Complete Manual for Home Hydroponic Flowers
Plant Knowledge Section, sharing knowledge about hydroponic flowers with you, this complete manual for home hydroponic flowers, if there are any mistakes, please feel free to correct them!
How Many Hydroponic Flowers Should Be Placed
Cultivating hydroponic flowers in the living room can help regulate emotions, beautify the environment, and also purify the air. It is beneficial to place a few plants appropriately. If the living room space is small and too many flowers are placed, it can cause the flowers to compete with people for oxygen at night. So how many flowers should be placed in the living room? According to scientists' experiments, it is considered suitable to plant one or two flowers for every 10 square meters of room area. Based on this standard, for a living room area of 50 to 60 square meters, placing about 10 hydroponic flowers of various sizes can meet the needs of appreciation without causing oxygen competition between flowers and people at night.
Four Methods to Obtain Hydroponic Plants
First, transfer flowers cultivated in soil or other organic substrates, or inorganic substrates, remove the soil or inorganic substrates from the roots, and switch to static hydroponics with nutrient solution.
Second, use the branches of the flowers as cuttings, directly insert them into static water, and after rooting, cultivate them with nutrient solution.
Third, some flowers have stolons (creeping stems) that develop small plants, such as吊兰 (Dracaena fragrans) and吊凤梨 (Guzmania), which can be directly hydroponically cultivated by removing these small plants.
Fourth, for flowers with many suckers, such as Clivia miniata and Bromeliad, hydroponic cultivation can be carried out by stripping off suckers with roots.
How to Prepare Hydroponic Nutrient Solution
Hydroponic cultivation of flowers at home (or commonly referred to as hydroponic flowers) must meet three basic conditions:
First, select plants that are closely related to aquatic plants, i.e., those retaining aquatic genetic traits, for static hydroponic cultivation of flowers.
Second, choose a non-leakage, bottomless cultivation container that matches the size and style of the hydroponic flowers.
Third, use an ion-balanced absorption (appropriate proportion) low electrical conductivity nutrient solution containing all the essential mineral nutrients required for the growth of flowering plants. The recommended formula is as follows:
(1) Macroelements: Calcium nitrate 0.27g, Potassium nitrate 0.13g, Monopotassium phosphate 0.08g, Magnesium sulfate 0.13g.
(2) Microelements: EDTA-2Na 8.0mg, Ferrous sulfate 5.0mg, Manganese sulfate 1.4mg, Boric acid 2.0mg, Zinc sulfate 0.07mg, Copper sulfate 0.04mg, Sodium molybdate 0.09mg.
(3) Purified water: 1 liter (1000 milliliters).
The pH value should be between 5.5 and 6.5, and the electrical conductivity (EC) should be less than 0.5 millisiemens/cm.
Plant the selected flowers in the container, add hydroponic nutrient solution for cultivation, and it becomes a static hydroponic flower with unique charm.
When preparing nutrient solution, it is best to use purified water, of course, tap water can also be used to prepare nutrient solution in general. Both are strictly processed, clean and hygienic, meeting the requirements for aseptic (or less bacterial) cultivation. However, it must be fully noted that purified water contains fewer impurities and bacteria and lacks the essential nutrients required by plants, while tap water may contain unstable nutrient elements due to variations in water sources. Therefore, the nutrient solution prepared with purified water is stable and consistent, while the nutrient solution prepared with tap water is unstable.
When tap water is disinfected with liquid chlorine, excessive chlorine in the water can be harmful to flowering plants. A water purifier can be installed on the faucet. Run the tap water, store it in a larger-mouthed bucket, let it sit for a few days, and stir it with a stick a few times to remove chlorine. If water needs to be changed urgently, adding 3 to 5 tablets of sodium thiosulfate (commonly known as "sodium hyposulfite") to 10 kilograms of tap water and stirring well can also remove chlorine.
Most ornamental leafy plants prefer a slightly acidic soil environment, and their intolerance to alkalinity is also unchanged in hydroponic cultivation. Static nutrient solution cultivation must adjust the pH of the solution to the range of 5.5 to 6.5 to facilitate the absorption of trace elements by the flowers, unimpeded physiological metabolism, and normal growth with green leaves.
