What flowers grow well in hydroponics. Efficient home hydroponics for flowers and vegetables. Growing home flowers in hydroponics: equipment and materials

The most favorite type of indoor plants for many gardeners is ficuses. These representatives of the flora have long become a kind of symbol of home warmth and the special comfort of childhood, which is often remembered later for many years.

This article will tell about the features of caring for these pets, in particular, how to water the ficus, the moisturizing technique and its frequency.

Common types

For the most part, ficuses are evergreens, but there are also deciduous plants among them. A huge number of very different species and subspecies (about eight hundred) surprises with a variety of shapes and colors. We will focus on the most famous and popular of them - Benjamin's ficus and its rubber-bearing counterparts - elastic ficus.

From the whole complex of caring activities for them, we will single out only one and learn how to water ficus at home.

ficus benjamina

Native to the humid tropics of Asian countries, the ficus, named after the famous biologist Benjamin D. Jackson, has become a hit in home floriculture, perfectly combined with many plant species that adorn modern interiors. This is an evergreen small tree from the mulberry family with a real trunk covered with gray-beige bark, a branched crown and dense, glossy, elegant leaves with a characteristic pointed tip. There are three varieties of this ficus: large-leaved, with medium-sized leaves and small-leaved, or dwarf. In each subspecies, there are up to thirty varieties of plants that differ in color and shape of leaves. The topic of the publication - how to water ficus at home, is somewhat narrow, and we will consider it as an aspect in the general complex of caring activities.

Features of care

Ficus tissues contain an aggressive milky sap that can irritate the skin upon contact.

It is impossible to achieve flowering at home, but flower growers do not set such goals, since the plant is quite decorative and is valued precisely by its luxurious crown, which tolerates pruning and shaping in accordance with the wishes of the owner. Benjamin's ficus, which is widespread in the home interior, is very capricious, so it is important to know the features of caring for it, in particular, how to water the ficus.

Light-loving, but not tolerant of direct sunlight, the ficus does not like drafts, sudden cooling and frequent rearrangements, it can shed its leaves. Therefore, the plant should initially choose a permanent place. A native of tropical rainforests, he transferred his addictions to home floriculture. It is moisture-loving, but also sensitive to excessive moisture, which is detrimental if it is permanent.

Watering rules

Florists especially focus on how to water Benjamin's ficus, since moderate watering is one of the main conditions, the correct implementation of which is the key to the successful development of the plant.

What is important here is not regularity, but the emergence of conditions for its implementation. Therefore, the ficus is moistened as necessary, usually focusing on the state of the top layer of soil in the container. Its drying to a depth of 1-2 cm, and for bulk containers with large plants - 4-5 cm, signals a beginning lack of moisture and requires watering. Serious problems can cause the plant to dry out the soil, as well as excessive moisture. An indicator of violations is the condition of the leaves of the plant. With excessive watering, the soil layer practically does not dry out, the apical shoots die off, the leaves fade and fall off, and an unpleasant smell from the soil appears. With insufficient moisture, the leaves curl up, dry out and fall off, the shoots become brittle and brittle, and the soil moves away from the walls of the container.

Water quality requirements

Melt or rain water is considered ideal for irrigation, impeccable in softness and other basic indicators. For these purposes, well-settled tap water is also suitable. The water temperature should vary between 23-25 ​​˚С, since cold water can cause various putrefactive processes in the root system.

How to water ficus benjamin at home

Let's talk about irrigation technology. Wet the clod of earth evenly, without washing away the soil in one place, after which the soil is carefully loosened, trying not to damage the roots.

In summer, in hot weather, the plant is watered 2-3 times a week. With the advent of autumn, the intensity of moisture is gradually reduced. How to water Benjamin's ficus at home in winter? When the dormant period begins, this procedure is usually included in the weekly watering schedule no more than 1 time. However, it is necessary to monitor the condition of the soil, and if necessary, adjustments are made to the proposed schedule.

Dry air is another factor that should not be allowed, since it can provoke not only leaf fall, but also an attack by a spider mite. Both of these are a very unpleasant phenomenon, nullifying the decorative effect of culture. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain a sufficiently high level of humidity in the room, spraying the tree daily, and with the onset of the hot season - several times a day.

