How to Choose Hydroponic Flowers? Master These Selection Points
How should you choose hydroponic flowers? When choosing hydroponic flowers, the most important thing is definitely to follow your own preferences, because what you like is what matters most. Of course, on this premise, the flower must also be able to adapt to the local environment. Today, the editor will discuss the key points for choosing hydroponic flowers from several aspects, hoping it will be helpful to everyone.
1. Personal preferences
If you have no particular requirements about what kind of flowers to grow hydroponically, you can choose varieties that are highly adaptable, easy to cultivate and manage, and able to improve the environment, such as snake plant (Sansevieria), spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum), peace lily (Spathiphyllum), Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa), and lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana), all of which are good choices. If you do have requirements for the flowers, you can choose according to your own preferences and financial means. If you simply like a plant but it has little value for the environment and requires special environmental conditions and advanced cultivation skills, then it is best not to choose such varieties.
2. The environment where the flowers will be displayed
For planting or placing plants in large spaces, you can choose tall hydroponic flowers; otherwise, choose plants with a small habit. If your financial conditions allow, you can buy plants with graceful forms that match the height and size of your home space.
3. The habits of hydroponic flowers
Before choosing hydroponic flowers for the home, you should understand the flower's growth characteristics, growth rate, and roughly how tall and large it can eventually grow.
4. Your level of cultivation and care
Before choosing hydroponic flowers, consider how much time and energy you have to manage them. For example, if you are an office worker, you can choose flowers that are easy to cultivate, as these flowers also tolerate a wider range of environments, such as snake plant (Sansevieria), pothos (Epipremnum aureum), lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana), inch plant (Tradescantia zebrina), and Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema). If you have some experience growing flowers and plenty of time to manage them, you can try cultivating flowers with stricter environmental requirements, such as Calathea species, certain tropical orchids, Chinese orchids (Cymbidium), cacti and succulents, and woody plants.
Key Points for Hydroponic Flower Cultivation: The Keys to Success with Hydroponic Flowers
More and more flower lovers are starting to try hydroponic flowers. Hydroponic flowers have certain advantages over soil-grown flowers. Even so, many flower lovers still do not have a comprehensive grasp of hydroponic flower methods, which leads to many hydroponic flowers dying as they are being grown. Today, the editor will introduce the key elements for success with hydroponic flowers, for everyone's reference and learning.Whether hydroponic flowers can succeed depends most critically on changing the water.
First, plants growing in water continuously consume oxygen. As the flowers grow, the oxygen in the water continuously decreases. When it drops to a certain amount, it will have a negative effect on the flowers' growth. Although oxygen from the air also continuously replenishes the water, the rate is relatively slow and far from sufficient to meet the oxygen absorption needs of the plant roots.
Second, during growth, the flower roots produce mucus. When there is a lot of mucus, it affects water quality.
Third, when growing flowers hydroponically, a certain amount of nutrient solution must be added to the water. Aside from the portion of nutrient elements absorbed by the flowers, the rest remains in the water. When the residual substances reach a certain amount, they will also cause some harm to the flowers' growth. Therefore, the water for hydroponic flowers must be changed regularly.
Because the oxygen content in water is inversely related to temperature, that is, the higher the air and water temperatures, the lower the oxygen content in the water, and the lower the air and water temperatures, the higher the oxygen content in the water. In addition, plants have different oxygen demands at different stages, so the interval between water changes should vary with the season. In spring and autumn, although plants grow vigorously and need more oxygen, the water also contains more oxygen, so you can change the water about once every 5~7 days. In winter, plant growth enters dormancy or grows very slowly, consuming little oxygen, while the water contains sufficient oxygen, so the interval between water changes can be longer, generally once every 7~10 days. In the high-temperature season of summer, plant respiration is very intense and consumes a lot of oxygen, while at the same time the oxygen content in the water is very low. In addition, at high temperatures microorganisms reproduce rapidly, causing water quality to deteriorate. To ensure normal growth of the flowers, water changes must be strengthened, generally once every 2~3 days.
At high temperatures or when fertilizer is too concentrated, plants may experience root rot. In addition to promptly cutting off the rotten roots, you also need to change the water every day until the plant grows new roots and returns to normal growth, after which you can return to normal water changes.
