You're looking for hydroponics. There are a million different ways to go. Orchids for example don't grow under water but will grow in rocks and potting bark. Pothos and water lillies will grow in water are are more like true hydroponics.

The first step is to find a local pet store of a decent size and quality (NOT WAL-MART). Go in and ask about aquatic vegetation and how to grow it. That would be a good start and hopefully you'll find someone who can give you a few pointers. Beyond that it's all in what you look for. Google the term hydroponics and spend a day learning.

Thanks for the response, Mkiker. I hadn't thought about pet supply stores. I'm going to try to check one out.

Things like orchids growing on bark or rock are definitely out. Again, mold spores are the issue, and down here bark and even rock will grows mold very quickly if repeatedly wetted.

I've searched hydroponics, hydroculture, and even "growing plants in water," but I'm having trouble finding much specific information on growing plants in a plain old vase of water. You mention pothos, and I've read that peace lilies, ivies, and of course lucky bamboo will too. But I keep looking for other possibilities.

I guess one of my main questions if any of the taller houseplants--rubber tree plant, corn plant, and others--could be grown in water the way lucky bamboo is, supported by submerged rocks or marbles (as long as the rocks or marbles are submerged I don't think the mold will be an issue. But then with bigger plants changing the water could become a problem--especially if there are a lot of marbles to spill.

I'll keep looking.

thanks
Bill

Bill,

Here's a site with some information you might be interested in. There is also a list of different houseplants you can grow in plain ole tap water.

Billy Rae

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing houseplants in water

I've had a peace lily growing in water (out of direct sun) for 3 yrs.

I'm curious to try this also. I saw an inexpensive aglanomea at Lowes that might work well. It could be an interesting conversation piece at least.

It sounds deceptively simple. Basically it seems that you just pretty much put them in water and let them grow. I'm curious if you really have to change the water like the above site says. I've heard both ways on it. I've seen set ups that used aquarium filters even, but it's probably unnecessary.

I still say get something from a pet store first so you have someone to talk to if it goes wrong, and you should find something cheap. Something like that seaweed stuff that you put in tanks for baby fish to hide in perhaps.

Do you have a decent bookstore nearby? A Barnes and Nobles, Books-a-Million, Borders, Walden Books etc.. They probably have a book or two on the subject. Heck I'd bet there are even magazines dedicated to it (there is a "walking" magazine after all so I imagine everything has one.)

Let us know what you find, I may copy your trials myself.

Try this first. Pothos is a sure fire bet because it's nearly indestructable. Get a cutting even if you have to buy one. You'll see a little rootlet, but the leaf and rootlet in water. You'll see roots grow. With Pothos you don't even need gravel since it will float on the surface happily enough.

I'm surprised an aspidistra (cast-iron) was on the list. It's shape seems wrong for this but the plants general hardiness would probably allow it to grow on the moon if some seeds accidentally got stuck on a shuttle mission. Sometimes I'm amazed that stuff isn't in everyones yard the way mine is growing.

This site has a hydroponics forum.

Here is a link that might be useful: here

Thanks for the link, Billy Rae. It's just the sort of information I'm looking for.

I'm still wondering how to change the water. Seems like it would be difficult with all the marbles and the roots growing in the marbles. Maybe if I just poured it all into a big colander?

mkiker, I have a pothos growing in dirt, so it's going to be one of the first I try growing in water. I also have some of the other plants listed growing as porch plants. I'm going try converting some of those too.

Bill

Bill, as you well know, plants do not need soil to survive. They have four basic needs: air, light, water and nutrients. Many, many plants can be grown in water as long as you continue to help them breathe. The key for success is clean water, regularly.

When plants are grown in water, they develop water roots. But even water roots need to breathe. Fresh water contains dissolved oxygen that your plant will use to breathe. You must make sure that there is plenty of oxygen in the water at all times for your plant to survive and avoid root rot. Change it often and do not let it go bad! If the water smells, it is an obvious indication that it lacks oxygen and needs to be changed. If you do not provide regular oxygenated water, your plants will cease to develop new roots, and growth can be stunted.

Be careful with feeding. Your plantÂs roots will burn easily if fertilizer is applied to the water in full strength. Dilute the type of food youÂre using to a very light application  1/10th the recommended strength seems to work just fine  and change the water after one week. Do not leave fertilizer in the water indefinitely.

Thanks, naturelover_mtl. Sounds like changing the water often is the key to success.

Does anyone have any tips on making the water changes easier? With small plants it won't be a problem. But I'm thinking changing the water for a bigger plant with a more extensive root system could be an ordeal, especially if there are a lot of marbles in the water.

Bill

Get yourself an Aquarium Siphon at your local pet shop, which will help you remove most of the old water - then you can top it off with fresh, oxygenated water. These simple but handy little tools will make water changes easy, especially if you grow plant in deep vases. In fact, if you visit a pet shop that has a good selection of products for fish/aquariums, you'll find many useful items that will help you with your plants.

I had great success taking several 5-10" clippings from my friend's philodendron plant and simply sticking them in a a jar of water. The developed long, wispy, white roots which formed a strange but pretty display. The plant's vines continued growing and stayed very healthy for over a year, until I came home from a weekend away and my cat had decided to pull them completely out of the water. I put them back in the water but they didn't survive the abuse!

I did find that I needed to change the water every couple of weeks, but I never added anything else.

good luck.

-CHOWZDOWN

Thanks, naturelover_mtl, that's just what I needed to know. I definitely need to get to pet store soon.

Thanks again to you all for the information.

Bill

I have four small cuttings of a lipstick vine growing in water right now as well, they are starting to get entangled together with their roots,but thats okay,I plant on keeping them in the water. I change my water every couple of days, but the container is very small, it might 125 ml of water. They are all putting on new growth, so they are doing fine.

Tracy

I am totally going to try the pothos in water, this is one of my favorite plants, a cool container with some colored marbles, roots, and pothos, I have gotta try it!!

I have grown pothos in vases of water for years. Okay I admit it's usually because I never get around to potting it up in soil! But it works great regardless.

The product called Physan might be of some use also. I wick water streptocarpus and use physan in the trays of standing water (I do not have chlorinated water) to prevent algae or any other crud. Also in the trays of water beneath my orchids. I even spray it on my plants occasionally to prevent desease. It works great. Keeps the water nice and clean. It is available at just about any hydroponics or greenhouse supply site. I think it would be worth it to have a hydroponics set-up for larger plants. Trying to change out the water could be a nightmare. These set-ups come in all sizes. I buy some products from Wormsway and I'm sure they have some single set-ups, although they will be pricey.

I use expanded clay balls for various things. Maybe if you try those or a similar product in conjunction with physan it would keep the mold away and anchor your plants in a way you can tolerate.

Good luck.

Chris

If it's something you really car about then you could get an aquarium air pump and one of those rocks that you put on the end of the line. That will make a cascade of air bubbles flow and it infuses air into the water. I might be neat to just buy a 15 gallon aquarium and a waterfall filter. They infuse the air into the water also, help keep the water clean, and look cool. It won't look plantish and "still life" but it would be very different.