Transplants and subsequent watering

Young plants grow quickly and are transplanted annually in the spring. From the age of four, transplants are carried out every 2 years, adding fresh, nutritious and loose soil to the container with the plant, if necessary. The condition of the soil signals the need for a transplant: if the soil in the container dries up quickly, it means that the roots lack space and nutrition, therefore, it is time to replant the plant. Before this, the culture is intensively watered to make it easier to remove from the pot. Then the ficus is transplanted into a new container with fresh earth. How to water Benjamin's ficus after a transplant? After the plant has been “relocated”, it is watered again and left alone until the top layer dries.

Rubber plant: how to water a ficus

The second name of this home culture is ficus elastica. In polarity, it is hardly inferior to Benjamin's ficus, decorating modern homes and successfully competing with the most sought-after ornamental plants.

An unusually decorative ficus is also completely unpretentious in its care. Dense leathery leaves are usually dark green, but there are also variegated specimens, the leaves of which are decorated with a yellow border. The noticeably greater unpretentiousness of elastic ficus in comparison with Benjamin's ficus does not affect the features of care. It is transplanted with the same regularity, they monitor the condition of the soil, periodically feed it, that is, they carry out the necessary operations required by all species. How to water ficus? At home, in winter, a dormant period begins, when all processes in the tissues of the plant slow down. At this time, it is especially important not to flood the crop, so close attention to the condition of the soil is necessary. As already mentioned, the drying of the top layer of soil is a signal for watering. By the beginning of summer, the frequency of moistening is adjusted to 2-3 times a week.

The method of growing plants without soil on nutrient media has long been known. It is known that for the first time in Russia in 1896, at the All-Russian Industrial and Art Exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod, K.A. Timiryazev demonstrated plants growing in a beautiful glass house. The plants were kept in vessels filled with a solution of mineral salts. In those days, this method was recognized as "blasphemous" and further laboratory research was not widespread. In 1929, at the University of California, W.F. Gerikke carried out the industrial cultivation of vegetable crops in aqueous solutions of mineral salts. He called this method hydroponics (from the Greek - water and work).

After mastering a few basic concepts, you will be able to grow almost all varieties of plants and with much less labor than on soil. In the case of using automated solution circulation systems (some of which are very easy to assemble at home), the labor costs for watering and feeding plants disappear altogether. The very name of the method indicates that not the earth or a solid substrate becomes the habitat of plants, but water. Granules of expanded clay and gravel are needed to strengthen the roots of the plant, absorbing nutrients and water from the solution that fills the space between the granules.

Modern tableware
For growing plants using the hydroponic method, it consists of two parts: an outer dish filled with water and nutrients, and an inner, most often plastic. The inner utensils must have holes. The plant is in the inner part, and its roots are covered with granules. Unlike the flower pots used in the traditional growing method, pots designed for the hydroponic method need to be very voluminous so that the plant does not have to be repotted frequently. Indeed, during transplantation, roots can be damaged, in this case not protected by an earthen clod. Granules of various sizes, obtained from clay at temperatures above 1000 ° C, have a constant structure, are not affected by acids, are unusually porous and light.

Previously, pumice, burnt slate, granite chips and basalt were used as fillers, but now they are a thing of the past. Do not use cheap fillers purchased at a building materials store. The high content of salts and impurities in such fillers does not allow their effective use in hydroponics. For this method, granular materials from specialized flower shops are primarily suitable, while they can be called differently. Due to the fact that the structure of expanded clay differs from the structure of the earth, and the roots of the plant feel free in it, the life of the plant depends on the level of water and the nutrients it contains. If there is too much nutrient medium, then the roots will not have enough oxygen and they will begin to rot. If the level of the nutrient medium drops too low, the expanded clay will dry out, the roots will not receive nutrition and the plant will dry out.

Fertilizers can either be in the form of a traditional hydroponic growing medium (liquid or granular) placed in an outer dish, or use a Levatite HD 5 ion exchanger, which is a small ball of synthetic resin. In addition, so-called "fertilizer batteries" are used (flat plastic trays placed under the inner dishes nourish the plant for 5-6 months). The nutrients contained in synthetic resin begin to flow only as a result of the dissolution of salts and root secretions, and the ion exchanger works only in a dry environment. In liquid hydroponic media, acting differently than ion exchangers, water performs the same function as traditional potted plant growing, its pH should be above 6.5. With this method of fertilization, the content of harmful substances and root secretions is constantly increasing, so every 4-6 weeks (the exact timing can only be established in practice) it is necessary to change the entire nutrient medium and wash the granules. When using ion exchangers, this operation is not necessary. Water added to plants should be at least 16°C. Most plants do best at 20-25°C, but the warmer the growing medium, the lower the oxygen content. We have already said that the results of the hydroponic method of growing plants depend on the level of the nutrient medium. Since the top layer of expanded clay remains dry even when there is still enough water in the outer vessel, the level of the nutrient medium in the inner vessel can only be determined using an optical instrument.

