How to grow a ficus in water? A detailed guide to care and management

1. Temperature:

The suitable growing temperature for hydroponic plants is above 5 degrees and below 30 degrees. In other words, as long as the temperature feels fairly comfortable to people, the plants will feel comfortable too and can grow normally; even in winter, they can still have lush foliage and add vibrant life for us.

2. Light:

Mainly indirect light.

What is indirect light? It is natural light coming in through windows and other places, scattering naturally indoors. Generally, plants only need appropriate light to grow; they do not necessarily have to be exposed to direct sunlight, and in summer, direct sunlight should be avoided as much as possible.

3. Nutrient solution: 

Generally, you can just use a dedicated hydroponic nutrient solution sold on the market, and mix the appropriate concentration according to the instructions, for example diluting 400 times or 1000 times; do not get the ratio wrong. When preparing it, let tap water sit for two hours to half a day until its temperature is close to room temperature and the chlorine in the water has fully evaporated, then add the concentrated nutrient solution in proportion, and it becomes a nutrient solution suitable for growing hydroponic plants.

4. Changing the water: 

Changing the water is an important task in hydroponic plant care. Changing the water means replacing the water in the bottle that contains the nutrient solution. If the water is not changed for a long time, the dissolved oxygen content in the water decreases, which affects root growth and absorption capacity. In addition, plants release some harmful substances during their physiological activities; when the water is short of oxygen and the content of harmful substances is relatively high, it can cause poor growth and even death. When changing the water, pay attention to the following issues:

(1) Water-changing schedule: Under normal circumstances, change the water once every 5-10 days in spring and autumn; about once every 5 days in summer; and once every 10-15 days in winter (after letting tap water sit for half a day, add the concentrated nutrient solution in proportion). For flowers that have just been started in hydroponics, change the water once every 1-2 days. In summer, plants grow vigorously, the temperature is high, and the water easily spoils, so the interval should be shortened. In winter, most plants are in a semi-dormant or dormant state, the temperature is lower, and the water-changing interval can be longer. Overall, a shorter water-changing interval is beneficial to plant growth.

(2) Cleaning the roots and container: When changing the water, the roots should be cleaned. You can use clean water to rinse off the mucus on the roots, and cut off some rotten roots and old roots that have lost their absorption capacity. After a container has been used for some time, sediment will adhere to its walls, and algae is also likely to grow, so it should also be cleaned thoroughly when changing the water.

(3) Water depth: When growing flowers hydroponically, people often submerge the roots completely in water, but from cultivation experience, you should not add too much water. Note that when changing the water, please leave half or one third of the plant's roots exposed. Leave a small amount of roots exposed to the air, so that the roots can both absorb dissolved oxygen from the water and take in oxygen from the air.

Note: Changing the water is to ensure the oxygen supply in the water. Fresh water contains more oxygen, and plants will grow more healthily. If the water is not changed for a long time, the plants can also hold on for a while. For example, sometimes when everyone goes on a business trip or vacation and is away from home for ten days to half a month or even a month, soil-grown plants would have long since given up and died, while hydroponic plants can still hold on as long as you add more water; but if the time is too long and the water in the bottle becomes very stale or spoils, it will affect the growth of hydroponic plants and, in serious cases, can also cause their death.

5. Cleaning: 

Each time you change the water, rinse the plant's roots and container with clean water, and prune dead branches, withered leaves and rotten roots. Under normal growth conditions, hydroponic plants will periodically rot part of their roots and then grow new roots, so when you find rotten roots, do not panic at first; just use sterilized scissors (disinfected with alcohol cotton) to trim off the rotten roots. Sometimes you can also trim off some old roots to promote the growth of new roots (note: this should be done under the guidance of a professional). But be sure not to damage the water roots, otherwise it will affect the plant's growth.

The roots of hydroponic plants: those white, tender roots above are the water roots. Some grow directly from the base of the stem, and some grow from the main root. They are all responsible for the plant's absorption function, so be sure not to damage them.

6. Moisture retention: 

In winter, there is very little moisture in the air, especially in the north, where indoors it is very dry, which is unfavorable for plant growth. So in daily care, please spray the leaf surfaces with clean water to maintain humidity; you can spray clean water twice a day.

7. Hydroponic plants also need to regularly increase the oxygen content in the water. Because the water (nutrient solution) of hydroponic plants is in a static state and has little dissolved oxygen, which is unfavorable for plant growth, some measures need to be taken to increase the dissolved oxygen for them. 

1. Increase oxygen by vibration. Hold the flower plant steady with one hand, and with the other hand hold the container and gently shake it more than 10 times. After shaking, the dissolved oxygen content of the nutrient solution can increase by about 30%.

2. Increase the number of water changes. Changing the water means replacing the water in the bottle that contains the nutrient solution. Under normal circumstances, change the water once every 5 to 10 days in spring and autumn; about once every 5 days in summer; and once every 10 to 15 days in winter. Let tap water sit for two hours to half a day until its temperature is close to room temperature and the chlorine in the water has fully evaporated, then add the purchased nutrient solution in proportion, and it becomes a nutrient solution suitable for growing hydroponic plants.

