutrients.

4. Is more nutrient solution in the hydroponic flower container always better?

Answer: No. The depth of the nutrient solution in the container should be determined according to the growth of the flower's root system and should not be too much. Generally, when the root system is well developed, part of the roots should be left exposed to the air above the liquid surface so that the roots can absorb some oxygen from the air, which is very beneficial for healthy root growth. Never add too much nutrient solution to the container, but it should not be too little either; if it is too little, the nutrient solution will need to be replenished frequently, causing inconvenience in management. Usually, maintaining a nutrient solution layer about 5-10 cm deep is enough.

5. Do household hydroponic flowers need sunlight?

Answer: This depends on the light requirements of the flowers being grown. If they are shade-loving species, they should not be exposed to direct sunlight. However, because hydroponic flowers placed in the home are usually in an environment with poor light, even shade-loving flowers need to be placed regularly on a balcony with slightly stronger light. Generally, placing them on the balcony for one day a week is enough.

6. Do hydroponic flowers need a different nutrient solution for each type of flower?

Answer: No. There are many varieties of hydroponic flowers, but not every type of flower needs a corresponding nutrient solution. It is enough to choose different nutrient solutions according to different major categories; of course, a general-purpose nutrient solution can also be used. At present, the Soilless Cultivation Technology Research Office of South China Agricultural University has developed five types of nutrient solution: general-purpose, foliage type, indoor plant type, orchid type, and flowering type.

7. Can flowers grown in soil be directly converted to hydroponics?

Answer: Converting from soil cultivation to hydroponics must go through a series of treatments first. First, take out the soil-grown flowers and wash the roots clean, then soak the roots in hydroponic root treatment liquid for about 20 minutes before they can be placed in a hydroponic container for hydroponics.

8. Do fish kept together with flowers need to be fed?

Answer: No feeding is needed. This is because most of the fish kept together with flowers are small species, and these fish only need to absorb plankton and root secretions, etc., from the nutrient solution to meet their needs. If fed, it is instead easy to cause the fish to overeat and die; at the same time, adding feed also easily makes the nutrient solution cloudy and reduces the dissolved oxygen content in the nutrient solution, affecting the growth of both flowers and fish.

9. When growing hydroponic flowers, when should the nutrient solution be replenished or replaced?

Answer: This depends on the speed of the plant's water consumption. If the weather is dry and the plant is large, generally after about 15-20 days the nutrient solution needs to be replenished once; when replenishing, just add an appropriate amount of nutrient solution. When replenishing the nutrient solution, never add too much; just add about 1/3-1/2 of the container depth.

10. What is the shelf life of the concentrated nutrient solution for hydroponic flowers? What should be noted during storage?

Answer: The shelf life of the concentrated solution for hydroponic flowers is almost unlimited, but generally do not use any that has been stored for more than 5 years. When storing the concentrated nutrient solution, keep it away from light as much as possible, and do not place it where children can reach it.
Experience Talk on Household Hydroponic Flowers

As an eco-friendly way of growing flowers, hydroponic flowers have the following characteristics compared with traditional soil-grown flowers: (1) Water replaces soil, with no odor and no smell, clean and hygienic. (2) No need to repot or loosen soil, which can reduce the labor of growing flowers. (3) Light in weight and can be moved anytime and anywhere. (4) Flexible material selection, which can be reasonably matched according to indoor furnishings. (5) Fewer harmful microorganisms in the water and a high seedling survival rate. The seedling survival rate can remain stable above 80%.

1. Flower varieties suitable for hydroponics. Many years of practice have proven that foliage plants are the first choice for household hydroponic flowers, such as Guangdong evergreen, dieffenbachia, Monstera deliciosa, taro, pothos, lucky bamboo, asparagus fern, spider plant, aloe, inch plant, Tradescantia zebrina, coleus, Brazil wood, miniature coconut palm, hibiscus, fuchsia, etc. In addition, scarlet sage, azalea, camellia, cyclamen, amaryllis, calla lily, crown of thorns, kalanchoe, hyacinth, etc., are flowering plants that work well with hydroponics. Boston fern, pot marigold, petunia, and Excoecaria cochinchinensis have relatively low survival rates as hydroponic flowers.

2. Selection of hydroponic containers and bedding materials. (1) Containers. Any beautiful container that can hold water will do. It is best to use a transparent container, such as a beverage bottle (cut off the narrow neck), wine glass, teacup, vase, fish tank, etc.; the opening must be somewhat large to allow gas exchange. The size, height, shape, color and texture of the container should be coordinated with the hydroponic flowers. It is best to clean and disinfect it before use. (2) Bedding materials. Bedding materials are often placed at the bottom of the hydroponic container and mainly serve to stabilize the plant, such as pebbles, yellow sand, perlite, etc. Small pebbles with an elegant appearance and various shapes are best. They should also be cleaned and disinfected before use.

3. Time for hydroponics. Spring and autumn are most suitable for hydroponics, but it also varies with flower species. If the indoor temperature is 15°C-28°C, foliage plants can be grown hydroponically all year round. Flowering plants are best grown hydroponically when the first flower bud is about to open; for example, cyclamen, hyacinth, azalea, camellia, etc., are often grown hydroponically in early January, so that the full bloom period falls during the Spring Festival, giving people the joy of spring warmth and blossoming flowers.

4. Obtaining and treating hydroponic materials. (1) Root-washing method. Choose a potted plant with a full plant shape, vigorous growth and no pests or diseases, remove it from the pot and remove the soil, wash the soil off the roots with water close to room temperature, and cut off roots that have already rotted or aged; if the fibrous roots are dense, about 1/3 can be cut off, but care should be taken to avoid damaging new roots, then soak the roots in a 50% potassium permanganate aqueous solution for 30 minutes, which both sterilizes and disinfects and also promotes new root growth, after which hydroponics can be carried out. This method is mostly used for larger plants and flowers that are difficult to root. (2) Water-cutting method. Select semi-lignified branches of the current year that are robust and free of pests and diseases, cut them off and insert them in water for hydroponics. The cut is usually made two or three millimeters below a stem node; the cut end should be smoothed with a sharp knife that has been wiped and disinfected with white liquor beforehand, and the lower leaves of the branch should be removed. Before rooting, it is best to use an opaque container or wrap a transparent container with a black plastic bag to help the cuttings root. This method is mostly used for flower varieties that root easily and grow quickly.

5. Water used for hydroponics and water changing. (1) Water. Mountain spring water is best; its water quality is clean, pollution-free and non-settling, and it contains a variety of trace elements necessary for plant growth. Cooled boiled water is second best. It is best not to use tap water, because it contains many impurities, settles easily, and the chlorine in it is harmful to plant growth. If rainwater or snow water can be used for hydroponics, it is even more beneficial to flower growth. (2) Water changing. Because of normal plant growth and metabolism, after a period of hydroponics the oxygen in the water is continuously consumed, and at the same time the roots produce mucus, so the water quality is no longer as fresh as at the beginning; much of the nutrient solution added to the water has also been absorbed by the plant, and too much residual unabsorbed element can also harm the flowers. Therefore, the water must be changed regularly. The change in water quality is directly related to the temperature. Spring and autumn are the peak growth periods for flowers, so change the water once every 7-10 days; in summer change the water once every 4-6 days; in winter change the water about once every 15-20 days. Each time the water is changed, wash away the mucus on the roots and cut off aged roots and rotten roots. The height of the added water should be level with the root zone; too deep easily causes oxygen deficiency and root rot, while too shallow easily causes root water shortage and affects growth.

6. Adding hydroponic nutrient solution. Hydroponic nutrient solution is the fertilizer for hydroponic flowers. Generally, about half a month after hydroponics begins, new roots will appear. Along with the growth of the flowers and plants, nutrient solution must be continuously added in combination with water changes. Different types of flower nutrient solution can be purchased on the market as needed. It must be noted that: (1) The various nutrient solutions purchased are stock solutions and must be diluted before use. The dilution ratio varies with different flower species, so the instructions should be read carefully. (2) Each type of special nutrient solution must be used only for its intended purpose, to avoid mismatching. For example, if orchid nutrient solution is applied to clivia, it will cause clivia not to bloom or to bloom very little. Some flowers do not need nutrient solution, especially during the dormant period; directly changing the water regularly or adding a small amount of sugar water or salt water also works quite well, such as for pothos, dieffenbachia, etc.

Techniques for Preventing and Controlling Pests and Diseases of Hydroponic Flowers

Hydroponics breaks away from infection by soil-borne pests and diseases, but it does not grow in a strictly sterilized vacuum environment and can still be harmed by pests and diseases in the display environment. Fungi, bacteria and viruses in the air can still infect the stems and leaves of hydroponic flowers, causing lesions of varying degrees. Aphids and scale insects can drift indoors with the wind and land on hydroponic flowers to suck sap. Moths lay eggs on the flowers, and the hatched larvae will also chew the tender leaves and stem tips of the flowers. Flowers that have been removed from pots, washed of roots and converted to static hydroponics will likewise carry fungi, bacteria, viruses, insect eggs, larvae, etc.; if these are not carefully checked and removed, hidden dangers will remain.

Because of the particular nature of the display environment for static hydroponic flowers, once pests or diseases occur, it is not appropriate to use chemical pesticides to kill insects, nor to use large doses of fungicides to sterilize. Although these agents can kill insects and sterilize, they also pollute the environment.

Prevention should be the main approach to possible pests and diseases of hydroponic flowers. When choosing flowers for hydroponics, select as far as possible flowers with robust plants, luxuriant growth and no pests or diseases. If pests are found during cultivation, they can be caught by hand or washed away with tap water. Infectious diseases occur relatively rarely in hydroponic flowers; only a few leaves may show brown lesions, shrunken necrosis, or irregular round wet-lesion-like spots, formed by fungal or bacterial infection. Once found, the entire diseased leaf should be removed and burned so as not to let it spread. Prevention of non-infectious diseases. Non-infectious diseases are not caused by infection by pathogens, but by unsuitable environments. Hot, stuffy high-temperature weather in summer, cold winters, dry climates, scorching sunburn, poorly ventilated environments, excessive shading, nutrient solution concentration being too high, or an inability to absorb nutrients in a balanced way can all cause the leaf tips of static hydroponic flowers to scorch and dry up and the lower leaves to yellow and fall. When summer temperatures are too high, the dissolved oxygen in the solution drops sharply, making root rot disease more likely, and this is an even more common symptom of static hydroponics. In response to the above different symptoms, identify the corresponding causes, correct them, improve the cultivation environment, and avoid the occurrence of non-infectious diseases.

How should static hydroponic flowers with separated nodes and rotten roots be cared for? Due to improper management, or root oxygen deficiency and root rot, or infection by fungi, bacteria or viruses, hydroponic flowers may develop leaf spot disease, with leaves yellowing and falling in large numbers, causing the lower end to become bare of leaves and lose ornamental value. For hydroponic flowers with separated nodes and rotten roots, the method of plant renewal can be used: cut off the still-healthy upper branch at 3 cm below a stem node, insert it in clean water, and after a period of care and management, it can grow new roots and become an independent plant. As long as the bare lower branch does not rot, it can also sprout new shoots at the stem nodes, at which point it can be switched to nutrient solution cultivation. Lucky bamboo, pothos, rainbow ti, arrowhead plant, etc., can all be treated by this method.

Complete Household Hydroponic Flower Manual

Four Methods to Obtain Hydroponic Plants

1. Take flowers grown in soil or other organic media, or in inorganic media, out of their pots, remove the soil or inorganic medium from the roots, and switch them to static hydroponics with nutrient solution.

2. Use branches of flowers as cuttings and insert them directly into still water; after they root, grow them with nutrient solution.

3. Some flowers produce runners (stolons) during growth, with small plantlets growing on the runners, such as spider plant and pineapple; these small plantlets can be picked off and directly grown hydroponically.

4. For flowers that produce many tiller buds, such as clivia and bromeliads, the method of peeling off rooted tiller buds can be used for hydroponics.

How to Prepare Hydroponic Nutrient Solution

Household static hydroponic flowers (or simply hydroponic flowers) must meet three basic conditions:

1. Choose plants that are closely related to aquatic plants, that is, plants that retain aquatic genetic genes, for use as static hydroponic flowers.

2. Choose a leak-proof cultivation container with no bottom hole that matches the size and style of the hydroponic flowers.

3. Use a low-conductivity nutrient solution with ion-balanced absorption (appropriate ratio) and containing all the mineral nutrients essential for flower and plant growth. The recommended formula is as follows:

(1) Major elements: calcium nitrate 0.27 g, potassium nitrate 0.13 g, monopotassium phosphate 0.08 g, magnesium sulfate 0.13 g.

(2) Trace elements: disodium edetate 8.0 mg, ferrous sulfate 5.0 mg, manganese sulfate 1.4 mg, boric acid 2.0 mg, zinc sulfate 0.07 mg, copper sulfate 0.04 mg, sodium molybdate 0.09 mg. (3) Purified water: 1 liter (1000 mL).

The pH value is 5.5 to 6.5, and the electrical conductivity EC < 0.5 mm/cm.

Cultivate the selected flowers in a vessel, pour in hydroponic nutrient solution and grow them, and they become a static hydroponic flower with distinctive charm.

When preparing nutrient solution, it is best to use purified water; of course, drinking tap water can generally also be used to prepare nutrient solution. Both have undergone strict treatment, are clean and hygienic, and meet the requirements of sterile (low-bacteria) cultivation. However, full attention must be paid to the fact that purified water has even fewer impurities and pathogens and basically contains no nutrient elements essential to plants, while tap water, as the composition of the water source changes, contains nutrient elements in unstable proportions. Therefore, nutrient solution prepared with purified water has a stable and consistent composition, while nutrient solution prepared with tap water has an unstable composition.

Liquid chlorine is used when disinfecting tap water. If the chlorine in tap water is excessive, it is harmful to flowers and plants. A water purifier can be installed on the faucet. Let out the tap water, store it in a relatively wide-mouthed bucket for several days, and stir it several times with a wooden stick to remove the chlorine. If water is urgently needed for changing, you can add 3 to 5 grains of sodium thiosulfate (commonly known as hypo) to 10 kg of tap water and stir evenly, which can also achieve a chlorine-removal effect.

Most foliage flowers like a slightly acidic soil environment, and their intolerance of alkalinity cannot be changed during hydroponics either. Static nutrient solution cultivation must adjust the pH of the solution to the range of 5.5 to 6.5, which helps the flowers absorb trace elements, keeps physiological metabolism undisturbed, ensures normal growth, and keeps the leaves green.

How to Carry Out Foliar Fertilization

Static hydroponic flowers are cultivated under root oxygen deficiency, which can cause certain defects in the normal development of the flowers. In order to improve the quality of the flowers, the method of foliar fertilization can be used to supplement nutrient elements. During the vegetative growth period of the flowers, a 0.2% potassium nitrate dilution can be sprayed on the leaves. A fine-nozzle spray bottle should be used, and as far as possible the fertilizer liquid should not be allowed to run off; the backs of the leaves should also be sprayed. Spray once a week, twice during the growth period, and the hydroponic flowers will grow lush and full. For flowers suitable for both foliage viewing and flower appreciation, such as Spathiphyllum, four-season begonia, cane begonia, calla lily, etc., during the bud stage a 0.15% monopotassium phosphate dilution can be sprayed once a week on the leaves until the flowers open.