In older models, there was a special eye in the outer wall of the dish. Currently, the level of the medium is determined using a tube with a float. Marks "minimum", "maximum" and "optimum" signal the level of the remaining medium. But, alas, this method is not perfect. The device will stop working or will give incorrect readings if algae or roots entangle the tube or a ball of levatite clogs into it. Therefore, before pouring the solution, you need to make sure that the device is working correctly. Under normal conditions, the nutrient medium is replenished only when the float is at the “minimum” mark, however, experienced gardeners advise even in this case to wait another day or two so that sufficient oxygen enters the roots.

It is necessary to add the solution not to the "maximum" mark, but to the "optimum" mark, so that not all roots float in the liquid. Only in the case when the owner is going to leave the apartment for a long time, the solution is topped up to the highest mark. To this day, there is only one system that guarantees the accuracy of readings - this is Dr. Bleicher's "hydraulic tank". The solution is contained in a plastic rotating drum with the filling hole at the bottom, which guarantees a constant replenishment of the solution as it decreases. "Hydrotanks" come in a variety of sizes, colors and shapes.

Converting potted plants to hydroponics

Brings positive results especially in young plants. The roots of the plant should be washed very thoroughly under running water so that not a single lump of earth remains on them. Remaining organic matter can cause the aquatic culture to rot. Sick, dried or too long roots should be removed. After placing the plant in the inner bowl, it is filled with expanded clay. In the first weeks, the water level should be minimal, and only clean water without fertilizers is used. Actually hydroponics begins when new roots appear, adapted to the new aquatic environment. Hydroponically grown plants are propagated from cuttings of the same plant or plants growing in the ground. Cuttings are grown in water or on expanded clay, so that in the future it would not be necessary to transfer them to hydroponics.

Many flowering plants grow well using hydroponics, and since their assortment in the trade is not sufficiently diverse, propagation by cuttings from existing plants looks very promising. And yet it is difficult to say whether it is worth growing plants by this method. On the one hand, there are no problems with watering (even in the absence of the owner for a long time) and fertilizing, there is no need to replant plants often, etc. On the other hand, such plants cannot be taken out to a balcony or garden without taking care of a protective device from rain, which can disrupt the water balance. It is difficult to grow hydroponic plants that are dormant in winter, i.e. requiring less water and a colder environment, since the temperature of the solution in this case falls below the critical point. The only way out is to constantly keep the liquid level very low, which forces the owners to be on the alert all the time.

Pests

Pests attacking hydroponic plants are best controlled with topical preparations such as Wacker's Systemschutz D. This drug destroys aphids, scale insects, thrips, but does not affect spider mites, which, like thrips, love the dry air of our apartments in the winter. To combat spider mites, pflanzenspray Hortex, Lycetan-Zimmerp-Flanzensprey, Zimmerpflanzensprey N are effective. Experiments have shown that these drugs effectively affect aphids and scale insects. Unfortunately, these drugs are harmful to the leaves of tender plants. With the hydroponic method of growing plants, predatory mites can be used to control spider mites.

1. We clean the roots from the green clod
2. Wash off the remnants of the earth
3. We plant plants in the inner dish and fill it with expanded clay - the planting depth is greater than with traditional forms of cultivation
4. Fill the dishes with water to the number "1" or the mark "optimum"

How to transplant plants from soil to hydroculture?
Soak the earth ball for several hours with water at room temperature. (for example, in a bucket). After that, carefully separate the soil under water, then gently wash the roots with a light jet of water at room temperature. After cleaning the roots from the remnants of the soil, straighten them downwards, and, holding the plant, cover the roots with a substrate (it is not necessary that the plant touches the water layer directly with the roots - the solution will rise up through the capillaries of the substrate, reaching the roots; subsequently they themselves will germinate to the desired depth). After that, pour plain water on top of the substrate, pour the desired level of water into the vessel, and leave the plant for about a week. Only after that, the water can be replaced with a solution. Important: Do not fill in the solution immediately after transplanting!