3. Add 1% hydrogen peroxide (3% hydrogen peroxide solution) to the nutrient solution.

4. Use a miniature submersible pump or an oxygen pump to oxygenate the nutrient solution. Plant roots can obtain sufficient oxygen in such an environment, promoting robust flower growth.

Hydroponic method for ficus

Preparation for hydroponic ficus

Preparing materials

First, buy a small ficus at a flower market; a small-leaf ficus (Ficus microcarpa) will do. When choosing, pay attention that the trunk should be upright and the branches evenly distributed; the green leaves should be fresh and elegant, with no dry tips.

Find a cylindrical glass basin about 10 cm in diameter and 3 cm high, wash it clean and set it aside for later use.

Find a large cola bottle and cut off the bottle neck to use as a planting support, making it stable.

Washing the plant

After buying the small-leaf ficus and bringing it home, break the flower pot; do not be reluctant to do so, as this can avoid damaging the roots. Gently shake off the soil from the roots, rinse the roots under clean water, and at the same time cut off the rotten parts, so as to achieve a neat and clean ficus.

Of course, after rinsing, you can also soak it in clean water for a period of time to thoroughly remove the soil from the roots.

Hydroponic method for ficus

Hydroponic environment

Keep the temperature above 25°C for about 2 weeks. During this period, place the hydroponic ficus in a cool, ventilated place and change the water every day. When many white roots grow from the original roots, these are water roots, and then your hydroponics has succeeded in the first step.

After rooting, there is no need to change the water every day. Often check the water level in the glass bottle and make sure the water covers two thirds of the root system. In addition, you can fill a large cola bottle with water and use it after letting it sit for half a day, so that the tap water is fully aerated and the chlorine in it is reduced.

Fertilizing hydroponic ficus

The pot of a hydroponic ficus bonsai is relatively shallow, so water must be added frequently, and of course nutrients cannot be lacking. From April to October is the growing period of the ficus. Each month, put about 30 grams of nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer into the pot; a professional nutrient solution will also do. Spray the leaf surfaces once every half month with monopotassium phosphate liquid fertilizer.

Precautions for hydroponics

For a hydroponic ficus, because it lacks the nourishment of soil, if after 3-5 years you find that the ficus is growing poorly, you can switch it back to soil cultivation, and according to the ficus's growth condition, it can be hydroponically grown again.

Hydroponic forms of ficus

Rock-attached water cultivation

Choose a stone with good water absorption and let the ficus roots cling to the stone, with the roots growing along the stone crevices. After 1-2 years, the root system and the stone will be tightly combined. In the third year, from April to May, repot it, add water and fertilize in time, and a tree stump above a stream stone is thus formed.

Flat-root water cultivation

Choose a relatively short ficus, or a small bonsai that has already taken shape, spread the roots flat in a claw shape, and plant it in a shallow pot. During the care period, keep pruning the roots to let them grow flat.

How is a hydroponic ficus bonsai made?

How is a hydroponic ficus bonsai made?

The ficus is a plant that likes moisture. In nature, ficus often grows beside ponds and rivers, with one side of the roots growing on the bank and one side of the roots immersed in the water. Based on this characteristic, many bonsai artists have created superior hydroponic bonsai. Hydroponic ficus bonsai has two forms: rock-attached water cultivation and flat-root water cultivation.

(1)    Rock-attached water cultivation. Choose a stone with good water absorption (generally choose sandy accumulated stone, sea mother stone, or reed pipe stone), and the stone's shape should be elegant, then plant the ficus on the stone. The ficus roots cling to the stone, and the roots grow along the stone holes, stone grooves, and processed stone crevices. Through one or two years of cultivation in a deep pot or a nested pot, make the roots and stone tightly joined. In the second or third year, in April or May, repot and remove the soil, then move it into a water basin for care and viewing. The water basin is relatively shallow, so pay attention to frequently adding water and applying granular fertilizer. When potting, place the rock-attached ficus leaning left or right according to the tree's form, so that the large cascading branch faces the water, just like a tree stump growing on a stream stone.

(2)    Flat-root water cultivation. Choose a ficus bonsai that is short and sturdy, has already taken shape, has well-developed thick roots, and has many roots arranged beautifully, as the best choice. Remove the upper new roots, cut the roots flat, arrange them well, spread them into a claw shape, and plant them in a square shallow pot for cultivation. Through one or two years of growth, many fine roots and fibrous roots grow neatly from the cut root areas, and the flat root base can steadily support the tree crown, then in the second or third year, in April or May, remove the soil and place it in a water basin for care and viewing.

The pot of a hydroponic bonsai is relatively shallow, so pay attention to adding water in time and changing the water frequently. The growing period of the ficus is from April to October. During this time, put in about 30 grams of nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium compound fertilizer each month, and you can also carry out foliar feeding several times, that is, spraying the leaves with (5〜]0)X10^-5concentration monopotassium phosphate liquid fertilizer. Because hydroponic ficus lacks soil and has relatively few nutrients, when cultivating for 3-5 years, if you find that the tree body is growing poorly, it must be replanted in soil to restore vigor, and afterward, depending on the tree's growth condition, place it in a water basin again for viewing. A hydroponic ficus bonsai has poor stability, so when pruning, the tree crown should be cut shorter to improve its stability.