Temperature Requirements of Hydroponic Flowers

Hydroponic flowers only change one way of cultivating flowers; they do not change the growth habits of the flowers, nor can they change those habits. The foliage flowers used in static hydroponics mostly originate from Latin American rainforests or tropical high-temperature, high-humidity, shaded valley areas, and belong to non-cold-tolerant flower plants. Generally, when the temperature drops below 10°C, some varieties will suffer cold damage, with scorched leaf edges, yellowing old leaves, and wilting and falling, and under static hydroponic conditions the same phenomenon will also occur. Some flowers are more cold-tolerant, such as English ivy, periwinkle, and Senecio, which grow normally at 5°C to 7°C. When the temperature is above 30°C, some flowers lose their leaf luster, grow sluggishly, and develop scorch-like brown spots on the leaf margins, showing a dormant state of intolerance to high temperature, such as cane begonia, four-season begonia, and coleus. At high temperatures above 30°C, root rot is common in static hydroponics; of course, this is also related to the fact that dissolved oxygen in the nutrient solution decreases as temperature rises. Keeping the temperature at 15°C to 28°C is suitable for various flowers in static hydroponics. In addition, understanding the temperature required for the growth of each type of flower and creating a suitable temperature condition for its growth during static hydroponics is also very important.

Light Requirements of Hydroponic Flowers

Static hydroponics mostly uses relatively shade-tolerant, shade-loving foliage flowers and a small number of flowering flowers. The characteristic of such flowers is that they do not need strong direct light during the growth period, and some flower varieties grow well in relatively shaded environments. Generally placed indoors, in living rooms or offices, scattered light coming through doors and windows and indoor lamplight are fully sufficient to meet their light needs. If the light is too weak, the leaves of the flowers cannot carry out normal photosynthesis, cannot accumulate enough nutrients, and grow poorly. Some colored-leaf flowers, such as coleus and croton, lose the color of their leaves in a relatively weak-light environment and become dull and lusterless; only in an environment with relatively sufficient light but not direct strong light can such flowers maintain their leaf color and luster.

Plant growth has phototropism, so the orientation of placed flowers should be rotated regularly. This work can be combined with cleaning the vessel and changing the nutrient solution; rotate the flower 180 degrees relative to its original orientation after the roots have been washed and then continue growing it, so that the flower will not grow leaning to one side and the top shoot will always remain upright and upward.

Humid Environment and Good Ventilation

Most foliage flowers originate from warm and humid environments. Static hydroponics also needs to create a relatively humid environment for them to grow well. A simple method is to spray the leaves of the flowers (to prevent the sprayed mist from dampening furniture, you can move them to a balcony or outdoors for the operation, and move the flowers back indoors after spraying). When spraying, it is best to use a fine-nozzle head so that the sprayed mist droplets adhere to the leaf surface and do not run off. For relatively firm leaves with a waxy film, such as Monstera deliciosa and clivia, a wet towel can be used to wipe the leaf surface, which both increases leaf surface humidity and removes dust from the leaves. For larger flowers that are difficult to move, a shallow dish or basin of clean water can be placed beside the flower; the evaporated water can similarly increase environmental humidity.

There must be a good ventilation environment. This is an important condition for the normal growth of flowers. If static hydroponic flowers are placed in a room with doors and windows tightly closed and the air turbid, it is unfavorable to their growth. Especially when people go to work during the day and leave home, with no doors or windows opened in the room and some even drawing the curtains, in such a harsh environment hydroponic flowers not only cannot get the light they need, but also lack fresh air, dissolved oxygen continuously decreases, and their growth becomes worse and worse, producing yellowing and falling leaves and thin, shriveled new shoots. In places where hydroponic flowers are placed, doors and windows should be opened regularly to create air convection and let fresh outside air enter the room, which can increase the dissolved oxygen content in the nutrient solution.

Rooms with air conditioning can of course achieve the temperature needed by hydroponic flowers, but the air in the room is dry, which can cause scorched edges and dry tips on the leaves of flowers with relatively thin leaves. Air-conditioned rooms also lack fresh air, reducing the dissolved oxygen content. Timely ventilation is beneficial both to the growth of hydroponic flowers and to human health. Places where large hydroponic flowers are displayed especially need to do this work well.

Prevention and Control of Pests and Diseases of Hydroponic Flowers

Hydroponics breaks away from infection by soil-borne pests and diseases, but it does not grow in a strictly sterilized vacuum environment and can still be harmed by pests and diseases in the display environment. Fungi, bacteria and viruses in the air can still infect the stems and leaves of hydroponic flowers, causing lesions of varying degrees. Aphids and scale insects can drift indoors with the wind and land on hydroponic flowers to suck sap. Moths lay eggs on the flowers, and the hatched larvae will also chew the tender leaves and stem tips of the flowers. Flowers that have been removed from pots, washed of roots and converted to static hydroponics will likewise carry fungi, bacteria, viruses, insect eggs, larvae, etc.; if these are not carefully checked and removed, hidden dangers will remain.

Because of the particular nature of the display environment for static hydroponic flowers, once pests or diseases occur, it is not appropriate to use chemical pesticides to kill insects, nor to use large doses of fungicides to sterilize. Although these agents can kill insects and sterilize, they also pollute the environment.

Prevention should be the main approach to possible pests and diseases of hydroponic flowers. When choosing flowers for hydroponics, select as far as possible flowers with robust plants, luxuriant growth and no pests or diseases. If pests are found during cultivation, they can be caught by hand or washed away with tap water. Infectious diseases occur relatively rarely in hydroponic flowers; only a few leaves may show brown lesions, shrunken necrosis, or irregular round wet-lesion-like spots, formed by fungal or bacterial infection. Once found, the entire diseased leaf should be removed and burned so as not to let it spread. Prevention of non-infectious diseases.

Non-infectious diseases are not caused by infection by pathogens, but by unsuitable environments. Hot, stuffy high-temperature weather in summer, cold winters, dry climates, scorching sunburn, poorly ventilated environments, excessive shading, nutrient solution concentration being too high, or an inability to absorb nutrients in a balanced way can all cause the leaf tips of static hydroponic flowers to scorch and dry up and the lower leaves to yellow and fall. When summer temperatures are too high, the dissolved oxygen in the solution drops sharply, making root rot disease more likely, and this is an even more common symptom of static hydroponics. In response to the above different symptoms, identify the corresponding causes, correct them, improve the cultivation environment, and avoid the occurrence of non-infectious diseases.

How should static hydroponic flowers with separated nodes and rotten roots be cared for? Due to improper management, or root oxygen deficiency and root rot, or infection by fungi, bacteria or viruses, hydroponic flowers may develop leaf spot disease, with leaves yellowing and falling in large numbers, causing the lower end to become bare of leaves and lose ornamental value. For hydroponic flowers with separated nodes and rotten roots, the method of plant renewal can be used: cut off the still-healthy upper branch at 3 cm below a stem node, insert it in clean water, and after a period of care and management, it can grow new roots and become an independent plant. As long as the bare lower branch does not rot, it can also sprout new shoots at the stem nodes, at which point it can be switched to nutrient solution cultivation. Lucky bamboo, pothos, rainbow ti, arrowhead plant, etc., can all be treated by this method.

How Many Hydroponic Flowers Are Suitable for Display

Growing hydroponic flowers indoors can regulate mood, beautify the environment, and also purify the air, so placing a few appropriately is beneficial. If the room area is not large and too many flowers are placed, at night the flowers compete with people for oxygen. So how many flowers is suitable to place indoors? According to scientists' experiments, it is considered more suitable to grow one or two kinds of flowers per 10 square meters of room area. By this standard, for a room of 50 square meters to 60 square meters, placing about 10 hydroponic flowers of varying sizes can satisfy viewing without causing flowers to compete with people for oxygen at night.

How to Choose Hydroponic Flower Materials in Winter

Hydroponic flowers are deeply loved by people for their cleanliness, beauty and easy care. When choosing hydroponic flower materials in winter, you must pay attention to the following four “musts”:

First, choose flower types suitable for hydroponics. If you buy types unsuitable for hydroponics and grow them in water, before long they will gradually die because the roots rot. Aquatic plants, wetland plants and a group of relatively drought-intolerant terrestrial plants are all fairly suitable for hydroponics, such as umbrella plant, arrowhead plant, pothos, Philodendron, Tradescantia zebrina, lucky bamboo, etc.

Second, choose flower types with strong cold resistance. Although some flowers are very suitable for hydroponics, they need relatively high temperatures to overwinter and are difficult to overwinter safely in an ordinary home, being prone to cold damage. Flower materials with relatively strong cold resistance that can overwinter with only slight cold protection include Monstera deliciosa, purple heart, aloe, spider plant, umbrella plant, miniature coconut palm, palm grass, etc.

Third, choose flower materials that have already adapted to hydroponic conditions. Some flower vendors take soil-grown flowers out of the soil and, after washing the soil off the roots, immediately supply them to the flower market. Although such flower materials look normal, they still need to go through an adaptation process before they can grow normally in a hydroponic environment, so they must be carefully identified when purchasing. Flower materials that have already adapted to hydroponic conditions will grow some white water roots at the roots or stem base.

Fourth, choose robust plants free of pests and diseases. Plants with spirited, upright branches and leaves and full, glossy leaves are conducive to showing the ornamental effect that flowers should have.

Advantages of Hydroponics

1. Simple daily management

The daily management of “Hydroponic Flower King” hydroponic flowers is very simple. Apart from changing the nutrient solution once every 7-10 days during the vigorous growth period in spring and summer, and once every 15-20 days in autumn and winter, it does not need extra care. Usually you only need to spray water on the leaves in dry seasons or in air-conditioned environments; when there is dust on the leaves, just wipe them with a clean cloth or paper towel dipped in water. It saves the trouble of fertilizing, changing soil, and watering every day, and is very suitable for the fast-paced lifestyle of modern society.

2. Clean and stylish

Because hydroponic flowers have completely broken away from the soil cultivation environment and grow directly in a relatively sterile or low-bacteria nutrient solution environment, they will not, like soil-grown flowers, pollute our living environment with pests and pathogens parasitic in the soil, making our homes safer, cleaner and more reassuring. Moreover, because they are free from soil, we can use more and more beautiful vases, vessels and materials for planting, and can appreciate not only the flowers and leaves but also the usually unseen process of root growth and their various beautiful forms, which is very neat and stylish.

3. Many applicable varieties, and the technique is easy to master and operate

Because the technique for adapting plant roots from a soil-grown environment to an aquatic environment has been overcome, “Hydroponic Flower King” does not need to grow water roots through cultivation baskets, nor does it need early-stage computer or electric-field mutagenesis. Only very simple technical treatment is needed, and soil-grown roots can quickly transform into water roots. Anyone can grow vigorous, lush hydroponic flowers, which greatly shortens the production cycle, saves production costs, gives the product greater profit space, and increases the product's competitiveness in the market; at the same time, because production costs are lower, more people can enjoy the lifestyle trend brought by new technology, rapidly expanding market share. Because no cultivation baskets are used, hydroponic flowers become even more beautiful and refined.
Because rainwater will change the concentration and pH of the nutrient solution, hydroponic flowers are not suitable for open-air cultivation. In this way, some light-loving plants are relatively difficult to grow hydroponically indoors at home, but common shade-loving and semi-shade-loving flowers can basically all be successfully grown hydroponically. The number of tested varieties has currently reached nearly four hundred. If you have a sunlight or artificially adjusted greenhouse, then in theory any plant can be grown hydroponically, only with differing degrees of difficulty.

4. Green and eco-friendly, can keep flowers and fish together

“Hydroponic Flower King” nutrient solution does not contain toxic ingredients, so fish and flowers can be kept together for a long time without any side effects harmful to the flowers or fish. The fish in our specialty store still grow well after long-term keeping, and some customers add the nutrient solution to aquariums to fertilize aquatic plants, with very good results as well; practice has proven it is safe and reliable. At the same time, because it contains special ingredients, the nutrient solution does not easily breed mosquitoes. Moreover, when you change the water, if you pour the discarded nutrient solution into your soil-grown potted flowers at home, there will be even more unexpected surprises. Practice has proven that “Hydroponic Flower King” nutrient solution is a truly green and eco-friendly nutrient solution, and its effect is very obvious.

Selection of Hydroponic Flower Types

The growth and development of flowers require suitable conditions such as water, oxygen, nutrients, light and temperature. The water used as a hydroponic medium contains a certain amount of oxygen. As long as light and temperature are suitable and the nutrient elements needed for plant growth are supplied in time, the flowers can grow normally in water.

Due to differences in ecological habits and tissue structure, different flowers have different requirements for the oxygen content in water. Some flowers have ventilating tissue in their bodies; the oxygen produced by these plants during photosynthesis can be sent through the ventilating tissue to the root parts for respiration. Some flowers have aerial roots at the stem nodes, and these aerial roots can absorb the oxygen needed by the plant from the air. Some flowers, although they do not have ventilating tissue and oxygen-absorbing aerial roots, are very well adapted to hydroponic conditions. But the oxygen content in the water for some flowers cannot meet the needs of their normal growth and development, so such flowers are not suitable for hydroponics. Therefore, to succeed in hydroponics, you must choose flower types that can adapt to hydroponic conditions, and must not blindly cultivate them, lest hydroponics fail.

Flower Types Suitable for Hydroponics

Araceae

Araceae flowers have great adaptability to water conditions. When propagated by water cuttings, most can root in a relatively short time and grow rapidly, quickly forming a plant shape with a certain ornamental value; after soil-grown plants are washed with water, most of their existing roots can adapt to the hydroponic environment. Araceae flowers suitable for hydroponics include pothos, Guangdong evergreen, dieffenbachia, Aglaonema 'Silver Queen', Aglaonema 'Golden Queen', clustered Philodendron, mini Monstera deliciosa, Monstera deliciosa, Spathiphyllum, green emerald, Philodendron, Philodendron panduriforme, Philodendron 'Green Emperor', arrowhead plant, taro, anthurium, emerald gem, etc.

Commelinaceae

Almost all Commelinaceae flowers can adapt to hydroponics, such as purple heart, Tradescantia spathacea, Lophatherum gracile, Tradescantia zebrina, etc., all of which can root and grow rapidly when grown as water cuttings.

Liliaceae

The vast majority of Liliaceae flowers can adapt to hydroponics, such as aloe, triangle aloe, Haworthia fasciata, spider plant, Cordyline fruticosa, dragon tree, Dracaena angustifolia, snake plant, agave, golden-edged lucky bamboo, sea onion, silver-edged evergreen, silver-edged dwarf lilyturf, etc.

Crassulaceae

Crassulaceae flowers are also relatively well adapted to hydroponic conditions, such as Aeonium, Echeveria, Pachyphytum, gem stone plant, Bryophyllum, etc.