A simple solution recipe
To prepare one liter of solution, you will need two components (a 5-ml syringe, sold in every pharmacy, is well suited for dosage): 1. 1.67 ml of complex fertilizer "Uniflor Buton" or "Uniflor Growth" (depending on the type of crop - "Bud" is more for fruiting and flowering, and "Growth" - for the growth of green parts of plants) in a liter of water. Fertilizers "Uniflor" are produced in St. Petersburg.2. Add there 2 ml of a 25% solution of calcium nitrate (to prepare a solution, dilute 250 g of four-water calcium (not potassium!) Nitrate in 1 liter of water). This amount of SC is given for soft (such as St. Petersburg or distilled water). The final amount of calcium in this dilution is about 100 mg/L. In the case of hard water, it is recommended to find out (from local water utilities or sanitary epidemiologists) the concentration of calcium per liter of water and add the appropriate amount of KS. Attention! Do not mix concentrated solutions 1 and 2 before diluting them with water! It is better to use different syringes for solutions 1 and 2, or be sure to rinse the syringe before measuring another solution. Thus, you will get 1 liter of a solution of normal concentration (see paragraph "concentration" .

Materials for the article are taken from sources: From the book by Helmut Yantra "Flowers in our house".

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil, in which they receive all the substances they need for nutrition from an aqueous solution.

For growing plants in hydroponics, a fine expanded clay substrate is usually used, as it has a better water-holding capacity. You can also use vermiculite and perlite. However, salts that depress plants accumulate over time in the pores of expanded clay. There are substrates made of granular polyethylene or glass. Of great interest are studies with substrates made of ion-exchange materials, which can be charged with ions of substances necessary for plants that can go into solution as they are absorbed by their roots.

Hydroponics filler should have the following properties:

• it is easy to pass air and solution, it is well wetted by it;
• do not enter into a chemical combination with dissolved substances;
• have a slightly acidic or neutral reaction.

With proper operation, substrates from granite and quartz are used up to 10 years, from expanded clay and perlite 6-10 years, and from vermiculite only 2-3 years.

Hydroponics at home

1. When a nutrient solution is poured into a container or a special pot and the root system of the plant is placed in it. As the solution evaporates, water is added, and at certain intervals the solution is completely replaced with fresh one, since over time an imbalance in the proportions of nutrients occurs in the solution.

A significant disadvantage of this method is that the supply of oxygen to the roots is difficult, and not all plants tolerate this.

2. This method uses two pots, one larger than the other. In a smaller pot, which has many small holes, the roots of the plant are placed and covered with gravel, expanded clay or other material. Then this pot is placed in a larger one and the nutrient solution is poured, while the roots should be immersed in the solution by no more than 2/3. If it is necessary to replace the nutrient solution, the inner pot with the plant is taken out, the water is allowed to drain. The outer pot is washed and after placing the pot with the plant in it again, a fresh solution is poured.

Among flower growers, the second version of the hydroponic culture technique is most popular. In specialized stores, you can buy hydroponic pots for a long time. At the same time, the outer vessel is completely waterproof, made of various materials and has a beautiful decorative appearance. The inner vessel is usually made of plastic and is equipped with a liquid level indicator. This device has marks at three levels - the minimum amount of solution, optimal and maximum. It will be more correct to add the nutrient solution when the liquid level indicator drops to the minimum point. At the same time, it is necessary to add water so much that the float of the liquid level rises to the optimum value.

The amount of liquid is brought to the maximum value only in cases where the plants are left without watering for a long time, for example, during the holidays.

Transplanting plants from soil to hydroponics

The environment in which the root system of a plant initially develops significantly affects its shape. The roots of plants grown in water are lighter, juicier and have more fine hairs on the roots, almost invisible to the naked eye. The easiest way to grow a plant hydroponically is from cuttings rooted in water. But if a plant grown in a soil mixture is transplanted to a hydroculture, then a number of conditions will have to be met, on which the further successful development of the plant will depend.

First of all, it is important not to damage the root system when removing a flower from an old pot, so water the soil well before transplanting.

