This process is advised by LECUZA when using their substrates and is also often used for plants that like a drier substrate such as cacti and succulents. Dry phaseĪllowing a period of dryness where no water is added. Many people also recommend giving your substrate a thorough wash prior to planting to remove impurities, particularly useful to carry out when using LECA. Carried out periodically to maintain healthy plant growth. FlushingĪ thorough rinse of the plant’s roots and substrate to wash away mineral and impurity build up. A long-term shower method can be beneficial for plants who like a drier situation such as cacti and succulents. Many soilless fans in fact never use a reservoir, they continue with the shower method, watering as if the plant were in soil, letting it dry out to some extent before watering again. This method is commonly used when transitioning a plant into a semi-hydro situation to gradually get the plant’s roots ready for a water reservoir. The shower method is used when a plant is in soilless medium and all the water is drained out of the pot after watering, there is no water reservoir used. Reservoir methodĪs explained above, this is the method in which a reservoir of water is kept below the potting medium, the water is wicked up by the porous potting medium providing the plant’s roots with water and nutrients. In growing mediums this is beneficial as it doesn’t degenerate. In a chemical sense, inert means without the ability to react. Inorganic material is seen as beneficial for growing because it carries less risk of pest and disease. Conversely, soil is an organic medium as it is made up in part of composed organic matter (from decayed plants and animal manure). In growing, this refers to the potting medium. The material in which an organism lives and takes nutrients from. Additionally, water can be ‘wicked’ up through material (a cord or string) from a water reservoir into a potting medium. For example, when water evaporates from a plant through its leaf surface, this pulls water up through the plant from the roots via capillary action. Wicking is the act of absorbing or drawing water via capillary action. In order to explain the nitty gritty of soilless growing we’ll clarify some commonly used terms and products. They just need to be washed and rinsed and can be reused. Re-useable potting mediumsĪ great benefit of the soilless potting mediums is that they can be reused for a considerable amount of time. Worth noting though that Fair has experienced fungus gnats when using Perlite. No more fungus gnats?Īn added bonus, and one many people cite as the main reason for converting to semi-hydro is to rid the home of fungus gnats. Soilless mediums don’t clump or become waterlogged like soil does when over-watered, providing more aeration for the plant which aids healthy root growth. Reduced risk of root rotīy eliminating soil-born organic microbes and by allowing the plant to take up the amount of water it needs there is less risk of root rot. Reduced maintenanceīy using a water reservoir there is less frequent watering required, the plant takes up the water at the rate that it needs. That was two years ago and Fair has gone on to covert the vast majority of her plants to semi-hydro, for ease of maintenance and for the reduced risk of root rot. Then, through propagating cuttings in water and realising they can continually grow in there she started experimenting with soilless mediums. Like many, Fair started out planting in soil.
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