How to Apply Fertilizer to the Leaves
Static hydroponic cultivation is a cultivation method under root hypoxia, which can cause certain defects in the normal development of flowers. To improve the quality of flowers, 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 sprayed on the leaves. A fine-mist sprayer should be used to avoid loss of fertilizer solution, and the back of the leaves should also be sprayed. Spraying once a week during the growing period, twice during the growing season, can make hydroponic flowers lush and leafy. For ornamental leafy flowers that can also be appreciated for their flowers, such as Spathiphyllum, Cyclamen, Schlumbergera, and Zantedeschia, a 0.15% monopotassium phosphate dilute solution can be sprayed on the leaves once a week during the budding period until the flowers open.
Temperature Requirements for Hydroponic Flowers
Hydroponic cultivation only changes the method of flower cultivation and does not change the growth habits of flowers, nor can it change their habits. The ornamental leafy plants used in static hydroponic cultivation mostly originate from Latin American rainforests or tropical high-temperature, high-humidity, shaded ravine areas, and are non-cold-resistant flowering plants. Generally, when the temperature drops below 10°C, some varieties will suffer from frost damage, leaf edges will scorch, old leaves will turn yellow, and wilt and fall off. Under static hydroponic conditions, the same phenomenon will occur. Some flowers are more cold-resistant, such as English ivy, creeping fig, and cacti, which can grow normally at temperatures of 5°C to 7°C. When the temperature is above 30°C, some flowers will lose their luster, grow stagnant, and have brown spots on the leaf edges, showing a dormant state due to heat intolerance, such as Schlumbergera, Cyclamen, and Coleus. High temperatures above 30°C often cause root rot in static hydroponic cultivation, which is also related to the decrease in dissolved oxygen in the nutrient solution with increasing temperature. Keeping the temperature between 15°C and 28°C is suitable for various flowers in static hydroponic cultivation. Additionally, understanding the temperature required for the growth of each flower and creating a suitable temperature condition for growth during static hydroponic cultivation is also very important.
Light Requirements for Hydroponic Flowers
Static hydroponic cultivation often selects more shade-tolerant ornamental leafy plants and a small number of ornamental flowering plants. The characteristic of these flowers is that they do not require strong direct sunlight during the growing period and can grow well in a relatively shaded environment. Generally, placing them in indoor, living room, or office spaces with scattered light coming through windows and doors, as well as indoor lighting, can fully meet their lighting needs. If the light is too weak, the leaves of the flowers cannot perform normal photosynthesis and accumulate enough nutrients, resulting in poor growth. Some variegated leafy flowers, such as Coleus and Croton, will lose their leaf color in a low-light environment, becoming dull and colorless. These flowers can only maintain their leaf color in an environment with sufficient light but not exposed to strong sunlight.
Plants have phototropism, and the orientation of the flowers should be rotated regularly. This task can be combined with cleaning containers and changing nutrient solutions. After washing the roots, rotate the flowers 180 degrees relative to their original orientation to ensure that the flowers do not grow偏向一侧 and the top always points upwards.
Humid Environment and Good Ventilation
Most ornamental leafy plants originate from warm and humid environments. Static hydroponic cultivation also requires creating a relatively humid environment for good growth. A simple method is to spray water on the leaves of the flowers (to prevent the water mist from wetting furniture, you can move the flowers to the balcony or outdoors, and then move them back indoors after spraying). It is best to use a fine-mist喷头 when spraying to make the mist adhere to the leaves without flowing down. For plants with sturdy leaves and waxy membranes, such as Monstera and Clivia miniata, you can wipe the leaves with a damp cloth to increase leaf humidity and remove dust. For larger, difficult-to-move flowers, you can place a shallow tray or pot with water next to the flowers, and the evaporated water can also increase the environmental humidity.