The taken out plant is best to lower the roots into a bucket of warm water along with all the earth that does not separate immediately. Lightly rinse the roots in water, then remove and free the roots from the ground as much as possible with your hands. If the lumps of earth are not removed, then carefully cut them off with scissors. It is very important to completely free the roots from the ground, as well as remove all rotten or damaged areas.

If there are too many damaged roots, then you can not plant the plant for hydroponics on the same day, but place it in a pot of warm water for 2 days with the addition of several tablets of activated charcoal (10 tablets per 1 liter of water).

So, the plant is ready. Now pour a little washed expanded clay or other filler into the inner pot, set the liquid level indicator. Place the roots of the plant, straighten them, add the rest of the expanded clay to the top of the pot. Place the plant pot in the outer vessel, fill it with water at or above room temperature until the float shows the optimum liquid level. A plant transplanted from the soil should not be immediately placed in a nutrient solution, it should stand for some time in ordinary water. It is better to apply nutrient solution and fertilizers when the first batch of water has evaporated and the level float has dropped to the level of the minimum amount of liquid. This should happen in about two weeks.

Solutions for hydroponics

F. Knop's solution was widely used, which is prepared by adding the following components to 1 liter of water:

DIY hydroponics

Each substance is dissolved separately in a small amount of water. Thus, 5 solutions should be obtained. Then, about 700 ml of water is poured into a 1 liter container, then the first diluted solution is mixed well, the second solution is added, again thoroughly mixed, and so on all 5 solutions. After that, water is added to the container to a total volume of 1 liter.

Attention: no precipitate should form in the solution! It is impossible to dissolve all the chemicals together, as well as pour water into concentrated solutions, as this will cause the appearance of a precipitate of calcium salts, and the balance of the elements will be disturbed.

If it is not possible to obtain a pure solution, and during preparation iron gives a rusty precipitate, then ferrous chloride can be replaced with iron sulfate, but not in the form of a finished powder, but in the form of a solution. To prepare it, 1.5 g of ferrous sulfate is thoroughly mixed in 150-200 ml of water, in another container, 1.7 g of citric acid is mixed in the same amount of water. Then mix both solutions, bring its volume to 500 ml, adding water. Next, you need to take 5 ml of the resulting solution, and add to Knop's solution instead of ferric chloride.

It should be noted that each hydroponic culture solution is suitable only for a certain group of plants, for example, Knop's solution is suitable only for those plants that need a high calcium content. Some growers use highly diluted solutions of complex fertilizers as hydroponic solutions. However, it will be possible to understand whether the solution is suitable for the plant only after a while, judging by its growth and development.

If you find formulating a hydroponic solution a big challenge, don't despair, the industry produces a lot. You can always choose something more suitable for flowering plants or deciduous.

Pros and cons of growing hydroponically

This method has undeniable advantages:

• it eliminates the cost of preparing and changing soils;
• simplifies watering, fertilizing, there is no need for disinfection and heating of the soil;
• in this case, it is possible to create optimal regimes of root nutrition differentiated according to the phases of growth and development of plants.

However, the hydroponic culture technique also has its drawbacks:

• the need for careful monitoring of the composition of the solution and the state of the substrate, depending on the type of plant and water hardness;
• periodic checks of the condition of the roots and the operation of the water level indicator;
• control over the temperature of the liquid in the pot.

Plants for hydroponics:

Here are a number of conditions by which it can be determined that plants are suitable for growing in hydroponics:

• plants that do not require cool wintering, i.e. wintering at a temperature not lower than 15 ° C, otherwise there is a possibility of root rot;
• plants with a compact root system (i.e. not very growing) - otherwise you will have to change the pot too often;
• plants that do not form tubers or rhizomes (for example, zamiokulkas), because. Again, there is a possibility of root rot.
• For hydroponics, as a rule, only perennial plants are used.

Here is a sample list of plants suitable for hydroponic cultivation: Aglaonema, Asparagus, Aspelenium, Anthurium, almost all Acanthaceae, Aspidistra, Billbergia, Cissus, Hydrangea, Hibiscus, Dieffenbachia (compact species only), Kalanchoe, Nightshade, Palm trees (compact species only), Spathiphyllum, Streptocarpus, Usambar violet, Fatshedera, Philodendrons, Ficus Benjamin, Hoya, Shefler, Epipremnum.

History of hydroponics development

The method of hydroponics was based on the study of the root nutrition of plants.

