Hydroponic flowers are a great addition to any hydroponic garden. With hydroponic flowers you can have bouquets year-round. Each kind of flower has different needs, so it’s important to do your research before growing. Hydroponic gardening also leads to larger plants and massive flowers!
Keep reading to learn about how to grow different kinds of hydroponic flowers!
Why Hydroponic Flowers?
When you grow flowers traditionally, you’ll spend countless hours tending to your soil, weeding, and watering. Why go through all of this labor when you can grow flowers hydroponically instead?
There are plenty of advantages of hydroponic flowers when compared to growing them in soil.
One such advantage is that you’ll have faster results. You can make each nutrient solution completely tailored to the species of flower that you’re growing. You don’t have to deal with insects or weeds, and you won’t be fighting as many diseases.
Impressively, hydroponic flowers grow up to 50% faster than traditional soil-grown flowers, and yields are much higher.
You can also grow your flowers year-round, when they’re usually expensive to purchase for bouquets out of season. This way you can cut your flowers and display them no matter what season it is.
The Basics of Hydroponic
Hydroponics is the process of growing plants without soil. You can use many different growing mediums, but the purpose stays consistent- holding the roots of the plants and letting the nutrient solution flow through them.
Hydroponics systems can be incredibly complex or simple and straightforward.
Hydroponics makes gardening accessible for people who have different abilities because you don’t have to bend down to weed, tend to the soil, or be in the heat.
With hydroponics, you can have higher yields, grow year-round, take up less space, and use less water.
Nutrients for Hydroponic Flowers
Contrary to the complicated chemical hydroponic nutrient mixes that used to exist, the majority of companies now use naturally-derived nutrients.
You can find hydroponic nutrients in powder or liquid form, so you can dilute the mixture and add it to your hydroponic gardening system as you need to.
The mixtures are made up of organic matter similar to things put in soil, such as additives like guano, kelp, fish meal, blood meal, and earthworm castings.
Additionally, nutrients for hydroponic flowers also need to include trace elements that plants would normally get from soil. It’s important to search for nutrient mixes that have trace minerals in them.
Growing Medium for Hydroponic Flowers
While you don’t need to dig in soil when you’re growing hydroponic flowers, you still need a growing medium to keep your flowers in place.
Some excellent candidates include:
- Sand
- Rock wool
- Coconut fiber
- Perlite
Different flowers may enjoy different growing mediums, so do your due diligence and find the one that works best for what you’re growing.
Benefits of Hydroponic Flower Growing
One of the main benefits of hydroponic flower growing is that you don’t have to weed your garden. Since your flowers are being grown in a controlled environment with a sterilized growing medium, you wont encounter any weeds.
Additionally, you don’t need a large yard to grow your hydroponic flowers. You can grow more flowers in less space.
You will also use much less water hydroponically than in a traditional garden.
5 Flowers to Grow in Hydroponics
Five plant species of flowers to grow hydroponically include peace lilies, orchids, hyacinth, hoya, and irises.
Peace Lilies
Peace lilies are very easy to care for as indoor plants. You can recognize them from their white flowers and dark green leaves. They’re very beautiful flowers!
Peace lilies don’t like overwatering. They’d prefer to be underwatered if anything.
Wait until peace lily leaves begin to wilt before watering them again. They are incredibly prone to root rot.
Because of this, ebb and flow hydroponic systems are probably best for peace lilies because the roots won’t be suspended in the water reservoir for extended amounts of time.
Tips for Growing Peace Lilies Hydroponically:
Peace lilies enjoy temperatures ranging from 68 degrees F to 80 degrees F.
Clean the leaves often, as peace lilies have a tendency to attract pests such as mealybugs and aphids.
Ideally, keep the pH between 5.6 and 6.5.
Orchids
Orchids are favorite house plants for many. But a little-known fact is that most of the orchids sold in stores stem from hydroponic systems!
This is because in nature, orchids grow between rocks or on tree bark. Since the tropical climates are wet, the rain provides sufficient watering and moist conditions. When the rain stops, the roots become exposed to the air and can take up oxygen.
Meanwhile, they’re surrounded by rotting organic matter to provide nutrients.
Clearly, hydroponics mimics this natural environment perfectly!
Tips for Growing Orchids Hydroponically:
Orchids do best with hydroton pebbles because of their superior drainage which gives the roots great aeration.
Temperatures for orchids should be between 60 degrees F and 80 degrees F. In addition, orchids need high levels of humidity and great air circulation.
Orchids need a pH range of 5.5 to 6.5.
Hyacinth
Hyacinths are popular flowers that are well known for how sweet they smell. They’re bulbous plants.
One benefit of growing them hydroponically is that you don’t have to remove the flower bulb from the soil during their dormant phase.
Tips for Growing Hyacinth Hydroponically:
Hyacinths need a constant supply of nutrients.
Once they’re done blooming, cut the stems back so the plants puts all of their energy into their bulbs.
Hyacinths don’t bloom for long, so the addition of organic blooming fertilizer will extend their blooming period.
Hoyas
Hoyas are also called wax plants. Hoyas include the evergreen perennial creeper, shrub, an vine.
When hoyas are flowering, they create beautiful star-shaped leaves that can range from feeling like felt to being incredibly smooth. They’re quite a happy plant!
They’re low maintenance, making them a popular houseplant.
Flowers can range from 1/4 inch to 4 inches in diameter.
There are 200 species of hoyas to choose from, with each of them having their own special shapes and colors.
Tips for Growing Hoyas Hydroponically:
When you’re pruning your hoya, don’t cut the long tendrils. The flowers develop there.
Hoyas require a lot of drainage because they can easily be overwatered. A medium like perlite or coco coir is a good idea because of the excellent drainage.
Hoya can also absorb moisture through the air, so it’s low maintenance to grow. A hydroponic system that utilizes humid conditions like grow tents are a good idea for this flower.
Hoyas like indirect, bright light. Avoid darkness, and on the other hand, direct sun. Hoyas enjoy temperatures ranging from 50 degrees F to 77 degrees F.
Hoya pH should be between 5.0 and 6.5.
Iris
Irises are incredibly adaptable. They can grow anywhere from clay soil to ponds of water.
Because of this, they thrive in hydroponic systems.
Irises have been grown for millennia. Ancient Egyptians and Indians grew them in their gardens.
Tips for Growing Irises Hydroponically:
Some irises have bulbs and others have rhizomes. Don’t let the bulbs of bulbous flower species touch the water- just the roots.
Keep the bulbs somewhere cool and dry for about three to four months before germinating.
FAQs
Can you grow flowers through hydroponics
You can grow flowers through hydroponics. Flowers thrive hydroponically because you can completely control their environment.
Can you grow roses in hydroponics
Yes, you can grow roses hydroponically. They are great to work with and because of that, you can have roses all year round. Hydroponic roses are being grown more and more because of the savings and year-round yields.
Can you grow lavender hydroponically
Yes, you can grow lavenders hydroponically and have this aromatic flower all year round to either dry it and have it in your house, or create perfumes or creams. Even soaps!
How can I grow flowers without soil
You can grow flowers without soil in hydroponic systems, but you will still need a growing medium. A hydroponic system is the process of growing flowers without the need for soil.
Conclusion
Hydroponic flowers are a great way to add some color to your home with flower displays. Not every hydroponic crop has to be a vegetable! Just like with traditional gardening, you can simply garden for beauty. Flower gardeners have a place in hydroponics too!
Hydroponic flowers are easy to grow as long as you know what your particular kind of flower needs. Hopefully now you have a better idea of where to begin!
Read some more of our blog posts to learn how to grow more amazing plants in your hydroponic garden.