gary,that sounds likea neat way to root out plants.do ya mean w/ fish ,when you say " stocked aquarium"?? the strofoam,is that a cup???i'm not from Fla,but maybe it'll work in Texas,ya think!!!i'm sure goin to try it today. thanks for your idea.molly

I'm pretty sure there are several persons who frequent the forum that practice hydroculture, though I'm not one of them.
I still just grow plants in pots of soil.
(With the exception of a few cuttings left to grow in plain old jars of water.)
So this should be an interesting thread!

I'm curious about your Ficus, Gary....do you have a photo of it? Has it grown proportionatlely to a Ficus the same age grown in soil?

Molly
Anything that will keep the plant afloat. I use pieces of the 3/4 sheet foam.. Poke hole in it so only stem is in the water. Strong light helps also I think but no plant eating fish lol.. My guess why this works is because of the disolved nutrients and high oxygen levels of the water. Have heard that a bubbler will incresse it even more.
Sewnmom The ficus is a variagated form about 6 feet tall
by 3 wide . Keep it pruned at this size
This was started from a cutting from the neighbors yard that was about 30 feet tall by about 50 feet wide. Mine is a bit smaller lol. The neighbors removed the parent tree
in 92 for a pool . so it's long gone. Ficus form multiple trunks so they can cover acres in time. Great pot plant but losy landscape plant lol Way too big and will eat sewer lines lol gary

Gary, I grow all my plants in hydroculture, have been for a few years now. The list includes all kinds - from tropicals to succulents. It started off as a curious experiment and quickly led to a full-blown hobby. And even though I spent 17 or 18 years growing plants in soil successfully, I would never go back to it. I'm much happier with the hydroculture style.

Water roots
What do you see as the greatest advantage to water culture?? What types do you grow and do you use moving water or hydroponics?? Any types you've found that won't grow this way?? Any guess as to why this works?? gary

Well, the water juggling act is no longer an issue for any plant. And plant pests are much easier to deal with. Soil insects like millipedes, fungus gnats, etc, are a thing of the past. And leaf dwellers, such as the insufferable spider mites, are easily eradicated. Since the plants are potted up in clay pellets, I can remove them from their containers at any time, soak the entire plant and drown the little buggers. I can honestly say that spider mites are no longer burdensome. Yes, pests can  and do  attack plants grown in hydroculture, but because theyÂre so much easier to contend with in this style of growing, I no longer stress over them. I also donÂt need to run out and buy bags of soil or other mediums anymore, just because the ones my plants are growing in need to be replaced. The clay pellets I grow the plants in are permanent; they never break down. And they can be sterilized to be used over and over again. ItÂs a one-time investment that lasts forever.

I grow all kinds of plants this way, from tropicals to succulents. IÂve converted well over a hundred or so different plants and have found that all of them are capable of growing this way. Bear in mind that hydroculture is not the same as growing Âin waterÂ. The plants are never submerged in water, not even their roots. The roots themselves sit above the water. Occasionally a plant will extend some of its root system into the water below, but it decides when and how much.

ThereÂs no reason why this system shouldnÂt work; the clay pellets simply replace the soil. Plants do not need soil to grow or thrive. They need air, water, nutrients and light, all of which are provided in the hydroculture system. Soil anchors the plant, so do clay pellets.

IÂm very satisfied with growing plants this way and will continue to do so. I have nothing against growing plants in soil  I did it for almost two decades  but after having tried both styles, I prefer this one. And when someone takes an interest in hydroculture, IÂm always happy to help out with information and advice on how to get started.