Many scientists have worked hard for decades to find out what the root extracts from the soil. It was possible to understand this as a result of experiments on growing plants in water (aquatic culture method). Certain mineral salts are dissolved in distilled water, in addition to salts of that chemical element, the significance of which for the life of plants they want to find out.

The plant is grown on this solution in a glass jar. Experiments have shown that the plant develops well only if the salt solution contains potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, sulfur, phosphorus and nitrogen.

If potassium is removed from the nutrient solution, plant growth stops. Without calcium, the root system cannot develop. Magnesium and iron are necessary for the plant to form chlorophyll. Without sulfur and phosphorus, proteins that are part of the protoplasm and nucleus are not formed.

For a long time it was thought that only these elements are necessary for the normal development of plants. But then it turned out that the plant also needs very small amounts of other elements, which are therefore called microelements.

At about the same time in the nineteenth century, the German botanist F. Knop, and in Russia K.A. Timiryazev and D.N. Pryanishnikov developed for scientific purposes a method of plant culture in aqueous solutions of inorganic compounds.

In 1936, William Gericke, an associate professor at the University of California at Berkeley, tested growing vegetables in nutrient solutions, calling the method hydroponics. The first successful experiments in growing vegetables in solutions without soil in our country were made in 1938-1939.

Initially, hydroponic plants were grown exclusively in the aquatic environment. But with water culture, the supply of oxygen to the roots turned out to be unsatisfactory, the reaction of the solution was unstable, individual roots and whole plants quickly died off.

Therefore, purely aquatic plant culture did not find application, but other methods were subsequently developed. Their essence boils down to the fact that the roots of plants are placed in some relatively inert substrate. The substrate and roots are immersed in a solution of all the nutrients the plants need.

Depending on the substrate used, methods such as:

Aggregatoponics- when the roots are placed in solid inert, inorganic substrates - crushed stone, gravel, expanded clay, sand, etc.;

Chemoponics- a method in which moss, high-moor peat, sawdust and other organic materials inaccessible for direct plant nutrition serve as a root substrate;

ionitoponics substrate from ion-exchange materials;

Aeroponics there is no solid substrate, the roots hang in the air of a darkened chamber.

Practical application in the cultivation of indoor plants has found only agregoponics, which is better known as Hydroponics.

A hundred years ago, the assertion that a rich harvest can be obtained only on fertile soil was considered an axiom. Modern growing technologies based on the use of a special base instead of the soil composition make it possible to create more favorable conditions for the cultivation of any crops. Hydroponics is one of the areas of cultivation of plants, in which they receive all the nutrients through special solutions. This technology is actively used in greenhouses in many countries. Do-it-yourself hydroponics is an opportunity to create lush flower beds at home, as well as quickly get a rich and environmentally friendly harvest.

Benefits of growing hydroponically

Among the main advantages of hydroponics over other breeding technologies are:

• Minimum labor intensity. Since, with this approach, plants grow without involving the soil, crop care work is limited only to monitoring the presence of water in containers and removing dried stems and roots. By setting up homemade hydroponics, you get rid of such problems as removing weeds, loosening the soil, and controlling harmful insects. When transplanting perennial plants, the need to clean the roots of the old depleted soil, thereby injuring them, is eliminated. It is enough to transfer the plant to a larger container, adding a new substrate.
• Space saving. To create optimal conditions and maintain the viability of the roots of non-plantings, a minimum of space is required. You can grow hydroponics on a windowsill or in an ordinary greenhouse.
• High productivity and environmental friendliness. Thanks to a simple, but at the same time quite effective technology, the roots of flowers are supplied with all the necessary substances. A culture grown in hydroponics has a moderately developed but powerful root system and a well-developed aerial part. This allows you to collect higher yields than when grown on the soil. During the growing season, plants do not accumulate harmful substances that are often present in the soil: heavy metals, radionuclides, organic toxic compounds.

Plants grown in hydroponics are no different from their counterparts grown in the soil: neither taste nor aromatic qualities. They differ only in greater vegetation intensity and higher fruiting volumes.

As a nutrient medium for forcing plants can be: water (hydroponics), substrate (soil mixture), air (aeroponics)

Hydroponics is widely used for forcing flowers and vegetable seedlings before selling.