In addition, flowers that can adapt to hydroponics include Aucuba japonica, umbrella plant, coleus, purple velvet plant, blue pine, cane begonia, Begonia masoniana, green emerald, clivia, Paphiopedilum, croton, dusty miller, Senecio, leaf cactus, triangle bamboo, pineapple, Cryptanthus, Chloranthus, star jasmine, Euphorbia, Euphorbia trigona, variegated periwinkle, Excoecaria cochinchinensis, Sempervivum, English ivy, common ivy, palm grass, miniature coconut palm, etc.

When choosing hydroponic flower types, in addition to considering whether they can adapt to hydroponic conditions, you should also pay attention to the following factors:

Although some flowers are very well adapted to hydroponic conditions, they require relatively high overwintering temperatures. For example, some species of dieffenbachia and croton require overwintering temperatures above 15°C; pothos, arrowhead plant, golden-edged lucky bamboo, and dragon tree species also require overwintering temperatures above 10°C. This of course poses no problem for rooms heated in winter, but for most families, letting these flowers safely pass the cold winter is still very difficult. Although some flowers will not cause the death of the entire plant after overwintering, because of low-temperature cold damage the leaves of the plant will become wilted and listless, lose their proper luster, turn yellow, have scorched leaf tips or margins, or develop new scorched spots on the leaves, and may even cause massive leaf drop or partial death of branches and leaves, thereby losing their ornamental value. So when there are no stable indoor heating conditions, you must pay attention to choosing flower types with relatively strong cold resistance. Flowers suitable for hydroponics in ordinary homes include:

Flowers with strong cold resistance

Such as evergreen, star jasmine, palm grass, agave, Aucuba japonica, gem stone plant, sea onion, variegated dwarf lilyturf, etc., which can withstand low temperatures around 0°C.

Flowers with a certain degree of cold resistance

Such as Monstera deliciosa, purple heart, Lophatherum gracile, aloe, spider plant, Pachyphytum, umbrella plant, purple velvet plant, dusty miller, Chloranthus, Euphorbia trigona, variegated periwinkle, common ivy, miniature coconut palm, etc., which can overwinter safely with slight protection during winter.

Of course, although some flowers such as red emerald Philodendron, green emerald Philodendron, arrowhead plant, pothos, snake plant and croton are relatively difficult to overwinter safely, they are easy to obtain, grow quickly and have high ornamental value, so they can also be considered for purchase and cultivation when spring is warm.

The shade tolerance issue

Because indoor light conditions are relatively poor, it is advisable to choose flower species that prefer partial shade or tolerate partial shade. At the same time, even shade-loving or shade-tolerant foliage plants have different requirements for light intensity. For example, Croton (Codiaeum variegatum), purple-leaved spiderwort (Tradescantia pallida), and inch plant (Tradescantia zebrina) need plenty of scattered light, while peace lily (Spathiphyllum), giant taro (Alocasia), Guangdong evergreen (Aglaonema), and silver king (Aglaonema commutatum) all have extremely strong shade tolerance. Since different rooms and different lighting conditions within a room vary, suitable flower species should be selected according to the light conditions of the placement location to ensure normal growth and maintain good ornamental value. When light is insufficient, it causes spindly stems and leaves, thin stems, longer internodes, smaller and deformed leaves, loss of green color and loss of proper gloss, fading of colored stripes on leaves, and even massive leaf drop, thus seriously affecting the ornamental value of the flowers.

Water-culture techniques for spider plant

Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) has fresh green leaves shaped like orchid leaves, fresh and elegant, and is a common household foliage flower that people love. In addition, it has the unique effect of purifying indoor air, which is one of the important reasons people like to grow it indoors.

1. Container: The container bottle can be single-layer or double-layer. A single-layer bottle is a bottomless plastic bottle or bottomless ceramic bottle used to plant spider plant. For a double-layer bottle, take a plastic sieve as the upper layer and a bottomless bottle as the lower layer, plant the spider plant in the upper plastic sieve, and let the spider plant roots hang down into the bottle.

2. Taking seedlings: Remove potted or field-grown spider plants from the pot or dig them up from the ground, remove the soil from the roots, wash the roots with clean water, cut off old roots and rotten roots, keep the fibrous roots, cut off some leaves (old leaves, pest- and disease-damaged leaves), and keep healthy leaves, generally leaving 6 to 10 leaves.

3. Potting: For the single-layer bottle potting method, insert the prepared spider plant into the bottle, tie the bottle mouth tightly with sponge and insert a plastic straw, which is used for supplying water. Let the spider plant stand upright, pour clean water and flower nutrient solution into the bottle, and let the spider plant roots grow submerged in water. For the double-layer bottle cultivation method, plant the spider plant on the plastic sieve, with the roots passing through the small holes of the plastic sieve into the lower bottle. Put ceramic material or large-grained stone rice in the sieve, let the spider plant stand upright, and pour clean water and flower nutrient solution into the lower bottle. After potting is completed, place the spider plant indoors or in a cool place for management.

4. Management:

① Water: For single-layer container bottle cultivation, add water and flower nutrient solution once every 4 days, inputting water through the straw until full. For double-layer bottles, change the water once a week. When changing water, pour out the bottle water, wash the container bottle clean, fill it with clean water and flower nutrient solution, and then place the plastic sieve on the water bottle.

② Fertilizer: Nutrient solution is added at the same time as water is added or changed through the roots. For foliar feeding, spray the branches and leaves with diluted flower nutrient solution once every 3 days.

③ Pest and disease control: If pests or diseases are found, spray the leaves with universal powder mixed with water.

④ Promoting flowering: Spider plant blooms half a year after potting. Do not spray water on the flowers during blooming to prevent premature flower drop. After the flowers fade, cut the flowers off from the branch tips to promote reblooming.

The outstanding choice for static hydroponics

Plants of the Araceae family have 105 genera and more than 2,500 species. They originated in tropical Asia and arose in waters or swamps in forest areas. Through a long historical evolution, the vast majority have now developed into terrestrial plants, with very few aquatic species.
Common excellent ornamental plants (genera) in Araceae include: Anthurium, Monstera, Scindapsus, Epipremnum, Zantedeschia, Dieffenbachia, Caladium, Philodendron, Spathiphyllum, Alocasia, and others. Although the plants in the above genera are all terrestrial, they have extremely close kinship with aquatic vascular plants: some are themselves wetland species, some have aerial roots, some easily produce adventitious roots, and some easily develop aerenchyma under stress environments.
For terrestrial plants in static hydroponics, root respiration is in a severely oxygen-deficient state. The prerequisite for success is correctly selecting plant species, that is, those with close kinship to aquatic plants. Araceae plants have close kinship with aquatic plants, specifically shown as follows:
First, Araceae plants evolved and developed around aquatic genetic genes as the center. The new Engler system holds that the most primitive genus in Araceae is Acorus, and the most evolved is Pistia, both of which are aquatic plants.
Acorus is an aquatic or wetland evergreen herb, the most primitive genus in Araceae, originating in the Old Tropics of the Late Cretaceous (about 100 million years ago), and first arose in aquatic environments. Pistia is almost distributed across freshwater waters on all continents of the Old and New Worlds. It is the most evolved monotypic genus in Araceae, a floating plant propagated vegetatively, easy to migrate and spread, and with very strong reproductive capacity. In addition, Araceae also includes famous aquatic species such as Acorus gramineus, water taro, and taro.
The evolved Pistia, as an aquatic plant, is not a simple repetition of the primitive Acorus, but a dialectical "negation of the negation," a repetition on a higher basis. Although the vast majority of species in Araceae grow on land, they all come from aquatic ancestors, forming in appearance a "negation" of their aquatic ancestors. Finally, they transformed into the more advanced aquatic plant Pistia. This return is another "negation," which is the dialectical law of the "negation of the negation." It shows that the opposing poles of aquatic and terrestrial reach unity in dialectical development. This is the unique philosophical reason why Araceae plants are the outstanding choice for static hydroponics.
Second, Araceae belongs to Arales, which has only two families. The other family in the same order is the aquatic Lemnaceae, and Lemnaceae are floating or submerged herbaceous plants. This proves that Araceae and aquatic Lemnaceae share a common aquatic ancestor and have an extremely close kinship with each other.
From this it can be seen that Araceae plants evolved forward around aquatic genetic genes as the center, along an approximately spiral curve.
Third, the relationship of Arales in plant classification systems: The Hutchinson system holds that Arales evolved from Liliales, and a few aquatic types in Liliales have a parallel developmental relationship with the marsh-dwelling Najadales. The Takhtajan system holds that Arales shares a common ancestor (primitive lily-like plants) with Arecales and Commelinales, and can be traced further back to Magnoliales. The Cronquist system holds that Arales has close kinship with Pandanales and Arecales, and shares a common ancestor with Liliales. From the above classification systems, it can be inferred that Arales has kinship correlations with Liliales, Arecales, and others that contain aquatic plants.
In summary, Araceae plants evolved forward around aquatic genetic genes as the center, share a common ancestor with aquatic Lemnaceae, and have kinship correlations with Liliales, Arecales, and others that contain aquatic species. Therefore, containing aquatic genetic genes is the direct reason that makes Araceae plants the outstanding choice for static hydroponics.

Judging and handling root rot in hydroponics

During hydroponic cultivation, plants often suffer root rot due to management and other reasons. For example, excessively low temperature, overly concentrated fertilizer, and diseases can all cause root rot, and root rot will degrade water quality and affect plant growth. To judge whether roots are rotten: first, smell the roots; if there is a foul odor, it proves the roots have rotted. Second, smell the water; if the water has a foul odor, it indicates the root system may also be rotting and deteriorating. Third, observe the appearance of the root system; if the root system turns yellow and changes color, it indicates the root system has been damaged. After the root system rots, gently pull at the root crown area, and the epidermis is very easily torn off, leaving only the lignified part.

After root rot appears, prune it promptly. Generally, root rot gradually spreads upward from the root tips. After pruning, continue until normal roots are reached. After changing the water, observe carefully. If root rot continues to appear, handle it promptly.

Simple hydroponic facilities -- bottles and jars and cultivation management

Using waste containers such as beverage cans, wide-mouth bottles, and white polystyrene rigid foam boxes (cases), with slight modification, they can become hydroponic carriers of various sizes and shapes. This not only adapts to local conditions and makes the best use of materials, but also greens the surrounding environment, with a charm that feels like returning to nature.

I. Bottles and jars

1. Metal beverage cans, glass or plastic wide-mouth bottles, paper foil-lined square beverage cartons, and so on were originally used to hold liquids. As long as the original contents are rinsed clean, they can be set aside as hydroponic carriers.

2. Planting cups: According to the size of the mouth of the selected container, choose a plastic cold-drink cup that fits about 1/3 into the mouth as the carrier for anchoring the plant. As shown in Figure 1, cut a "well"-shaped hole in the bottom of the cup so that roots can extend through the cup bottom into the nutrient solution, while the plant's anchoring material will not leak out. The opening also serves a ventilation function.

3. Anchoring the plant: Prepare a piece of non-woven fabric (nonwoven cloth) about 8 x 12 cm, of the kind used for clothing interlining. Gently rinse the soil off the seedlings to be hydroponically grown or purchased potted flowers with soil, without damaging the roots. Wrap and roll the root system with the non-woven fabric, then wrap the outside with porous plastic sponge (cut scraps from shoulder pads for jackets or cushions for sofas and chairs), or a small amount of rock wool or glass wool (used as insulation material, some yellow, some yellow with white) to thicken it so that it can just be stuffed into the plastic planting cup to anchor the plant. If none of the above is available, floral foam can also be properly cut to serve as anchoring material. Soak the non-woven fabric roll wrapping the root system, together with the exposed roots, into the bottle or jar containing nutrient solution. It must be noted that the nutrient solution surface should maintain a space distance of no less than 1 cm from the bottom of the planting cup. This is the key to success or failure in hydroponics. Through the capillary suction of the non-woven fabric, the nutrient solution is continuously supplied to the roots for nutrition. After about half a month, the nutrient solution gradually decreases as the crop grows and transpires. When the liquid level drops to 1/4 of the container height, new nutrient solution can be added. At this time, the distance between the liquid surface and the bottom of the planting cup can be larger, about 3 cm.

4. Cultivation management: If a transparent glass container is used, the bottle body must be covered with a light-blocking material to prevent direct sunlight from breeding algae and competing with the cultivated plants for nutrients. In summer, to prevent a large rise in liquid temperature caused by direct sun exposure, it is best to take shading measures or place it where sunlight cannot shine directly.

II. Boxes and cases

1. Box body: Usually white rigid polystyrene foam boxes used for packaging and shock protection, or corrugated cardboard boxes or wooden boxes with a certain strength, can all be used. Generally about 35 x 25 x 15 cm to 60 x 40 x 16 cm. If there are holes in the box bottom (body), they can be leveled with a wooden board or foam board. Line the box with black agricultural film to prevent nutrient solution leakage. If it is confirmed that the box body will not leak and is opaque, the film can be omitted. If black film is unavailable, other films can also be substitutes.

2. Top cover: The top cover also serves as the planting board. Find a polystyrene foam board of the same area as the box, about 2.5 cm thick, to serve as the top cover and planting board. Cut a certain number of planting holes about 6 cm in diameter in the board. As with bottles and jars, it is enough that the selected plastic cold-drink cup can be placed in it while about 1/2 of the cup height is exposed. The number of planting holes depends on the size of the box. Generally 6 to 16 holes. In addition, on the side of the top cover, near the inner side of the box body, cut a small hole 2 cm in diameter for peeking at the nutrient solution level and adding nutrient solution in normal times.

3. Planting cups: Material selection and preparation are the same as for bottles and jars.

4. Floating board: Take a polystyrene foam board 2.5 to 3 cm thick, with all four sides 2.5 to 3 cm smaller than the inner clear area of the box, as the floating board. Regularly cut some small holes 1 to 2 cm in diameter on it to increase the air content of the floating board and allow roots to extend into the nutrient solution. Lay a thin layer of rock wool (about 1 cm dry thickness), or glass wool of the same thickness, or 25 to 50 g/sq m non-woven fabric on the floating board for capillary absorption of nutrient solution. If these cannot be obtained at all, medical sterilized absorbent gauze can also be used as a substitute. The area of the capillary absorbent cotton layer is about 6 cm larger on all four sides than the floating board, so that the excess part laid on the floating board can hang freely from all four sides of the floating board (like an apron) and dip into the nutrient solution to absorb it, thereby ensuring that a moist layer with nutrient solution forms on the floating board. The plant roots can extend freely on the floating board and have more direct contact with air. Another part of the roots can still extend through the four sides of the floating board or through the small holes in the floating board into the nutrient solution to absorb nutrients. This method can compensate for the unfavorable environment of ordinary static hydroponics, which cannot circulate nutrient solution and oxygenate it.

5. Cultivation management:

(1) Pour the prepared nutrient solution into the cultivation box. At the time of just planting, the liquid level should be slightly higher, controlled so that the floating board just touches the non-woven fabric root roll extending from the planting cup, so that the nutrient solution can be absorbed upward. The highest liquid level must leave a certain space in the cultivation box. When the nutrient solution decreases to 3 to 5 cm due to plant absorption and transpiration, nutrient solution should be added until the liquid depth is about 10 cm.