A good ventilation environment is an important condition for the normal growth of flowers. If hydroponic flowers are placed in a living room with closed windows and doors, the air is stale, which is not conducive to their growth. Especially when people are away from home during the day, the house is not ventilated, and curtains are drawn, in such a恶劣 environment, hydroponic flowers not only do not get the required light but also lack fresh air, the dissolved oxygen continues to decrease, and the growth will become poorer, with yellowing and falling leaves, and weak and withered new shoots. The place where hydroponic flowers are placed should be ventilated at regular intervals to form air circulation, allowing fresh air from the outside to enter the room, which can increase the content of dissolved oxygen in the nutrient solution.
In air-conditioned rooms, the temperature required for hydroponic flowers can be achieved, but the air is dry, which can cause the leaves of thin-leaved flowers to scorch and the leaf tips to dry out. Air-conditioned rooms also lack fresh air, leading to a decrease in dissolved oxygen content. It is necessary to ventilate appropriately, which is beneficial for the growth of hydroponic flowers and the health of the body. In places with large hydroponic flowers, it is even more important to do this.
Disease and Pest Control for Hydroponic Flowers
Hydroponic cultivation avoids soil-borne diseases and pests, but it is not grown in a strictly disinfected vacuum environment and can still be invaded by pests and diseases from the placement environment. Fungi, bacteria, and viruses in the air can infect the stems and leaves of hydroponic flowers, causing varying degrees of lesions. Aphids and scale insects can be carried by the wind into the room and fall on hydroponic flowers to absorb sap. Moths can lay eggs on flowers, and the larvae that hatch will eat the tender leaves and stem tips. Flowers that are transferred from pots to static hydroponic cultivation can also carry fungi, bacteria, viruses, eggs, and larvae, and if not carefully inspected and removed, they can leave hidden dangers.
Due to the special nature of the placement environment of static hydroponic flowers, chemical pesticides should not be used once pests and diseases occur, nor should high doses of fungicides be used. While these drugs can kill pests and sterilize, they can also pollute the environment.
Prevention should be the main approach for possible pests and diseases in hydroponic flowers. When selecting flowers for hydroponic cultivation, it is best to choose healthy, vigorous plants without pests and diseases. If pests are found during cultivation, manual capture or rinsing with tap water can be used to remove them. Infectious diseases in hydroponic flowers are rare, and only a few leaves may have brown lesions, dry and wither, or irregular circular wet lesions caused by fungal or bacterial infections. These leaves should be removed and burned to prevent their spread. Non-infectious diseases are preventable.
Non-infectious diseases are not caused by pathogenic organisms but are caused by unsuitable environments. Hot and humid summer weather, cold winters, dry climates, sunburn, poor air circulation, excessive shading, high nutrient solution concentrations, or unbalanced absorption can all cause static hydroponic flowers to have leaf tips that scorch, lower leaves that turn yellow and fall off. In the hot summer, high temperatures can cause root rot due to a sharp decrease in dissolved oxygen in the solution. This is a common symptom in static hydroponic cultivation. To address these different symptoms, identify the corresponding causes, correct them, and improve the cultivation environment to prevent non-infectious diseases.
How to Care for Static Hydroponic Flowers with Disconnected or Rotten Roots? Due to poor management, root rot due to hypoxia, or infection by fungi, bacteria, or viruses, hydroponic flowers may develop leaf spot diseases, yellowing and shedding leaves, causing the lower part to disconnect and lose ornamental value. For hydroponic flowers with disconnected or rotten roots, the method of plant renewal can be used to handle them. Cut the upper part of the stem, which is still intact, 3 centimeters below the node, and insert it into clean water. After a period of care and management, new roots can grow, and it can become an independent plant. The lower part of the disconnected stem, as long as it does not rot, can also sprout new buds at the node. At this time, it can be cultivated with nutrient solution.富贵竹 (Dracaena sanderiana), Green萝 (Epipremnum aureum), 七彩朱蕉 (Cordyline terminalis), and Syngonium podophyllum can all be treated this way.
The above sharing of the complete manual for home hydroponic flowers is for reference for hydroponic enthusiasts.