Hydroponic substrates and nutrient solutions

For the arrangement of the hydroponic system, solutions are used, which include all the necessary trace elements and nutrients. The main ones are: phosphorus (which accelerates growth and improves flowering), potassium (which contributes to the color intensity of flowers and the ripening of shoots), calcium and magnesium (stimulating the development of the root system), as well as other components necessary for building a plant organism.

Often, special compositions act as a nutrient medium for arranging hydroponics for flowers, a characteristic feature of which is sufficient friability and high moisture absorption.

Balanced nutrient solutions, the components of which are in optimal ratios, can be purchased at gardening stores.

The basis of hydroponic substrates are: moss, PAA gels, gravel, expanded clay, mineral wool and other leavening agents (vermiculite, perlite)

Making a hydroponic setup

To arrange a problem-free moisture supply of plants at home, you can use a simple hydroponic installation, which anyone can assemble.

To make the installation, you need to prepare:

• Air aquarium compressor;
• plastic container;
• Styrofoam sheet.

The bottom and walls of the container must be made of opaque plastic that does not let the sun's rays through. Containers made of translucent plastic should be shaded by wrapping the outer walls with food foil or painting with dark paint.

Plant pots will be placed on a foam sheet that covers a plastic container filled one third with a special solution.

Holes should be cut in the foam sheet to accommodate cups with plants. Holes should be made at an equidistant distance so that, as they grow, neighboring plants do not interfere with each other.

Pots for plants can be made from ordinary plastic cups, punctures in the bottom and walls of the products are small holes. Thanks to the many holes, the nutrient substrate will always be in a wet state.

The size of the holes should be somewhat smaller than the diameter of the upper part of the pots, so that they do not fail completely, but only slightly “drowned”

You can purchase ready-made planting containers that look like miniature plastic baskets.

Since the root system of plants especially needs oxygen, an aquarium air compressor is used when arranging hydroponics.

To evenly distribute the liquid, you can additionally place atomizers at the bottom of the tank - aquarium stones.

The installation is ready to go. It remains to fill the cups with the substrate and plant the plants in them.

The container is filled with nutrient liquid so that a third of the pots are immersed in the solution. Further care consists in topping up the liquid to the required level and monthly complete renewal of the solution.

Abutilon hybrid - a plant that blooms beautifully in spring and summer. Bright orange flowers, similar to lanterns, effectively stand out against the background of greenery.

Abutilon grows on all previously mentioned solutions, is easily cut and rooted well in expanded clay. Rooted cuttings are planted in double flowerpots or pots.
In order for abutilon to bloom annually, in early spring it should be heavily cut and placed in a bright place. Unpruned plants become bare and bloom poorly. Roots die off in winter.

Aloe - tree-like, soapy, Abyssinian - valuable succulents with elongated juicy fleshy leaves with thorns along the edges. Propagated by cuttings, which are well rooted in expanded clay.
Young plants are planted in ordinary clay pots with a diameter of 9-11 cm, filled with clean coarse quartz sand. It is best to water these plants with an LTA solution, as succulents are usually watered. A pot of aloe is placed on a saucer, in which sand is poured in a thin layer to absorb excess solution
The roots of aloe are weak, in an aqueous nutrient solution they easily mucus and fall off; The pH should be maintained at 4.5-4.6.

Asparagus pinnatis and Asparagus toichais - ornamental deciduous plants. Shoots grow up to 150-180 cm and are covered with small soft needle-like cladodes. These asparagus develop well on solutions of BILU (at pH = 6.0-6.4) and Gerique. Under production conditions, they are grown for cutting, and for indoor gardening - in vases, double flowerpots and boxes, where they grow for 4-5 years without a transplant; then rejuvenation by division is required. The shoots of the thinnest asparagus easily take root in expanded clay; shoots are taken on cuttings 15-18 cm long. Roots almost do not die in winter. Asparagus is a very valuable culture for industrial hydropopics.

asparagus sprengera - a spectacular ampelous plant with falling shoots reaching a length of 130-180 cm or more. It grows best on a solution of BILU at pH = 6.2, beautifully blooms and bears abundant fruit.
Asparagus Sprenger does well in double pots, vases, amples and boxes. In small vases, it grows for 3-4 years, then it is necessary to divide it, since the roots fill the entire vase. Propagated by division, the roots are strong; for the winter they partially disappear, and in the spring they are restored again. Asparagus Sprenger is widely used for cutting.