(2) When the nutrients in the nutrient solution change greatly, or when there is precipitation, turbidity, foul odor, or pathogen infection, the nutrient solution should be renewed as appropriate, until fully renewed.

Requirements of hydroponic flowers for a humid environment and good ventilation

Most foliage flowers originate from warm and humid environments. Static hydroponics also needs to create a relatively humid environment for them to grow well. A simple method is to spray water on the leaves of the flowers (to prevent the sprayed mist from wetting furniture, you can move them to a balcony or outdoors for the operation, and after spraying move the flowers back indoors for display). When spraying, it is best to use a fine-nozzle sprayer so that the mist droplets stick to the leaf surface and do not run off. For relatively firm flower leaves with a waxy film, such as Monstera and clivia, you can wipe the leaf surface with a damp towel, which can both increase leaf surface humidity and remove dust from the leaf surface. For larger flowers that are difficult to move, you can place a shallow dish or basin of clean water beside the flowers; the evaporated water can likewise increase environmental humidity.

There must be a good ventilation environment. This is an important condition for normal flower growth. If static hydroponic flowers are placed indoors with doors and windows tightly closed and the air turbid, it is unfavorable to their growth. Especially when people go to work during the day and leave home, the room does not open doors and windows, and some even draw the curtains. In such a harsh environment, hydroponic flowers can neither get the needed light nor fresh air, dissolved oxygen continuously decreases, and growth becomes worse and worse, producing yellowing and falling leaves and thin, shriveled new shoots. The place where hydroponic flowers are placed should have doors and windows opened regularly to form air convection, allowing outside fresh air to enter the room, which can increase the dissolved oxygen content in the nutrient solution.

Rooms with air conditioning can of course achieve the temperature required by hydroponic flowers, but the air in the room is dry, which can cause scorched edges and dry tips on the leaves of flowers with thinner leaves. Air-conditioned rooms also lack fresh air, reducing dissolved oxygen content. Ventilation should be carried out in a timely manner; this is beneficial both to the growth of hydroponic flowers and to human health. Places with large hydroponic flowers on display especially need this work done well.

Light requirements of hydroponic flowers

Static hydroponics mostly uses relatively shade-tolerant, shade-loving foliage flowers and a small number of flowering flowers. The characteristic of such flowers is that they do not need strong direct light during the growth period, and some flower varieties grow well in relatively shady environments. Generally placed indoors, in living rooms, or offices, as long as there is scattered light coming through doors and windows and indoor lamplight, their light requirements can be fully met. If the light is too weak, the flower leaves cannot carry out normal photosynthesis, cannot accumulate enough nutrients, and grow poorly. Some colored-leaf flowers, such as coleus and croton, will lose the color of the leaf surface in a relatively weak-light environment and become dull and lusterless. Such flowers can maintain leaf color luster only in an environment with relatively sufficient light but not direct strong light.

Plant growth has phototropism, so the orientation of placed flowers should be rotated regularly. This work can be combined with cleaning the containers and changing the nutrient solution. After cleaning the roots, rotate the flower 180 degrees relative to its original orientation for cultivation, so that the flower will not grow leaning to one side, and the top shoot will always remain upright and upward.

How hydroponic flowers safely overwinter

How hydroponic flowers overwinter

Generally, flowers enter dormancy below 5-8 degrees Celsius, and tissues will become necrotic below 0 degrees Celsius. Therefore, if the indoor temperature is above 5 degrees Celsius, hydroponic flowers can generally overwinter safely. In the south, indoor winter temperatures generally do not fall below 5 degrees Celsius. If there are several days of extreme low-temperature weather, it can be solved by lighting a 60-watt incandescent lamp above the flowers to create a local microclimate. In the north, because most rooms have heating, safe overwintering of hydroponic flowers can also be satisfied.

Why hydroponic flowers need water changes

Because plants absorb water and inorganic salts from the nutrient solution, the nutrients in the nutrient solution become less and less. At the same time, due to root respiration and metabolism, harmful substances in the water become more and more. Therefore, after a period of growth, hydroponic flowers need to be given new nutrient solution. In fact, this is the same principle as soil-cultivated flowers; soil-cultivated flowers need fertilizing and also need a soil change once a year for this reason. For hydroponic flowers, the water-change interval should be shorter during the vigorous growth period of spring and summer, and longer in autumn and winter when growth is slow.

Hydroponic method for cyclamen

Growing cyclamen in water only began to appear in Europe in the last year or two. Because this cultivation method frees cyclamen from traditional flower pots and substrate, it is both clean and beautiful, and can give blooming cyclamen plants multiple cultivation and application forms. As soon as it appeared on the market, it won enthusiastic welcome from consumers. In fact, hydroponic cyclamen is not difficult. First, select a satisfactory cyclamen potted flower and prepare the container to be used for hydroponic cyclamen. Once the preparation work is done, you can begin making hydroponic cyclamen. For hydroponic cyclamen, the purchased cyclamen potted flower should be knocked out of the pot together with the substrate (flower soil), placed under a faucet and rinsed clean with a relatively gentle stream of water. Alternatively, the plant together with the substrate can be placed in a basin of water and the substrate rinsed off in the water, then rinsed clean with tap water. Note that during the entire process of removing the substrate, movements must be gentle, trying to avoid damaging the cyclamen root system. The rinsed cyclamen plant can then be placed in the previously prepared hydroponic container, water added, and a beautiful hydroponic cyclamen is made.

It should be pointed out that no fertilizer of any kind needs to be added to the water for cultivating cyclamen. The nutrients in the cyclamen corm can allow the cyclamen plant to maintain 4-6 weeks of normal growth and flowering. At the same time, the water surface height should be kept below the corm. Generally, according to the evaporation of water, add water to the container 1-2 times a week to maintain the water surface height.

In fact, in hydroponic cyclamen, the cyclamen plant is only one factor. To make hydroponic cyclamen distinctive in features and outstanding in personality, it also depends on the choice of hydroponic vessel and the combination method of cyclamen plants. This all depends on the maker's unique perspective and flexible creativity.

Hydroponic method with exposed roots for Hoya

Hoya has always been soil-cultivated. Now, through exposed-root hydroponic trials, it has the following characteristics: 1) labor-saving; 2) hygienic; 3) few pests and diseases; 4) simple management; 5) long flowering period; 6) roots, leaves, and flowers can all be enjoyed.

The method of exposed-root hydroponics is:

(1) Seedling treatment: Dig up soil-grown Hoya, wash clean with clean water, cut off withered leaves and pest- and disease-damaged leaves, and soak in diluted flower nutrient solution for half a day.

(2) Potting: Take a glass bottle or vase (without a bottom hole), put a few attractive river stones in the bottle bottom, move the prepared Hoya seedling onto the river stones in the vase, spread out the root system, add clean water, add flower nutrient solution, and place indoors or in a cool place.

(3) Management: First, spray the leaves with clean water once a day, and after one or two days spray the leaves with flower nutrient solution once every three to four days. Second, change the water once every fifteen days, and add nutrient solution after changing the water. Third, one month after potting, inject flower nutrient solution into the Hoya head, half a milliliter each time, and then once a month thereafter, to promote growth, flowering, and prolong the flowering period.

(4) About two to three months after potting, it can bloom. After the flowers fade, prune the branches, change the water, add nutrient solution and inject, and it can bloom again.

There is a big difference between flower water culture and hydroponics

In recent years, some water-cultured and hydroponic flowers have been favored by people because they are fresh and environmentally friendly, elegant in style, easy to maintain, and convenient to combine. On the surface, water culture and hydroponics have the same cultivation form, namely liquid maintenance, so many people conflate the two. In fact, they are clearly different.

Flowers used for water culture generally have enlarged bulbs, which store abundant nutrients. Their growth and flowering mainly rely on nutrients stored in themselves. During cultivation, it is only necessary to soak the root system in clean water to fix it, with no need to supply nutrients. Flowers suitable for water culture mainly include narcissus, tulip, hyacinth, lucky bamboo, and so on. To make water-cultured flowers grow luxuriantly and bloom brilliantly, the key is to select fully developed bulbs to provide the nutrients needed during their growth process. Second, change the water frequently, persisting in changing water once every 2 to 3 days (change water once every 7 to 10 days for lucky bamboo), to maintain sufficient oxygen content in the water and improve root activity. Third, maintain sufficient sunlight to make them grow robustly.

For hydroponic flowers, the plant roots are fixed on the cover board or floating board of the flower pot, and the root system is soaked in water, while the water must be provided with reasonable inorganic nutrients. Therefore, flower hydroponics is also called nutrient solution culture. The habits and internal structure of flowers suitable for hydroponics make them suitable for normal growth in water. At present, the main cultivated varieties include clivia, spider plant, Christmas cactus, Brazilian wood, evergreen, clustered arrowleaf elephant ear, Monstera, jade plant, inch plant, mother of thousands, and other plants.

Northeastern University in China, using bioengineering mutation technology, after 8 years of effort, has developed 9 series and more than 500 kinds of hydroponic flowers, including both herbaceous flowers and woody flowers, both cactus and succulent plants and flowering flowers such as clivia and Phalaenopsis. With technological progress, some high-grade flowers introduced from abroad in recent years, such as bromeliads, anthurium, and amaryllis, have also successfully achieved hydroponics. Some flowers with Chinese characteristics, such as tiger orchid, have also achieved hydroponic domestication.

In truly well-mutated hydroponic flower plants, the traits of the root system have already changed: root hairs have degenerated, and most are vertically growing taproots, unlike the roots and root hairs of water-cultured plants, which are distributed in a network. After aquatic mutation, the plant's aquatic root genes are expressed, so the leaves of truly aquatic flower plants become larger and thicker, and the leaves and branches are more tender than those grown in soil.

The key to hydroponic flowers is preparing the nutrient solution well. When preparing nutrient solution, never use metal containers or containers that have held grease, acid, or alkali. When using tap water to prepare nutrient solution, a small amount of humic acid compounds should be added to treat chlorides and sulfides in the water. For hydroponic flowers, add or replace nutrient solution once a week, and note that the pH value should be controlled between 5.5 and 6.5. The replaced nutrient solution can be used as fertilizer for other crops.

A brief introduction to flower hydroponic techniques

Flower hydroponics is a common type of soilless cultivation. There are many methods, and several commonly used ones are briefly described below.

Deep flow technique: characterized by the plant root system being wholly or partly immersed in the nutrient solution; the nutrient solution is flowing; the nutrient solution is mixed with air for dissolved oxygen.

Nutrient film (NFT) technique: NFT technique developed from the plastic bag technique. A suitable amount of nutrient solution in a plastic bag can cultivate plants. On this basis, further improvements were made: the plastic bag was changed to plastic film and laid on a frame of a certain shape; the nutrient solution is a thin layer 0.3 to 1.0 cm thick; part of the plant root system is immersed in the nutrient solution, and part is exposed to moisture; the nutrient solution flows; the plastic film is white outside and black inside to wrap the plant, forming an internal dark space.

The advantages are: it better solves the root system's demand for oxygen for respiration; the structure is simple and lightweight, and the cost is low; plants grow quickly, are easy to manage, and it is suitable for large-scale production.

Aeroponics technique: After the nutrient solution is atomized, it is sprayed around the plant root system. The mist condenses on the root surface, and the water is absorbed by the roots. The roots are continuously or discontinuously in an environment saturated with nutrient solution droplets, which well solves the supply of water, nutrients, and oxygen, and plants grow quickly. Aeroponics can also be used in cutting propagation.

Glass bottle hydroponic technique: For the aqueous solution, a glass canning jar can be used. Wrap the surrounding of the bottle with black plastic film, or coat it fully with black paint, or paste a layer of black paper, to the degree that the inside of the bottle is opaque. Shading is beneficial to root growth and avoids algae growth. In summer, wrap a layer of white paper outside the black bottle to lower the temperature. In winter, tear off the white paper, use a foam plastic board as the bottle cap, cut a hole in the middle, clamp the plant, cover the bottle cap, and the top of the cap should also be black. Inject nutrient solution into the bottle, not too full; leave a gap for the plant to breathe oxygen. If it is water propagation to promote rooting, then there is no need to use nutrient solution; just add water, and after roots grow, change to nutrient solution. Specific operation process:

Changing solution: For small seedlings, change the nutrient solution once every 1 to 2 weeks depending on the situation. For mature flowers, change once a week during the peak growth season in summer, and once every 1 to 2 weeks in the non-growing season.

Ventilation: Open the bottle cap for a moment every morning and evening to let the root system be fully exposed to air. After a period of adaptation, ventilation can be omitted for more than 1 month continuously.

Adding water: Flowers grow vigorously in summer and consume a lot of water, so water must often be added to the bottle to prevent the nutrient solution from drying up.

Preparation of hydroponic nutrient solution: Fertilizer tablets sold on the market or prepared chemical fertilizers can be used. If conditions permit, you can prepare it yourself. The formulas are as follows:

Formula 1: (pH 6-6.5)

Potassium dihydrogen phosphate 0.44 g/L; potassium sulfate 0.14 g/L; calcium nitrate 0.59 g/L; ammonium nitrate 0.19 g/L; magnesium sulfate 0.53 g/L; trace elements 2 mL; Fe-EDTA 2 mL.

Formula 2: (pH 6-6.5)

Calcium nitrate 1.64 g/L; magnesium sulfate 0.98 g/L; potassium nitrate 1.01 g/L; trace elements 2 mL; potassium dihydrogen phosphate 0.27 g/L; Fe-EDTA 2 mL.

Preparation method of trace element solution:

Boric acid 2.86 g, zinc oxide 0.11 g, manganese chloride 181 g, copper dichloride 0.05 g, sodium molybdate 0.025 g. Dissolve the above chemicals in 800 mL of water, then make up to 1000 mL.

Multiple hydroponic methods for flowers

1) Water cutting method: This is the simplest and easiest method to succeed. Cut part of the stem or branch from a selected mother flower plant, insert it into water, and under suitable conditions it roots, sprouts, and grows into a new plant. When cutting branches, cut 3-5 mm below a node; the cut surface should be flat and must not have longitudinal cracks. When cutting branches with aerial roots, protect the aerial roots well and insert them into water. Pothos, lucky bamboo, and others are all suitable for this hydroponic method.

2) Root washing method: Select flowers with ornamental value, robust growth, and already formed through soil cultivation (or other media cultivation), remove the soil, wash the root system, and then convert to hydroponics. When washing roots, it is best to use running water. Place the washed flowers in a prepared vessel and add tap water to cover 2/3-1/2 of the root system. At first, change the clean water once a day, and at the same time wash the roots and vessel. After a week, reduce the frequency of water changes. When the cultivated flowers grow new roots in water, it indicates they have adapted to the hydroponic environment, and water can be changed once every 7-10 days or even longer.

3) Tiller bud removal method: Suitable for flowers with strong tillering ability, such as clivia and bromeliads. The method is simple, and the survival rate is high. Select a larger tiller bud, remove the upper soil to expose the part connected to the mother plant, peel the tiller bud from the mother plant by hand or with a sharp blade (protect the roots of the tiller bud), wash off the soil attached to the roots, and cultivate it hydroponically.

