Can Succulents Be Grown in Water? A Detailed Guide to Hydroponic Care

Can succulents be grown in water? If so, what should you pay attention to? If you want to know, take a look at the introduction below!

Can Succulents Be Grown in Water?

Like other plants, succulents can also be grown hydroponically; as long as you find the right method, they can grow very well! After several long months of hydroponic experiments, it was found that compared with soil, water is cleaner, rooting is faster in the early stage, and it is less prone to pests. In the early stage, hydroponics is much better than soil culture and is very beneficial to plant growth. For succulents that are not in the best condition when you get them, using hydroponics to help them recover is also a good choice. However, in the later stage, due to insufficient nutrients, hydroponics is clearly inferior to soil culture in terms of both individual size and clustering.

Compared with soil-grown succulents, hydroponic succulents are much cleaner, and in the early stage of hydroponics they root quickly and are less prone to pests. However, in the later stage of hydroponics, nutrient deficiency is likely to occur.

There are not high requirements for hydroponic succulent containers; ordinary vessels can all be used as hydroponic containers. However, when growing succulents hydroponically, you should pay attention to the following aspects:

1. Water level

The water level and the position of the roots are crucial. Too much water will lead to root rot, while too little water will cause the roots to dry out and the whole plant to lack water. The water level for succulents is closely related to their variety.

For Haworthia cooperi '12' and Haworthia cooperi types with relatively developed root systems, you can add more water to the container so that the roots are completely submerged in water; for Crassulaceae Echeveria types, which themselves have very few roots and do not need much water, it is enough for the roots to just touch the water.

Of course, you can also leave some space and let the roots extend down on their own to absorb water.

2. Pay attention to changing the water

When growing succulents hydroponically, you should pay attention to changing the water to avoid root rot caused by insufficient oxygen in the water. In addition, changing the water can also remove some algae and moss growing in the water, increase the water's permeability, and benefit root photosynthesis.

3. Fertilizing

Hydroponic succulents are prone to nutrient deficiency in the later stage, so appropriate fertilization can be carried out when growing succulents hydroponically.

For fertilization, you can choose to drip in a 0.2% potassium permanganate solution at a ratio of 1:5 to the water volume. This can both prevent the growth of algae and moss in the water and have a sterilizing effect and prevent root rot, while also providing the plant with manganese and potassium nutrients to promote robust plant growth.

For fertilization, you can also use the method of foliar fertilization. The fertilizer can be 0.1% urea, 0.15% monopotassium phosphate, and 2% superphosphate, sprayed on the leaf surface on a sunny and windless day. Remember that this method must not be carried out at noon under bright sunlight, otherwise it will cause leaf burn.

4. Root pruning

If the root system of hydroponic succulents grows too densely, you should appropriately remove old roots and shorten long roots to encourage the sprouting of new roots and enhance root vitality. In addition, if rotten roots are found, remove them promptly and change the water in time.

Although hydroponic succulents are very simple, if succulents under long-term hydroponics are to maintain good growth, you must pay attention to some care points.

1. Keep the air circulating in the cultivation environment

Fresh air helps promote the metabolism of succulents. Usually, in rooms where people are frequently active, combined with poor ventilation, the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water will be significantly reduced, which is not conducive to the normal respiration of hydroponic succulents. Therefore, for rooms with hydroponic succulents, doors and windows should be opened frequently to keep the indoor air fresh, so as to increase the dissolved oxygen in the water in the hydroponic vessel, which is beneficial to the healthy growth of hydroponic plants.

2. Extra-root topdressing is beneficial to the growth of hydroponic succulents

Extra-root topdressing is a special fertilization method in which diluted chemical fertilizers or trace elements are sprayed on the leaf surface of the plant and absorbed and utilized through the stomata. It is also called foliar fertilization.

Extra-root fertilization uses a small amount, has a quick fertilizer effect, and is not affected by the absorption function of the roots. Generally, it can be absorbed 5 hours after spraying. The fertilizer effect can last about 10 days, so extra-root topdressing can be sprayed once every 10 days. However, not any fertilizer can be used for extra-root fertilization. Usually only easily soluble fertilizers such as urea, monopotassium phosphate, and superphosphate are used for extra-root fertilization. The appropriate concentrations are: 0.1% urea, 0.15% monopotassium phosphate, and 2% superphosphate. Extra-root fertilization should be carried out on a sunny and windless day, and must not be carried out at noon under bright sunlight, so as to avoid leaf burn.

3. Pruning the root system and other matters

The roots of succulents swaying in the water are a characteristic feature of hydroponic ornamental value, and usually do not need pruning, so as not to affect the ornamental effect. However, as time goes by, when the root system grows too long and too dense, it is still necessary to appropriately remove old roots and shorten long roots to encourage the sprouting of new roots and enhance root vitality. In addition, if the plant's roots rot due to excessively high water temperature or overly concentrated nutrient solution, the rotten roots should be cut off cleanly in time, and the water should be changed once every 1 to 2 days until the plant sprouts new roots, after which it can return to normal care.