When changing the water, rinse the flower roots with clean water, wash away the mucus on the roots with your hands, and cut off aged roots and rotten roots. Flowers grown in places with relatively sufficient light tend to develop algae on the container and roots, which reduces the transparency of the container, affects the appearance of the roots, and also consumes oxygen in the water. When cleaning, wash the algae off the container and roots thoroughly.
Plant roots also have the function of breathing oxygen from the air, so when changing the water for hydroponic flowers, never fill the water too full. Leave part of the roots exposed above the water surface. In this way, hydroponic flowers can not only absorb oxygen from the water but also absorb some oxygen from the air, which can meet the plant's oxygen needs for growth.
The water used for hydroponic flowers should be pollution-free, slightly acidic, and allow only very few microorganisms and bacteria. Tap water treated by the waterworks has the number of bacteria and microorganisms effectively controlled, so it basically meets the water requirements for hydroponic flowers.
In addition, hydroponic flowers also need proper ventilation. The quality of hydroponic flowers is directly related to the oxygen content in the water, and maintaining good indoor ventilation can increase the oxygen content in the water. Therefore, for places with hydroponic flowers, ventilation should be strengthened to keep indoor air fresh.
Summary: The above is knowledge related to hydroponic flowers. We hope it is helpful to everyone.
What care points are there for hydroponic flowers? Little-known care tips for hydroponic flowers
When growing hydroponic flowers, in terms of care we all pay relatively more attention to management areas such as temperature, light, water, and fertilizer. In fact, besides these important management points, cleaning the container and plants, spraying water to wash leaves, and pruning management should not be overlooked either. Therefore, today the editor will discuss little-known care tips for hydroponic flowers, hoping it will be helpful to all flower lovers.
1. Cleaning the container and plants
1. After a period of time, the water quality in hydroponic flower containers becomes relatively cloudy, algae may appear on the container walls, and plant roots may have attached matter. These phenomena affect the ornamental effect of the flowers, so they need to be cleaned from time to time.
2. After taking out the plant, cut off aged roots and rotten roots from the root system, and rinse off the attached matter on the roots with clean water.
3. Add an appropriate amount of glass cleaner or dishwashing liquid to the container, or use a 0.1% potassium permanganate solution to clean and disinfect the container. When cleaning, you can use a brush or cloth to clean the inner and outer walls of the container, then rinse thoroughly with clean water.
4. After cleaning, replace with fresh water or culture solution, and put the plant back into the container.
2. Spraying water to wash leaves
Regularly spray water on the flowers to wash the leaves. This can increase air humidity, especially for rooms with dry air, and is beneficial to the growth of the flowers.
3. Proper ventilation
The growth of hydroponic flowers is related to the oxygen content in the water, and the oxygen content in the water is also related to indoor human activity and the quality of ventilation. Poor ventilation and frequent human activity mean the oxygen content in the water is relatively lower. Therefore, when growing hydroponic flowers, ventilation should be strengthened to ensure good growth of the flowers.
4. Timely pruning
1. Cutting back and pinching: For overly long branches, cut them back at an appropriate height with a sharp blade, and the cut surface should be smooth. You can also pinch by removing the top of the branch. Both cutting back and pinching can control height, promote branching, and make the plant shape fuller.
2. Root pruning: When roots grow too long or there are too many old roots, promptly cut back the overly long roots and thin out the old roots. Root pruning can not only make the root system more attractive but also promote root growth, which is beneficial for absorbing water and nutrients. Root pruning is generally carried out in spring when the flowers are growing.
5. Maintain hygiene
The nutrient solution for hydroponic flowers is inorganic nutrition, and the thing it most abhors is organic matter entering the water, especially organic fertilizer, which must not enter. Therefore, never put food or organic fertilizer into the flower nutrient solution, and do not casually put your hands into it, so as to avoid polluting the water quality and affecting the growth of the flowers.
6. Winter warmth
Winter temperatures are low, so corresponding warmth and cold protection work should be done well. When the temperature is below 5 degrees, flowers are susceptible to cold damage, and growers need to take corresponding protective measures.