4) Method of taking small plantlets from runners: Some flowers produce runners during growth, and the runners bear one to many small plantlets. Most small plantlets have a small amount of fully developed roots. Spider plant and hanging bromeliad both have this characteristic. Using this characteristic of the flowers, pick off formed small plantlets for hydroponics, which is very convenient.

For hydroponic flowers, it is advisable to choose Monstera, clivia, pothos, Tillandsia, Guangdong evergreen, purple-backed oyster plant, lucky bamboo, spider plant, and bulb flowers such as tulip, lily, hyacinth, amaryllis, and gladiolus.

Strategies for the difficult points of summer care for hydroponic flowers

1. Where are the difficult points of hydroponic flowers getting through summer?

Answer: Hydroponic flowers are ornamental plants cultivated with non-solid media (water or water with an appropriate amount of plant nutrient solution added). At present, household hydroponic flowers are mostly static water cultivation, with dissolved oxygen below 1 mg/L, and the flowers barely maintain life in an oxygen-deficient vessel. As summer temperatures rise, plant physiological metabolism becomes vigorous, microorganisms multiply greatly, oxygen consumption increases sharply, dissolved oxygen continuously decreases, and water quality deteriorates, forming many unfavorable factors for the growth of hydroponic flowers. This may cause root rot, wilting of branches and leaves, and even death of the entire flower. Therefore, in summer, in addition to preventing severe heat and high temperatures, increasing the oxygen content of the nutrient solution is the key to ensuring that hydroponic flowers safely pass the summer.

Water culture of ribbon grass

2. How can the dissolved oxygen content of the nutrient solution be increased?

Answer: There are many ways to increase dissolved oxygen, summarized into two categories: chemical methods and physical methods. The following are several methods that are easy to operate and effective.

1. Increase the frequency of replacing the nutrient solution

Replacing the nutrient solution is the simplest way to increase dissolved oxygen. Measurements show that the dissolved oxygen content of fresh nutrient solution increases by 70%-90% compared with the original solution, and it can promptly improve the physiological oxygen deficiency of flowers.

For flowers that have already grown aquatic roots, it is advisable to change the nutrient solution once every 3-5 days, and at most no more than 7 days. When changing the nutrient solution, note that the temperature difference between the new solution and the original solution should not be too large; too large a temperature difference may cause physiological disorders in the flower root system.

When changing the solution, patiently rinse the root system with clean water, remove withered roots and rotten roots, and shorten aged roots to promote new roots.

If the nutrient solution suddenly becomes turbid, or mosquito egg masses or mosquito larvae breed in it, new nutrient solution should be replaced immediately.

2. Vibration oxygenation

For hydroponic flowers in smaller vessels, as long as the root system is clear and undamaged and the nutrient solution is transparent, the vibration method can be used to increase oxygen. The operation method is to fix the flower with one hand and hold the vessel with the other hand, gently shaking more than 10 times. After shaking, the dissolved oxygen content of the nutrient solution can increase by more than 30%.

For hydroponic flowers with turbid nutrient solution or poor root development, the vibration oxygenation method is not suitable, and the nutrient solution must be completely replaced.

3. Use an automatic water changer for hydroponic flowers

Measurements show that the dissolved oxygen content in flowing water can reach 8-12 mg/L, while in static water it is only 1 mg/L. The automatic water changer for hydroponic flowers is designed and made according to this principle. The entire frame is the flower cultivation vessel, with a miniature circulation pump installed inside. The outlet end of the pump is connected to a set pipeline. During operation, the nutrient solution circulates in the pipeline, increasing dissolved oxygen for the flowers to absorb. After the pump stops working, the root system maintains a certain liquid level. Cultivating with an automatic water changer is undoubtedly letting hydroponic flowers soak in an "oxygen bar," and their growth is obviously better than static hydroponics.

For the automatic water changer for hydroponic flowers, cleaning and changing the solution are generally done once every 30-35 days.

4. Aerate the vessel

If, while cultivating hydroponic flowers, there is also a tank of ornamental fish nearby, you can use the spare air outlet pipe of the fish tank air pump, connect a rubber tube, and put the air stone into the static hydroponic flower vessel to aerate it (the airflow should not be too strong, to avoid splashing the nutrient solution out). Using the flow of air to increase oxygen also has a good effect.

3. What position is suitable for placing hydroponic flowers in summer?

Answer: Most of the flower materials selected for hydroponic flowers are shade-tolerant foliage flowers and flowers for both foliage and flower appreciation, such as arrowhead plant, white jade evergreen, silver bract taro, anthurium, and bromeliads. These flowers like warmth and humidity, tolerate slight shade, and avoid high temperature and dry heat. "Hydroponics" only changes the cultivation form and cannot change their growth habits and required environmental factors. In summer, it is best to place hydroponic flowers in a brightly lit, slightly humid, relatively cool environment with good ventilation. Avoid direct sunlight, but do not make it too shady either, lest flower photosynthesis be blocked, growth weaken, stem nodes elongate, and leaf texture become thinner, causing the leaves of flowers with colored patches and patterns to lose luster.

4. Can hydroponic flowers be placed in an air-conditioned room?

Answer: Yes. However, hydroponic flowers should not be placed directly facing the air outlet of the air conditioner. Too fast wind speed will damage the branches and leaves, causing leaf curling in mild cases and scorched edges and withering in severe cases. It is also necessary to consider that the flower's temperature requirement is higher during the day than at night. If the air conditioner is turned off at night, the environmental temperature is higher than the daytime temperature when the air conditioner is on, which is unfavorable to the growth of hydroponic flowers.

When the air conditioner is on, place a basin of clean water beside the flowers or spray the leaf surface to increase environmental humidity, and place the flowers farther from the air conditioner outlet. If the temperature difference between day and night is not large, there is no problem.

5. What should be done if hydroponic flowers suffer root rot?

Answer: As the temperature continuously rises, the water temperature also rises, microbial cultivation accelerates, dissolved oxygen decreases, and water quality deteriorates. Improper addition of nutrient solution, making the dissolved concentration too high, may also cause root rot in hydroponic flowers, especially in the Liliaceae plants cordyline, dragon tree (fine-leaved Dracaena), and rainbow dracaena.

The following methods can restore flowers with root rot to healthy growth:

① Remove all the rotten roots; if the stem has also been infected, use a sharp knife to cut away the infected parts.

② Soak the pruned flowers in a 0.5% potassium permanganate solution for 10-20 minutes to sterilize them.

③ Take out the soaked flowers and rinse them under running water.

④ Place the washed flowers back into the original container and grow them in clean water (the container should be washed clean).

⑤ Change the water every 1-2 days, using only clean water without adding nutrient solution. If the water stays clear, the frequency of water changes can be reduced. After 10-15 days of care, new roots can begin to sprout.

⑥ When new roots first emerge, continue growing them in clean water; once the temperature stabilizes at 18-25°C, cultivate them with nutrient solution.

6. What should be done if algae grow in the nutrient solution?

Answer: Algae growing in the nutrient solution is a common phenomenon during the cultivation of hydroponic flowers. Especially in summer, high temperatures, good container transparency, a bright environment, or leaving the nutrient solution unchanged for too long can all trigger massive algae growth. Algae compete with the flowers for oxygen, and their secretions contaminate the solution, degrading the quality of the nutrient solution. Algae attached to the flower roots hinder root respiration and interfere with the flowers' normal physiological activities, causing great harm.

Once algae grow in the nutrient solution, decisively pour out the contaminated solution, thoroughly clean the container, brush off the algae attached to the roots, and replace with fresh nutrient solution.

At present, Chinese scientists are researching a kind of "algae-eating insect" that can filter-feed on algae, known as a natural "nemesis" of algae damage. Once the experiment succeeds and it is promoted for use, putting a small amount of these "algae-eating insects" into the nutrient solution of hydroponic flowers can prevent algae from growing.

Algae reproduction depends on relatively good light. Using a baffle or old newspaper to shade the hydroponic flower container and avoid direct strong light will relatively reduce the chances of algae growth.

7. What fertilizer should be used for hydroponic flowers? How should fertilizer be applied in summer?

Answer: Hydroponic flowers are a special cultivation form, a cultivation method belonging to soilless culture. The flower roots are anchored in water (or a dedicated plant nutrient solution), so it is also called nutrient solution cultivation.

Hydroponic flowers should be cultivated with plant nutrient solution matched to them. However, different flowers need different nutrient elements at different growth stages. If five or six, or even a dozen bottles of hydroponic flowers of various varieties are being grown at the same time, it is unrealistic to buy a bottle of matched plant nutrient solution for each kind of flower. For the sake of simplicity, a general-purpose plant nutrient solution can be chosen.

General-purpose plant nutrient solutions generally contain all the nutrient elements necessary for flower growth (including macroelements and microelements), with a balanced ratio of various elements. The inorganic salts are in ionic form, and the scope of application is wide, suitable for the nutrient needs of different flower varieties at different growth stages. They are non-toxic, harmless, and their pH value and ion concentration are favorable for nutrient absorption.

There are many kinds of plant nutrient solutions sold on the market, with varying quality. It is best to go to a specialized hydroponic flower shop and choose products from manufacturers with a good reputation.

Opinions differ on whether to use nutrient solution cultivation or only clean water cultivation in summer. According to the author's experience, for flowers that are relatively tolerant of high temperatures and grow vigorously, use nutrient solution cultivation; for flowers with fine, slender roots that enter semi-dormancy or dormancy at temperatures around 30°C, use only clean water cultivation. For example, for Spathiphyllum (peace lily), pothos, mini Monstera, red gem, and Philodendron, nutrient solution cultivation is suitable for maintaining growth vigor and enhancing ornamental quality. For coleus, begonia, and bromeliads, a bottle of clean water is enough for them to pass the summer safely.

When mixing nutrient solution, strictly follow the proportions indicated in the instructions, and do not arbitrarily increase the concentration. This is because the root tissue structure of flowers grown in hydroponic conditions changes, becoming looser and with larger cells than in soil cultivation. The cell walls become thinner, and they directly absorb water, nutrients, and oxygen from the nutrient solution, making them extremely sensitive to the concentration of the nutrient solution; too high a concentration is harmful to the flowers. As long as the concentration of macroelements is not lower than the level of 1 micromole per liter, a lower concentration is beneficial to flower growth.

In summer, it is advisable to replace the nutrient solution once every 5 days.

8. Can soil-cultivated flowers be converted to hydroponic flowers in summer?

Answer: Converting soil-cultivated flowers to hydroponic flowers is most suitable in spring and autumn, when the temperature is around 15-25°C, which is suitable for flower growth, and the flowers easily adapt to the changed cultivation environment. To change the cultivation form of flowers in summer, the following factors should be considered: ① Select varieties that are relatively closely related to wetland plants. ② Select flowers that still grow normally and develop soundly at temperatures around 30°C. Experiments have shown that Syngonium, mini Monstera, red gem Philodendron, green giant, pothos, and some bromeliad flowers of the Araceae family have a relatively high survival rate when converted from soil cultivation to hydroponics in summer. They adapt quickly to the hydroponic environment, and their roots rarely rot. After 15-20 days of cultivation, not only do lateral roots grow from the old roots, but water roots can also sprout from the root stem ends.

When converting from soil cultivation to hydroponics, the soil around the flower roots must be cleaned off thoroughly. Rinse repeatedly, protecting the roots from damage as much as possible. Use a relatively large container for cultivation, change the water once a day; after five days, change the water once every 2-3 days. When the water roots grow to 5 cm long, cultivate with a low-concentration plant nutrient solution.

Hydroponic method for lucky bamboo

Liliaceae, Dracaena genus, also known as wan shou zhu, native to Brazil and West Africa.

Characteristics

Evergreen shrub. The plant form is slender and upright, without branching. Leaves are long lanceolate, deep green, with sheath-like petioles. Common types include golden-edge lucky bamboo, whose leaves have yellow longitudinal stripes. Silver-edge lucky bamboo, also known as silver-striped dracaena, is a compact plant with silver-white longitudinal stripes along the leaf edges.

Habits

Prefers high temperature and high humidity; the overwintering temperature should be kept above 10°C. Avoid direct sunlight in summer, otherwise it will cause leaf scorch.

Key points for hydroponic care

1: When the air is too dry, it will cause leaf scorch. During the growing season, water should be sprayed on the leaves frequently.

2: Suitable bright, indirect light. When light is insufficient, the color of striped varieties will fade.

Hydroponic method for Anthurium

Araceae, Anthurium genus, also known as anzhu hua, dengtai hua

Characteristics

Perennial evergreen herb. Internodes are short, and leaves grow from the base of the plant. Leaves are round-cordate or ovate, dark green. The flower stalk grows from the leaf axil. The spathe is upright and spreading, waxy, glossy, orange-red or scarlet, and the spadix is yellow and extends straight.

Habits

Prefers high temperature, high humidity, and a semi-shaded environment; avoid direct sunlight. The suitable growth temperature is 20-30°C, and it must be kept above 10°C for overwintering.

Propagation

Division, tissue culture.

Key points for hydroponic care

1: Not cold-tolerant; in winter it needs heating to keep warm.

2: Prefers relatively high air humidity and a semi-shaded environment.

How to obtain hydroponic material

Use the potted root-washing method

Hydroponic method for azalea

The characteristic of soilless cultivation is replacing soil with an artificially made substrate. The Hunan Provincial Forestry Research Institute used a solid substrate for soilless cultivation of azaleas and achieved very satisfactory results. The variety was summer azalea. The soilless-cultivated plants had a compact crown structure, abundant flowering, large flower diameter, and few pests and diseases. It not only improved flower quality but also greatly reduced heavy physical labor, making it a cultivation method worth vigorously promoting.

1. Preparation of the substrate

Azalea roots are very fine and slender, requiring a loose substrate to facilitate aeration and drainage. Use 1 part vermiculite, 1 part perlite, 1 part river sand, and 1 part coal cinder mixed in proportion. After mixing, sterilize the substrate with 0.1% carbendazim solution, mix evenly into the substrate, and cover with plastic film for 1 day. Then rinse multiple times with clean water, and after drying, mix evenly with 0.4% agricultural compound fertilizer solution, then cover with plastic film for one month, after which it can be used for potting.

2. Preparation of the nutrient solution

Azaleas have relatively strict fertilizer requirements. During the growing period, apply thin fertilizer frequently. According to experiments, using agricultural compound fertilizer as the main component, supplemented with trace elements, controlling the pH value at around 5, and spraying a low-concentration foliar fertilizer can achieve good results.

Preparation of macroelements: add 2 g agricultural compound fertilizer and 0.5 g magnesium sulfate to 1 liter of water as the standard solution.

Preparation of trace elements: add 20 g disodium EDTA, 15 g ferrous sulfate, 4 g manganese sulfate, 6 g boric acid, 0.2 g zinc sulfate, 0.1 g copper sulfate, and 0.2 g ammonium molybdate to 1 liter of water as the stock solution. When using, add 1 mL of the trace element stock solution to 1 liter of the standard solution to make the full-strength element solution. Preparation of foliar fertilizer: add 1 g urea, 1 g monopotassium phosphate, 0.02 g boric acid, and 0.1 g V.B1 to 1 liter of water.