4. Artificial oxygenation promotes growth

Succulents under hydroponic conditions usually grow relatively slowly. The main reason is that the oxygen required by the plant roots is relatively insufficient, resulting in slow nutrient transport. During the water cultivation process of succulents, the roots will continuously consume the dissolved oxygen in the nutrient solution. Although under natural conditions, oxygen in the air will also slowly dissolve into the nutrient solution, the amount is scarce and far from meeting the oxygen demand of the roots. In order to promote the normal growth of hydroponic succulents, in addition to changing the water regularly, you can also use a miniature oxygen pump to foam and aerate the water (nutrient solution) in the hydroponic container, so that the roots can obtain sufficient oxygen.

5. Application of potassium permanganate

Most hydroponic succulents are suitable for growing in a bright environment, but the water (nutrient solution) in a transparent vessel, when exposed to direct sunlight or under conditions with good light scattering, is prone to growing algae and moss, which not only affects the ornamental effect but also consumes oxygen in the water and hinders root growth. In the vigorous growth seasons of spring and autumn, by changing the water (nutrient solution), you can wash off the algae and moss attached to the roots and the inner wall of the vessel. In summer and winter, because the hydroponic vessel contains clean water, once algae or moss appear, in addition to changing the water, you can add a 0.2% potassium permanganate solution at 1/5 of the water volume in the vessel (potassium permanganate tablets are sold in pharmacies, 0.1 g, placed in about 0.5 L of water gives a 0.2% concentration). This can both prevent the growth of algae and moss in the water and have a sterilizing effect and prevent root rot, while also providing the plant with manganese and potassium nutrients to promote robust plant growth. As with traditional soil cultivation, if hydroponic succulents are to grow normally and healthily, timely and appropriate fertilization is an essential care task. Although water also contains a small number of nutrient elements needed by plants, it often cannot meet the needs when the plant is growing vigorously. In order for succulents to grow well in hydroponics, the necessary and reasonable fertilization must not be neglected. So how should succulents be fertilized? Let me introduce it to you below.

When fertilizing hydroponic succulents, care should be taken to master the fertilizer concentration. In traditional soil cultivation, once too much fertilizer is applied, it can gradually leach away through repeated watering from the drainage hole at the bottom of the flowerpot. But hydroponics is different, because all the added nutrient elements are completely dissolved in the water. Once the concentration is too high, it will cause fertilizer damage to the plant, and in severe cases, it will lead to plant death.

The rotten roots should be cut off cleanly in time, and the water should be changed once every 1 to 2 days until the plant sprouts new roots, after which it can return to normal care.

4. Artificial oxygenation promotes growth

Succulents under hydroponic conditions usually grow relatively slowly. The main reason is that the oxygen required by the plant roots is relatively insufficient, resulting in slow nutrient transport. During the water cultivation process of succulents, the roots will continuously consume the dissolved oxygen in the nutrient solution. Although under natural conditions, oxygen in the air will also slowly dissolve into the nutrient solution, the amount is scarce and far from meeting the oxygen demand of the roots. In order to promote the normal growth of hydroponic succulents, in addition to changing the water regularly, you can also use a miniature oxygen pump to foam and aerate the water (nutrient solution) in the hydroponic container, so that the roots can obtain sufficient oxygen.

5. Application of potassium permanganate

Most hydroponic succulents are suitable for growing in a bright environment, but the water (nutrient solution) in a transparent vessel, when exposed to direct sunlight or under conditions with good light scattering, is prone to growing algae and moss, which not only affects the ornamental effect but also consumes oxygen in the water and hinders root growth. In the vigorous growth seasons of spring and autumn, by changing the water (nutrient solution), you can wash off the algae and moss attached to the roots and the inner wall of the vessel. In summer and winter, because the hydroponic vessel contains clean water, once algae or moss appear, in addition to changing the water, you can add a 0.2% potassium permanganate solution at 1/5 of the water volume in the vessel (potassium permanganate tablets are sold in pharmacies, 0.1 g, placed in about 0.5 L of water gives a 0.2% concentration). This can both prevent the growth of algae and moss in the water and have a sterilizing effect and prevent root rot, while also providing the plant with manganese and potassium nutrients to promote robust plant growth. As with traditional soil cultivation, if hydroponic succulents are to grow normally and healthily, timely and appropriate fertilization is an essential care task. Although water also contains a small number of nutrient elements needed by plants, it often cannot meet the needs when the plant is growing vigorously. In order for succulents to grow well in hydroponics, the necessary and reasonable fertilization must not be neglected. So how should succulents be fertilized? Let me introduce it to you below.

When fertilizing hydroponic succulents, care should be taken to master the fertilizer concentration. In traditional soil cultivation, once too much fertilizer is applied, it can gradually leach away through repeated watering from the drainage hole at the bottom of the flowerpot. But hydroponics is different, because all the added nutrient elements are completely dissolved in the water. Once the concentration is too high, it will cause fertilizer damage to the plant, and in severe cases, it will lead to plant death.