3. Water and fertilizer management

Because the substrate has good drainage and aeration but poor water retention, the amount of watering is generally a bit more than soil cultivation, just enough to keep the substrate moist. At this time, it is exactly the period of flower bud formation and leaf bud sprouting, when fertilizer demand is relatively high, so water with full-strength nutrient solution about once every 10 days. From March until the flower buds open, spray foliar fertilizer about once every 15 days. After flowering, water demand is high; besides daily watering, spray water on the leaves in the evening. At this time, fertilizer demand is also high, so it can be changed to watering with nutrient solution once a week and spraying foliar fertilizer once, to promote sturdy new branches and favor flower bud differentiation. After the dog days begin, pay attention to keeping the substrate moist and spray water on the leaves; fertilizer application can be reduced to watering with nutrient solution about once every 20 days. After the weather cools in autumn, gradually increase the amount of fertilizer, applying full-strength nutrient solution about once every half month and spraying foliar fertilizer 1-2 times, to promote healthy flower bud growth. After winter begins, azalea physiological activity is weak, so fertilizer should not be applied; just water appropriately according to the degree of substrate dryness. During the cultivation process, basically no pests or diseases occurred.

Hydroponic method for broadleaf lady palm

Palmae, Rhapis genus, also known as guanyin bamboo. Native to Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Yunnan, and other places.

Characteristics

Evergreen clumping shrub. The stem is cylindrical, unbranched, with nodes like bamboo, covered with brown coarse fibrous leaf sheaths, like palm fiber. Leaves are clustered at the top of the stem, leathery, deep green and glossy, palmately deeply lobed, with 4-10 segments. Dioecious.

Habits

Prefers a warm, shady, humid, and well-ventilated environment. The suitable growth temperature is 20-30°C, and in winter it should be kept above 4°C; it can tolerate short periods of low temperatures around 0°C.

Propagation

Generally by division combined with repotting. Choose a plant with a large, dense clump. First take the plant out of the pot, then use a sharp knife to divide the clump into several clumps. When dividing, cut as few roots as possible, and keep each divided plant with a certain plant form. Then repot, water thoroughly, and place in a semi-shaded, humid place, spraying water on the leaves frequently. After growth resumes, it can be transferred to normal care.

Sowing: after the seeds mature in autumn, sow them immediately in pots; move them into a greenhouse in winter, and they will sprout in the spring of the following year.

Key points for hydroponic care

1: Shade-tolerant, but when light is too weak it easily produces yellow leaves; when ventilation is poor, parasitic pests may breed.

2: During the growing period, water should be sprayed on the leaves frequently.

How to obtain hydroponic material

Potted root-washing is suitable. The roots of broadleaf lady palm are relatively hard in texture and are not easy to rot after hydroponics, but new roots sprout slowly, requiring as long as one and a half months.

Hydroponic method for purple velvet plant

Native to Indonesia, Asteraceae, Gynura genus, also called purple velvet gynura, etc.

Characteristics

Purple velvet plant is a perennial herb or subshrub, with thick, many-branched stems. Leaves are opposite, long ovate. The leaf margins have relatively coarse double serrations. It is named for its stems and leaves being densely covered with goose-down-like purplish-red fine hairs. The purple velvet plant has bright, beautiful, and elegant colors, making it an excellent flower species for indoor cultivation.

Habits

Purple velvet plant likes ample sunlight, but during high temperatures in summer and autumn, it should be placed in a semi-shaded environment; direct sunlight will cause leaf scorch due to sunburn, but when too shady, the plant will fade and turn green. The overwintering temperature should be kept above 10°C.

Propagation

Purple velvet plant is propagated by cuttings. During growth, choose sturdy branches and cut 10 cm long shoot tips as cuttings. After cutting, place in a shaded, humid place, and they will root in 2-3 weeks. After the cuttings grow, pinch the tips promptly to encourage lateral branches to sprout.

Key points for hydroponic care

1: Branches can be cut and inserted into water, and water roots will grow in just over 10 days. But at high summer temperatures, the roots easily rot.

2: Purple velvet plant grows rapidly. When the branches reach an appropriate height, pinch the tips promptly to encourage new shoots to sprout.

Hydroponic method for parlour palm

Palmae, Chamaedorea genus, also known as dwarf coconut, etc., native to Mexico and Venezuela.

Characteristics

Evergreen small tree, with a small plant form. The stem is slender and upright, unbranched, dark green, with irregular ring patterns. Leaves are clustered at the top of the stem, pinnately compound, with 20-40 leaflets, sickle-shaped, dark green, and full of luster.

Habits

Prefers a warm, humid, and semi-shaded environment. The suitable growth temperature is 20-30°C; it enters dormancy at 13°C, and the minimum overwintering temperature in winter is 3°C.

Key points for hydroponic care

1: Avoid direct sunlight, otherwise the leaves will turn scorched yellow, but when too shady, the leaf color will also fade.

2: Parlour palm is most beautiful at a plant height of 30-50 cm. When the plant is too tall, the lower part becomes bare and reduces its ornamental value, so when cultivating it, small plants can be grown below.

How to obtain hydroponic material

Use the potted root-washing method. After washing with water, new roots can grow in just a few days.

Hydroponic method for cactus ball

We know that cactus balls are favored by people for their unique drought tolerance and beautiful appearance, but cactus balls grown by traditional cultivation methods have problems of being dirty and difficult to manage, and more people kill their beloved plants because they cannot manage fertilizer and water well. Now the cultivation of cactus balls has entered a new stage: hydroponics.

1: Selecting the mother plant

First, we should choose a cactus ball with a sturdy body. The key is to choose a plant whose lower root-stem part protrudes downward. Cactus balls grafted and cultivated with three-angled cactus are easier to hydroponically cultivate.

2: Treatment

After selecting the mother plant, completely cut off the original dead roots under the ball body, requiring the cut to be flat. Then rinse off the soil attached to the root-stem part with clean water, and dry it in a dry place for 3 days so that the cut is completely dry.

3: Hydroponics

Prepare a glass bottle of suitable size, or process a mineral water bottle. Fix the selected and treated cactus ball at the bottle mouth with floral foam or foam, then add nutrient solution below, with the height of the nutrient solution just reaching the root-stem part. In production, we recommend making a glass water trough 60-100 cm long and 20 cm wide (transparent containers make it easy to observe the contact surface between the liquid level and the root-stem part). Prepare a children's foam jigsaw puzzle board or a white construction foam board, and use a sharp knife to cut several small triangular holes in the board (for fixing golden barrel cactus, you can cut off the mouth part of a waste purified water bottle and use it upside down; note: cut off the bottle mouth so that the roots of the golden barrel cactus can be exposed from the cut bottle mouth, then place it in a flat body containing nutrient solution). Insert the three-angled cactus into the triangular holes; at this time, the roots of all the three-angled cacti just contact the liquid surface.

4. Post-hydroponics treatment

Buy two magnets with a diameter of 6-10 cm and put them into the container, with the purpose of magnetizing the nutrient solution, thereby speeding up the growth of water roots. (You can also buy a small wall-mounted submersible pump specially for ecological fish tanks from the market, attach it to the inner wall of the nutrient solution, and power it on to achieve oxygen-carrying circulation of the nutrient solution.)

5: Key points for hydroponic care

Place the planted cactus ball in an environment with relatively strong indirect light, keep the temperature above 20°C, and generally water roots will emerge in 3-7 days. Immediately replace the nutrient solution after water roots appear.

Note:

During the induction process of the cactus ball, it is strictly forbidden to spray water on the ball body, as this can easily cause the ball body to rot and die.

What should be noted when hydroponically growing clivia at home?

Hydroponic clivia is a clean and convenient cultivation method. When cultivating at home, note the following:

① Container selection. The bottom of the cultivation container should have no holes, and it is best to choose a transparent one, so that you can view the leaves, flowers, and roots. Glass bottles can be used; non-toxic plastic bottles or ceramic containers can also be used. The size of the container depends on the size of the plant, and the mouth diameter should not be too large.

② The cultivation solution. It can be nutrient solution or clean water, but when cultivating in clean water, attention must be paid to foliar fertilization to supply the nutrients needed for clivia growth.

③ Changing the solution. Hydroponic clivia needs regular solution changes. The number of changes depends on the weather. When the temperature is relatively low, change about once a month; when the temperature is relatively high, change once every 10 days. When changing the solution, be careful to wash the cultivation container clean.

How to scientifically hydroponically grow amaryllis

In early winter, choose one or several large amaryllis bulbs that have already flowered or not yet flowered, cut off all roots and leaves, peel off the outer dark brown skin to reveal white and green, and soak them in clean water. After about 48 hours, take the bulbs out, wash off the paste-like matter at the cuts with clean water, dry them in the shade, and place them in a flower vessel. The flower vessel can be a bowl, basin, or narcissus pot, etc. Put in washed small stones, perlite, water-absorbing mountain stones, etc., then place the treated amaryllis bulbs. Then pour in clean water, preferably clear spring water (if tap water is used, it must have been left standing for several days). The water depth should be enough to cover the small stones and other padding, or about 1 cm below the upper rim of the flower vessel. Finally, place it in a place indoors with ample light. Keep the room temperature at about 10°C, and in about 7-10 days it will begin to grow leaves and roots. The water in the pot must always be kept at the original water level line. When the leaves grow to 2-3 cm, fertilizer needs to be supplemented promptly. Every 10-20 days, when adding water, add an appropriate amount of 1% urea solution or 0.03% monopotassium phosphate solution or other compound fertilizer solution containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. In late spring of the following year, plant the bulbs with roots into flower pots for routine care. In this way, hydroponically treated bulbs bloom slightly later than other conventionally potted amaryllis, just in time for the summer flowering gap period.

Technical management of hydroponics

1. What is hydroponics?
Answer: Hydroponics, also called soilless cultivation or nutrient solution cultivation, is an agricultural production technique that uses nutrient solution and supporting facilities instead of soil to cultivate crops. In order to fix the plants and increase air content, most hydroponic plants also use inert sand, gravel, peat, perlite, etc. as solid substrates, so it is also called sand culture, gravel culture, peat culture, etc.
Since the beginning of human agricultural history, crops have been grown in soil, so the English word agriculture is Agriculture, formed from Agr (soil) and Culture (cultivation). In 1699, the British scientist Woodward used three different kinds of water, namely rainwater, river water, and garden soil leachate, to grow mint. As a result, the mint grown in the garden soil leachate grew fastest, leading to the conclusion that "plant growth is determined by certain substances in the soil." Unfortunately, due to technical limitations at the time, Woodward did not conduct further research. It was not until 1859-1865 that the German scientists Sachs and Knop first conducted precise experiments in soilless cultivation and succeeded in cultivating plants with an artificial nutrient solution made from inorganic salts. They called this method hydroponics, and Sachs and Knop are therefore recognized as the founders of soilless cultivation technology.

◆2. What are hydroponic flowers?
Answer: Hydroponic flowers are flowers grown using soilless cultivation technology. Hydroponic flowers are further divided into medium-based hydroponic flowers and medium-free hydroponic flowers. Medium-based hydroponics refers to the sand culture, gravel culture, etc. mentioned earlier; medium-free hydroponic flowers are further divided into direct hydroponics, floating hydroponics, planting basket hydroponics, mist hydroponics, drip irrigation under nutrient film, and many other cultivation forms. Each cultivation form has its advantages and disadvantages, but if measured only by beauty, durability, and suitability for home cultivation, direct hydroponics is the most fashionable, beautiful, and simple, so the hydroponic plants currently sold on the market are generally in the direct hydroponic form.

◆3. Why is nutrient solution the key to the success of hydroponic flowers?
Answer: We all know that in a greenhouse environment, when inert substrates are used as the medium, soilless cultivation is already a very simple and mature technology, because computers control humidity, temperature, light intensity, nutrient solution injection time, etc. in a timely manner, and specialized technicians use pH meters, conductivity meters, etc. to timely test the pH of the nutrient solution and the balance of various elements. However, in a home environment, these conditions are very difficult to achieve. First, if hydroponic flowers placed in the home still use substrate cultivation, then there is no aesthetic difference from soil cultivation, so home hydroponic flowers should be medium-free soilless cultivation. Without a medium, plants are very prone to root rot and odor; this requires that the nutrient solution must enable plants not to rot roots, not to produce odor, to have no strange smell, and to grow normally when oxygen is lacking. In addition, the hygiene needs of the home require that the nutrient solution should not easily breed mosquitoes and insects and should be non-toxic. Moreover, home lighting cannot be adjusted at any time like in a solar greenhouse, which requires that the nutrient solution can lower the threshold of plant photosynthesis so that it can also grow well in office and home environments. Furthermore, it is impossible to require every user to have specialized botanical knowledge like a botany expert, so the nutrient solution must also be convenient to use, easy to operate, and easy for anyone to learn. Therefore, hydroponic flowers suitable for home cultivation have higher technical requirements for the nutrient solution.
Since humans mastered soilless cultivation techniques, scientists have researched and developed no fewer than tens of thousands of nutrient solution formulas, but formulas that simultaneously meet all the above requirements are extremely rare. Moreover, due to commercial interests, all the major flower companies treat their nutrient solution technology as their number-one secret, so the nutrient solution formulas that can be obtained from public sources are only theoretical or experimental formulas, which can only serve as reference material and cannot be used in production activities. Actually, whether a nutrient solution is suitable for home environment use can be known with just a try. You only need to see whether the displayed plants grow vigorously and whether water roots are growing, because as the saying goes: “Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth!”

◆4. How do hydroponic flowers safely overwinter?
Answer: Generally, flowers go dormant below 5-8 degrees Celsius, and tissue necrosis occurs below 0 degrees Celsius. Therefore, if the indoor temperature is above 5 degrees Celsius, hydroponic flowers can generally overwinter safely. In the south, indoor temperatures in winter generally do not drop below 5 degrees Celsius. If several days of extreme low-temperature weather occur, this can be solved by placing a 60-watt incandescent lamp above the flowers to create a localized microclimate. In the north, because most indoor spaces have heating, this can also meet the requirements for hydroponic flowers to overwinter safely.

◆5. Can hydroponic cultivation only be used for certain specific flowers?
Answer: In modern greenhouses, generally speaking, all our common popular flowers can be hydroponically cultivated. However, in a home environment, because certain specific conditions cannot be met, currently only some semi-shade and shade-loving flowers can be cultivated. In homes with balconies, there are more suitable varieties.

◆6. Can ornamental fish grow normally in hydroponic flowers? How should water changes and regular feeding be handled?
Answer: Because “Hydroponic Flower King” nutrient solution is completely non-toxic and rich in various minerals, fish can grow very well in it. Every one of our specialty stores has sample fish raised in hydroponic flowers, precisely to tell customers this information.
Generally speaking, only hydroponic flowers with a volume of more than one liter are suitable for raising fish, and due to the limited volume, fish species should also be selected carefully. Fish species with strong adaptability should be chosen, such as goldfish and small koi. Fish with strong aggression or destructive tendencies are also not suitable for raising in hydroponic flowers, because they will damage the plant roots. Delicate fish are also unsuitable, because even raising them in specialized aquariums is difficult to succeed at, let alone in a relatively poor-condition small vase. Water changes can be done at the same time as the normal water changes for the flowers. Feeding is the same as when we normally raise fish in a fish tank, with no difference at all.
Because the special substances in “Hydroponic Flower King” nutrient solution can increase the oxygen solubility of water, which facilitates the respiration of plant roots, fish generally will not lack oxygen in the nutrient solution, so there is no need to install aeration equipment except on particularly hot days.

◆7. What are the requirements for the water used to dilute nutrient solution for hydroponic flowers?
Answer: Hydroponic Flower King nutrient solution is a highly concentrated liquid and must be diluted before use. When diluting, generally tap water can fully meet the requirements, and there is absolutely no need to use bottled water or purified water. If well water or river water is used, a water quality test must be conducted to understand the mineral content composition in the water. If a certain mineral content in the water exceeds the standard, the nutrient solution formula must be adjusted to facilitate normal plant growth.
During the dilution process, tap water can be directly used to dilute the nutrient solution without waiting for the chlorine in the water to evaporate, because the unique formula in Hydroponic Flower King will cause the chlorine in tap water to evaporate rapidly. However, if the water temperature and room temperature differ too much, the diluted nutrient solution should be left standing indoors for a period of time to prevent the plant roots from suffering root hair damage due to sudden temperature changes, which would cause the plant to wilt.

◆8. What is planting basket hydroponics?
Answer: Planting basket hydroponics is a hydroponic cultivation method that utilizes the principle of hydrotropism of plant roots. The principle of hydrotropism is that plant root tips always grow toward the direction with sufficient moisture. This is manifested when a plant's surface soil lacks water; in order to protect itself, the plant's root tips will grow deeper into the soil to absorb the water needed for the plant's growth and development and adapt to natural changes. At this time, root growth has a very obvious directionality. However, plants growing in swamps or water do not lack water, so their root growth is more chaotic with no obvious directionality. Therefore, if you place a potted plant on the mouth of a wide-mouthed glass bottle filled with water, with the bottom not needing to directly contact the water, at a distance of about 1—2 cm, and do not water the potted plant but only spray a small amount of water, after about a week, roots will appear at the bottom of the potted plant growing toward the water. At this point, you do not need to add water; let its roots grow longer and longer as the water level drops. If you use some fast-growing plants for the experiment, the effect will be even more obvious. Similarly, you can remove a potted plant that has already grown water roots from its pot and use a planting basket to fix the plant, decorate it with stones or ornaments, and it becomes a planting basket hydroponic flower. The difference is that at this point, because there is no soil, you need to replace the clean water with nutrient solution. It is just that simple.

◆9. Why do hydroponic flowers need water changes?
Answer: Because plants absorb water and inorganic salts from the nutrient solution, the nutrients in the nutrient solution will become less and less. At the same time, due to root respiration and metabolic processes, harmful substances in the water will increase. Therefore, hydroponic flowers need to have their nutrient solution replaced after a period of growth. Actually, this is the same principle as soil-cultivated flowers. Soil-cultivated flowers need fertilization and repotting once a year for the same reason. For hydroponic flowers, the water change interval should be shorter during the vigorous growing spring and summer seasons, and can be longer during autumn and winter when growth is slow.

◆10. Why do hydroponic flowers sometimes become weaker and weaker or fail to grow vigorously?
Answer: It may be caused by your solution change interval being too long, incorrect nutrient solution ratio (too dilute or too concentrated), or insufficient light. If these factors are ruled out, then check whether the nutrient solution water level is too high, preventing the plant roots from breathing normally and causing oxygen deficiency. If none of these are the case, then we suggest you best go to a Hydroponic Flower King specialty store for consultation.

Exposing the hydroponic flower market -- distinguishing true from false hydroponic flowers

Currently many companies are developing franchise hydroponic flower stores, causing a great commotion across the country. In particular, a company in Beijing has franchise stores that will spread throughout the country. As a scientific researcher, I originally did not want to express too many opinions, but in order to safeguard the healthy development of our country's hydroponic flower industry, having witnessed everything, I cannot help but voice some complaints. Because the scams involved not only harm consumers' interests but will also cast a shadow over the hydroponic industry. Currently it is the low-temperature season, plant respiration is weak, and plants whose roots have been washed and directly soaked in water can be water-cultivated for a period of time. Flood-tolerant plants such as Araceae plants can survive in water for 1-2 months. But when the weather turns hot, plant physiological respiration intensifies, and oxygen deficiency and root rot will immediately occur. A hydroponic work that cost tens or hundreds to buy and bring home is just a fleeting bloom, not only harming consumers' interests but also greatly affecting the development of the hydroponic industry. Now I will use a scientific perspective to expose the "deception tactics" involved.

1. The plants sold by franchise stores are basically Araceae plants. When winter comes, these plants' growth rate slows down, respiration weakens, and since Araceae plants are closely related to aquatic plants and have relatively strong flood tolerance, after root washing and direct soaking in water, no adverse reactions can be seen from the plant for a while. But it is impossible for them to grow vigorously in water; they can only maintain the balance of water metabolism, while nutrient absorption and respiratory functions are severely impeded. When the weather turns hot, the root system will suffer oxygen deficiency, become foul-smelling, and rot. For other plants with stronger terrestrial characteristics, this method simply cannot work, so this is the main reason why they can currently only use Araceae plants to "deceive." Their so-called induction liquid, I think, would be better and more honestly called "deception liquid." It is simply impossible for plants to undergo structural changes in their tissues within a few minutes.

2. Charging high franchise fees for franchise sales is itself a commercial gimmick. If the goods were genuine and the price fair, there would be nothing to criticize. If the technology were unique, it could dominate the market and franchising would truly be meaningful. But the current type of franchising can be said to be a money scam. First, the technology has no scientific or technological content whatsoever; it is just washing roots and soaking in water, something even a fool could figure out at a glance. Absurdly, some training fees reach 18,800 yuan. Second, hydroponic technology itself has undergone decades of development and is no longer a technology exclusive to any one company. Using franchising simply cannot monopolize the market; other hydroponic flower stores can equally operate, and with better funding and more reliable technology than franchise stores. The franchise fee paid is equivalent to being thrown away. True hydroponic flowers are not suitable for long-distance transportation. In fact, what they are currently selling are all products made from soil-cultivated seedlings after root washing. It might be more accurate to call them bare-root flowers.

3. Note: Araceae plants in late autumn, winter, and early spring, after root washing and soaking in water, can also survive in water for a period of time. Everyone might as well give it a try; there is absolutely no need for any deception liquid.

I have studied hydroponics for many years and have also visited several countries with relatively developed hydroponic technology abroad. Our country's current hydroponic market can be said to be full of charlatans of all kinds, a motley crew where fakes are mixed with genuine goods. However, ultimately these franchise scams will be cleaned out by history and science. I remind everyone to keep your eyes wide open and not be led astray by deception liquids.

How to distinguish true from false hydroponic flowers

True versus false hydroponic flowers is essentially the difference between induced flowers and non-induced flowers. Currently, many hydroponic flower vendors do not understand hydroponic flowers from a scientific perspective. They only proceed from the angle of commercial gimmickry and personal profit, passing off some conventional soil-cultivated plants as hydroponic plants for sale, fooling consumers, and causing very bad social impact. Some citizens, after purchasing at high prices, find the plants die from physiological discomfort not long after. This seriously hinders the healthy development of the hydroponic flower industry. To address this problem, buyers can distinguish true from false from the following aspects to avoid being cheated.

A. Distinguish by root morphology: Induced hydroponic flowers usually exist in the form of fibrous adventitious roots. They will not be like roots in soil with distinctions between taproots, lateral roots, capillary roots, and root hairs, meaning they will not exist in a multi-level branching secondary root state. Even if there is branching, it is only a small amount of branching roots based on fibrous adventitious roots, with few levels and simple root structure, which is its most obvious characteristic. In addition, for some plants that originally had radicles, after induction the number of primary adventitious roots increases significantly, meaning the root proportion greatly increases, with numerous and well-developed roots, resembling a beard.

B. Distinguish by root color: Aquatic roots formed by water induction mostly have the characteristic of being white and crisp-tender. Even for some varieties that exhibit their natural root color, their aquatic roots are noticeably lighter in color than terrestrial roots, such as yellowish-white, pale yellow, light brown, etc. This is related to the well-developed parenchyma tissue of aquatic roots and the fact that cell walls have not undergone or have undergone little suberization and lignification thickening.

C. Distinguish by root integrity: Roots induced by water cultivation undergo new growth and differentiation starting from primary adventitious roots, and all of this is completed in a water environment, giving the root system integrity. However, some soil-cultivated plants, even though carefully washed, will always have minor damage or severe residual roots. This root integrity is difficult for soil-washed seedlings to achieve.

D. Distinguish by water clarity: Fake hydroponic works made from soil-washed seedlings, because the roots have not developed adaptability to water, under anaerobic conditions will undergo anaerobic respiration and release large amounts of toxic intermediate metabolites, causing the water in the container to quickly become cloudy or deteriorate. Visually, it appears turbid and unclear, meaning the water quality has deteriorated or become foul-smelling, followed by root rot and eventually plant death.

E. Leaf angle can also distinguish true from false: In particular, many herbaceous flowers that are extremely sensitive to ethylene, after induction, show noticeably more flat leaf angles compared to soil-cultivated soil-washed seedlings, meaning upward growth leading to increased angle, or even drooping.

Increasing the dissolved oxygen content of hydroponic nutrient solutions

Apart from light, temperature, and humidity environmental factors that are completely identical to soil cultivation requirements, hydroponic flowers have vastly different management requirements for water, fertilizer, and oxygen -- Water: Home hydroponic flowers should use soft water as the water source. Generally, tap water meeting national standards can be used. Tap water has undergone filtration, sedimentation, and sterilization treatment, is clean and hygienic, and has a pH below 7, so it can be safely used for cultivating hydroponic flowers. River water, lake water, pond water, and well water are polluted to varying degrees, severely eutrophic, and various ions may differ greatly. If any one ion content exceeds the standard, long-term use will damage plants or cause poisoning and death, so they are not suitable as water sources for hydroponic flowers. Fertilizer: Home hydroponic flowers must use low-concentration specialized nutrient solutions primarily based on nitrate nitrogen fertilizer. Hydroponic flower nutrient solutions generally contain all the nutrient elements necessary for flower growth, with balanced ratios of various elements, and inorganic salts in ionic form, suitable for the nutrient needs of different flower varieties and their various growth and development stages. They are non-toxic, harmless, with appropriate pH, facilitating nutrient absorption. Using soil fertilizers or granular chemical fertilizers after crushing for hydroponic flowers is not advisable. Short-term use may not have obvious effects on flowers, but long-term application will inevitably hinder normal physiological metabolism. Using organic fertilizers as a fertilizer source for hydroponic flowers is even more unacceptable. Diluted urine can be used for foliar spraying but must never be added to the nutrient solution. Oxygen: For home hydroponic flowers, the water (nutrient solution) is in a static state, with dissolved oxygen below /ppm/L. The flowers barely maintain life in an oxygen-deficient container, and their roots are commonly seen growing in reverse, extending toward the liquid surface, seeking to breathe more oxygen. Therefore, increasing the oxygen content of hydroponic nutrient solutions is very necessary for the normal growth of flowers, especially in summer. There are several simple and easy methods to increase dissolved oxygen: 1. Increase the frequency of nutrient solution changes. 2. Vibration aeration: fix the flower plant with one hand, and gently shake the container with the other hand more than 10 times. After shaking, the dissolved oxygen content of the nutrient solution can increase by about 30%. 3. Add an appropriate amount of "solid oxygen" to the nutrient solution or add 1% hydrogen peroxide (3% hydrogen peroxide solution). 4. Use a miniature submersible pump or aeration pump (both standard aquarium products) to aerate the nutrient solution. Plant roots can obtain sufficient oxygen in such an environment, respiration is very vigorous, promoting healthy and vigorous flower growth.

Identifying fake hydroponic flower technology at a glance

Hydroponic flowers, with flowers and fish co-cultivated in a combination of movement and stillness, are the first impression it gives intuitively. The early concept in China first sprouted at the turn of the 21st century. (Although some people had earlier water-cultivated some Araceae plants, lucky bamboo, and other plants that are easy to grow in water, this concept does not belong to the currently popular "hydroponic flower" concept!) It rose in 2003, when many enterprises with market vision successively invested in preliminary research and planning work for this industry. Coupled with the broadcasting of "Hydroponic Flowers" on CCTV Channel 7 and Channel 2, it flourished from 2004 to 2005. Hydroponic flowers could be said to bloom everywhere in China, with some providing technical learning and training, some producing at bases, and some franchising flower shops. Many fake hydroponic flower companies, enterprises, and individuals, stimulated by profit, put on shows in the market. On one hand, they added fuel to the gimmickry of the domestic hydroponic flower market concept, letting many citizens understand and learn about this new concept and product. On the other hand, many investors and operators became victims of this market tide. As for 2006, when the waves wash away the sand, those with their own core technology and production capacity, with relatively strong economic strength and operational capability, could still survive in such a chaotic market tide. Those who could survive are extremely few. However, hydroponic flowers, such a fashionable flower product, represent a new trend and new direction in the flower industry's development. Driven by economic interests in the market economy, there are still a small number of speculators existing in the market!

The author has been in this industry for three or four years and is relatively familiar with it. In view of the current mixed quality of the hydroponic flower market, this article provides a systematic analysis and summary, all to give the general public who love hydroponic flowers, as well as investors interested in joining the hydroponic flower industry, a preliminary comprehensive understanding, for everyone's reference:

Two, What are true hydroponic flowers?

From a sensory perspective, using glass vases of various shapes, planting plants and flowers on top (currently, the variety scope of hydroponic technology has been extended to include other woody, vine, and succulent plants), and raising a few cute small fish below, that is hydroponic flowers (plants)! But from a technical level, true hydroponic flowers refer to those cultivated through various biological, physical, computer, and other technical means, causing changes in the physiological characteristics of their root systems, possessing aquatic root systems with plant aeration tissue structure, and being able to adapt to long-term water cultivation, only then can they become true hydroponic flowers (plants)!

Three, How to identify true hydroponic flowers?

Judging from sensory perception:
Hydroponic Flower Technology Status Report One, Introduction:
A successful true hydroponic plant, after induction and domestication, should have root systems that are white, elegant, with many fibrous roots, and very obvious differences from soil-cultivated plants. Soil-cultivated plant roots are mostly dark black in color! (Except for a few plants whose root color has unique colors, such as Chinese fringeflower after induction, whose roots, branches, and stem segments are all dark red! There are also some plants whose roots after soil removal are nearly white!)

In addition, if the plant's growth condition is not very robust, with drooping leaves, it shows that it was only recently planted in the bottle and placed there to deceive customers! Even if it has undergone induction, it cannot be sold as a product!

Judging from a technical perspective:

Judging from a technical perspective:

1) Does it have a professional technical level?

If, as some merchants say, you only need so-called "induction liquid," "domestication liquid," or "nutrient solution," and soak the plant in water for a few days or a few hours, and some even say only a few tens of minutes or a few minutes to achieve hydroponic flowers, this claim can only fool those who do not understand biotechnology. Those who understand biological principles know that if plant roots are severely oxygen-deficient in water, the roots will soon undergo anaerobic respiration, ferment, and rot. Therefore, large amounts of fermentation products accumulate in the bottle, mosquitoes breed, insects grow, the water becomes turbid and unclean, and the plant soon dies!
Only by truly achieving the induction of plant aquatic root systems, forming hydroponic plants with aeration tissue that can well adapt to low-oxygen water conditions, can they truly be called hydroponic flowers. And the cultivation of aquatic root systems cannot be fully completed and achieved by nutrient solution alone. It requires comprehensive biological, physical, computer, and other methods and means, through a relatively long period of cultivation, fully adapting to the water environment, before it can become professional true hydroponic flowers!

2) Does it have strong artistic combination level and ability?

Hydroponic flowers belong to mid-to-high-end consumption. Their ornamental value lies in: artistic combination and arrangement. Each product lies in its artistic glass vase container, beautiful plant shaping, white and elegant root systems, and the perfect combination and arrangement of fish, water, grass, and other ornaments in the bottle! Whether it is a professional hydroponic flower work, apart from natural sensory perception, strong artistic combination is not something ordinary beginners can put together! From this technical level, we can tell at a glance whether the manufacturer possesses such aesthetic level!

3) Does it have the facility conditions for producing hydroponic flowers and fixed supply channels?

Whether it has the facility conditions for producing hydroponic flowers can also show whether the merchant has the ability for professional hydroponic flower production. If there are neither fixed production facilities nor powerful and branded producers as supply sources, then such hydroponic flower providers are very likely just selling "hydroponic flowers" made from soil-cultivated plants after root washing!

Checking from the varieties:

True professional hydroponic flower producers can produce hydroponic flower varieties that are not limited to Araceae and Crassulaceae plants such as Alocasia, Philodendron, lucky bamboo, Monstera, and Rohdea, which are themselves easy to grow in water. These plant varieties are naturally close to water and hydrophilic, and can generally be cultivated in water by ordinary methods. Professional producers should be able to achieve hydroponic cultivation of various woody plants and various water-fearing plants, such as sago palm, cactus, money tree, Polyscias, and even Taxus chinensis, osmanthus, fruit trees, etc.! If the plant varieties a merchant can provide are limited, they are certainly not a professional hydroponic flower manufacturer!

Checking from time:

Time is the ultimate and only criterion for testing hydroponic flowers. If they cannot adapt to long-term water cultivation and are merely a fleeting bloom, dying within a few days, many of these are hydroponic flowers that speculators have created by washing away soil-cultivated roots, which can be produced within a few hours, and within a few days the flowers bloom and fade! Therefore, at present, for those owners who cannot provide a product shelf life, most are speculators. If a merchant cannot provide a product shelf life, it is recommended not to purchase, to avoid being cheated!
Four, How to identify true professional hydroponic flower producers?

Driven by profit, many market speculators use various "legitimate" means in advertising and information transmission channels to deceive and fool the general consumers and investors. In order to leave no room for so-called high-tech shell companies that rent a few offices in national universities (such as Wuhan University, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Tsinghua University, Huazhong Agricultural University, China Agricultural University, Beijing Forestry University, etc.), research institutes (such as the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Forestry, certain research centers, etc.), institutions under the Ministry of Agriculture (such as the Veteran Cadre Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture, a certain technology center of the Ministry of Agriculture), or office buildings, and start advertising to make money, and "guerrilla" technology transfer companies that fight in one place and move to another. It also aims to remove the deceptive market for maliciously transferring immature so-called "hydroponic flower technology" at low prices, and more importantly, for you to learn these several true technologies.

The author solemnly reminds: No matter where in the country or on what media you see similar technology or similar advertisements, you must keep your eyes wide open, be more vigilant, look at more companies, and compare more. You must carefully compare the unit's scale, technical strength, personnel quality, product quality, and after-sales service. {{Remember: you must look at their flower shop products, and then ask for the phone numbers of their franchisees, and try to visit the franchisees to confirm the authenticity of the technology. Many places may not provide this to you, then you must think twice before acting. This is the most direct and final method of judgment. Of course, besides this, those "high-level" companies will also use "medical shills," "academic shills," "real estate shills," "bar shills," and the like, with the skill of "deception master" Zhao Benshan to fool you, making it impossible to guard against!}} You must carefully verify the authenticity of the technology, training capability, and relevant certificates. You must absolutely not be deceived by these so-called high-tech companies, bringing unnecessary losses to your finances and spirit. Besides distinguishing whether they are truly hydroponic flowers through product channels, actually everyone just needs to be a bit more vigilant to see through the many speculators one by one. The following experiences, several types


 How to apply foliar fertilization to hydroponic flowers

Static hydroponic flowers are a cultivation method under root oxygen-deficient conditions, which will cause certain defects in the normal development of flowers. To improve flower quality, foliar fertilization can be used to supplement nutrient elements. During the vegetative growth period of flowers, a 0.2% potassium nitrate dilute solution can be used for foliar spraying.

A fine-nozzle spray bottle should be used, trying not to let the fertilizer solution run off. The back of the leaves should also be sprayed. Spray once a week, twice during the growing season, which can make hydroponic flowers flourish with lush branches and leaves. For flowers suitable for foliage viewing and also for flower appreciation, such as calla lily, four-season begonia, bamboo begonia, and calla, during the bud stage, a 0.15% potassium dihydrogen phosphate dilute solution can be sprayed on the leaves once a week until the flowers open.

Research on hydroponic technology for sago palm bonsai

Sago palm has very high ornamental and economic value, and is deeply loved by people in our country and around the world. It is widely cultivated in our country and the world, and can be used for arranging courtyards, conference venues, hotels, homes, etc. In recent years, with the expansion of demand for environmentally friendly indoor green decorative plants, hydroponic technology has been increasingly widely applied in flower cultivation. Based on years of engaging in hydroponic flower product development and hydroponic technology research, the author focused on conducting hydroponic technology research experiments on sago palm bonsai, and achieved certain results. Hydroponic sago palm allows appreciation of its stem, leaves, flowers, and fruit, as well as its continuously growing, variously shaped root system, adding luster to the varied and colorful flowers. At the same time, it also has unique ornamental value and cleanliness, and is convenient to maintain, allowing it to transcend the spatial limitations of previous potted plants.

In order to improve the success rate of hydroponic sago palm bonsai, shorten the production cycle, and reduce production costs, in production, potted sago palms of 50-80 cm are used as mother plants to cultivate hydroponic products. First, they are removed from pots and have their roots removed, then placed in non-test-tube rapid propagation seedling beds to promote root growth. After developing well-developed adventitious roots of 3-5 cm in length, the plants are floated in hydroponic beds for induction, then cultivated to produce 10-15 cm aquatic roots, forming hydroponic sago palm bonsai products.

1. Non-test-tube rapid propagation facilities

Generally in a greenhouse or tunnel, non-test-tube rapid propagation seedling beds and hydroponic seedling beds are built at a ratio of root-promotion area to hydroponic area of 1:2-4. Standardized seedling beds require a smooth bed body that does not harbor dirt, flat walkways that do not accumulate water, and both the bed body and walkways are smoothed with cement. Seedling beds are built with bricks to a width of 1.2 m, length of 15 m, with a bed edge height of 20-25 cm, and walkways between beds generally 50-80 cm. This seedling bed design facilitates operation, management, and environmental control. During construction, the following contents should be focused on:

1.1 Construction of intelligent misting system

During the root promotion process, maintaining water balance and creating a high-humidity environment are key. Scientific water supply needs to be based on an intelligent misting system. When environmental humidity decreases, the misting system automatically opens for environmental humidification; when moisture and humidity are suitable, it automatically closes. The intelligent misting system mainly consists of an intelligent controller, sensors, solenoid valves, a water pump, and pipes at various levels.

During production, sensors precisely sense changes in air humidity and substrate moisture, transmit collected data to the intelligent controller for calculation and issue execution commands, opening or closing the execution components composed of solenoid valves and pressurized water pumps. These components, which use electricity as a starting signal, can achieve precise control according to computer instructions. Through the misting system, optimization of air humidity, air temperature, and substrate moisture can be achieved. These factors are the most important environmental factors in the root promotion process. During construction, scientific design and precise implementation are needed to cultivate plants with well-developed root systems.

1.2 Seedling bed substrate selection

The substrate for the root promotion seedling bed system should follow the principles of drainage, breathability, and no pollution. Therefore, sago palm root promotion seedling cultivation usually uses coarse-grained perlite with good and stable physical and chemical properties as the substrate to produce perlite root beds (see Figure 1). Only these substrates can ensure good drainage, breathability, and pollution resistance under high-humidity environments. Soil containing organic matter should not be used.

1.3 Pipe laying and nozzle installation

Humidity is the most important factor during the root promotion process. Therefore, the misting system used for humidity maintenance must achieve good and thorough atomization, without dripping or leaving dead corners. Usually, spray pipes are laid at a height of 0.7-1 m from the bed surface, and nozzles are installed at equal distances of 0.8-1 m. PVC plastic pipes of different specifications can be chosen as pipe material, and centrifugal plastic nozzles with good atomization can be chosen as nozzles.

If year-round production is to be achieved, artificial heating technology needs to be combined during the cold winter season. Generally, the method of combining small arch shed film covering for heating with air heating wire heating is used, which is relatively energy-saving and effective. During implementation, air heating wires are laid in parallel inside the small arch shed. Of course, greenhouses with conditions are best to use hot air furnaces for large-space heating. This method consumes more energy, but after the temperature rises, stability is good.

2. Hydroponic induction facilities

The root system induced through non-test-tube rapid propagation is an adventitious root system with well-developed parenchyma tissue, possessing strong aquatic characteristics, laying the physiological foundation for entering the hydroponic induction seedling bed to form aeration tissue.

The hydroponic induction seedling bed needs to have a cement-smoothed bottom that does not leak, and a drainage outlet matching the diameter of the return pipe should be reserved at the bottom near one end of the return liquid pool. It is the water outlet for circulation return and also the drainage outlet for thoroughly removing waste liquid, and should be slightly lower than the seedling bed. After the seedling bed is built, it should not be used immediately, especially the induction pool, because the cement-built seedling bed has strong alkalinity and must be soaked in water for at least 15-30 days before use.

The construction of the water bed (see Figure 2) is the same as the root promotion seedling bed, except the medium is replaced with water. Water has a relatively high specific heat and can maintain temperature stability. At the same time, it is easy to create an anaerobic environment in water. In addition, floating boards are used for the plant-fixing portion, physically isolating and sealing the water surface, which is more conducive to creating temperature and dissolved oxygen environments.

The construction focus of this floating deep-flow hydroponic seedling bed is the design of the planting board and the layout of the aeration system. Different aeration systems can use different aeration methods. Currently, the aeration methods used for induction include: water circulation method, aeration method, and gas-liquid mixing method.

(1) Water circulation method. Water circulation aeration mainly utilizes the falling jet at the water inlet and return flow points during the circulation process for aeration. Liquid enters at one end of the seedling bed, with the inlet pipe raised 20-30 cm above the water surface, forming a water flow drop for aeration; at the return point at the other end, water falls and splashes back to the storage tank. This water circulation method, besides providing aeration, can also carry away root exudates, slowing the occurrence of poisoning from root exudates of some plants, and can also play a role in stirring and balancing the nutrient solution.

(2) Aeration method. The aeration method is to inject air bubbles into the water, thereby achieving the purpose of increasing dissolved oxygen in water. This method is simple, but efficiency is not high. The amount of air from large bubbles dissolved into water is extremely limited, but it is still a practical and easy-to-operate method. Simply lay aeration sand heads at certain distances in the hydroponic seedling bed, then connect these aeration sand heads to an air pump. When aeration is needed, it automatically opens for bubble-type aeration.

(3) Gas-liquid mixing method. It is currently the most efficient aeration method for dissolved oxygen. The key is that it can make air or oxygen into micron-level small bubbles dissolved in water, and can achieve supersaturated dissolved oxygen. At normal pressure and temperature, the dissolved oxygen content of water has a saturation value. Once the saturation value is reached, even continuously running the aeration system cannot further increase dissolved oxygen. However, after using the gas-liquid mixing method, supersaturated dissolved oxygen can be achieved, several times exceeding the saturated dissolved oxygen value at the same temperature. In production, pure oxygen is commonly used. Oxygen output from a steel cylinder is depressurized and input into a gas-liquid mixing pump, making the output oxygen into micron-level small bubbles dissolved in water. This method can be used for the production of super-oxygenated water or oxygen-rich water, and can quickly make the dissolved oxygen in water reach the predetermined required value, with extremely high efficiency.

Regardless of which aeration method is used, the key is to achieve a gradient linear decrease in dissolved oxygen value. In this decrease process, the transition from quantitative change to qualitative change is gradually achieved, and plants also undergo qualitative change caused by quantitative change, namely the formation of aeration tissue.

When dissolved oxygen falls below the predetermined variable, the computer automatically opens the above aeration system for aeration, and automatically closes when the parameter value is reached. It has the characteristics of high efficiency and accuracy, and is the best method for dissolved oxygen control in the root zone environment. This constitutes a hydroponic induction seedling bed with controllable dissolved oxygen. Apart from dissolved oxygen changes caused by aeration methods, other influencing factors are in a relatively stable state, making it easier to achieve digital control and gradient decrease of dissolved oxygen.

3. Sago palm hydroponic production technology

3.1 Mother plant pretreatment

Select sago palm bonsai that meet the requirements. About 7 days before hydroponic production, spray leaves with 1‰ urea (urea has the effect of being quickly absorbed by plants and promoting new root growth). The purpose of doing this is to keep the sago palm in good growth condition, which helps enhance its photosynthetic performance, promote nutrient accumulation in the body, and lay a good foundation for promoting new root growth.

3.2 Root promotion and induction

(1) The pretreated sago palm bonsai is first removed from the pot, and the entire root system is washed clean. Note to protect the leaves and new buds from damage during the pot removal and washing process, so as not to affect future shaping and aesthetics.

(2) Use pruning shears to completely cut off the root system, retaining only a small amount of fibrous roots at the upper part of the root base, to ensure the plant's water absorption in the early stage of root promotion and improve the success rate of root promotion. Note that the scissors used during root cutting should be sharp, and the action must be decisive. Blunt blades easily cause enlargement of root base wounds, leading to infection; slow action consumes operation time and increases the risk of plant dehydration.

(3) Using a prepared 200-fold KMnO4 solution, immerse the sago palm root base in it for 3-5 s, take it out and rinse clean with water, completing the disinfection and sterilization of the root base and wounds. Note that the soaking time must absolutely not be too long, because KMnO4 has strong oxidizing properties, and prolonged contact can easily kill the cells at the root base, causing the entire plant to die.