Aspidistra high - stemless rhizomatous plant with long-petioled oval-elongated leathery leaves. Blooms inconspicuously. Suitable for growing in double flowerpots, regular pots and on racks (for cutting). High aspidistra propagates in separate parts of rhizomes with 3-4 leaves. It works better with BILU solutions at pH = 6.2. The roots persist in winter and do not die off. After 4-5 years they are divided and transplanted.

Japanese aucuba (Fatsia) - an excellent resistant houseplant with dark green leaves and golden spots on them, easily cuttings in expanded clay. Young plants grow well in double flowerpots No. 3 on nutrient solutions of LTA, BILU, Zherik. In winter, the roots partially fall off, and in the spring they are restored; pH should be equal to 5.8-6.0.

begonias - both deciduous, bushy, and beautifully flowering - grow successfully in inert substrates. Different types of begonias grow better on the following solutions:

All of the above types of begonias are very decorative. Most of these plants have more original leaves: oblique, whole or lobed (pincer begonia), often strongly hairy, on large succulent cuttings. All bush begonias in double flowerpots bloom beautifully, turning into powerful densely leafy plants.
Deciduous begonias are great in hanging vases, boxes, and regular pots with a tray. Their huge colorful leaves, slightly hanging down, form a spectacular composition. In flowerpots and vases, they grow without a transplant for several years.
The roots of begonias are thin, delicate, strongly branched. In winter, they partially disappear. Cuttings, both stem and deciduous, take root well in expanded clay.
Billbergia drooping is an original, undemanding, short-stemmed epiphytic plant with elongated greenish-gray leathery and slightly curved leaves. The flowers are collected in drooping inflorescences with bright bracts. Billbergia grows well in double flowerpots on a solution of BILU at pH = 6.4. Blooms annually. After a few years, old plants can be divided, and young cuttings can be planted in a regular pot or double flowerpot. In winter, the roots remain in the solution and do not die off.

False grapes (room grapes) - a valuable climbing plant, grows well in expanded clay, gravel, slag on solutions of BILU, Zherik, Zherik-2 in double flowerpots, amples (Fig. 11) and boxes at pH = 6.2. In expanded clay, cuttings root perfectly in a short time and can be planted for further culture in the room. To give the plant a certain shape, a trellis made of bamboo, shingles or sticks is fixed in expanded clay and the stems are guided along it. Without support, the shoots will hang down, like an ampelous plant, reaching 1.5-2 m in length. In winter, the roots partially die off.

Heliotrope Peruvian - perennial flowering plant. Dark purple small flowers are collected in large velvety inflorescences, emitting a sweet smell of vanilla. The leaves are small, hairy, dull green. During the summer, the heliotrope reaches 40-50 cm in height and blooms profusely until autumn.
In hydroponic culture, heliotrope can be grown as a beautifully flowering annual plant. It can successfully grow in hydraulic boxes or double flowerpots on a balcony, on a window, in open ground conditions. Heliotrope blooms especially well on a solution of LTA. Heliotrope is easily propagated by green cuttings, rooting well in expanded clay on a nutrient solution of low concentration.

Geranium (pelargonium) ivy and zonal - public and common indoor nicely

Rice. 11. Flowers in an ample.

flowering plants. Particularly good varieties of ivy geranium Marinka and zonal geranium Meteor.
In early spring, geranium cuttings are rooted in expanded clay. Ivy geranium is planted in hanging vases, and zonal geranium is planted in pots, in double flowerpots and amply. On solutions of BILU and LTA at a pH of 6.4-6.8, geranium blooms profusely all summer until late autumn. In winter, most of the roots die off and the plants are at rest (kept in a cool place) at a room temperature of 10-12 ° C. In the spring, geraniums are pruned, giving the plant a beautiful shape.
In flowerpots, geraniums can grow for several years, turning into large, profusely flowering show specimens.

Gloxinia hybrid - a beautiful flowering plant with large funnel-shaped velvety flowers of blue, red, pink or white. Leaves on petioles are green, juicy, velvety. Gloxinia works better on a solution of LTA at pH = 6. Seedlings, young nodules or rooted cuttings are planted in small flowerpots filled with crushed expanded clay. Before the appearance and development of roots, young plants are watered with a nutrient solution. They develop quickly and bloom well until late autumn. After the plants have flowered, the roots die off. Flowerpots with gloxinia tubers are set in a dark, cool place for 4-5 months. Tubers are periodically viewed. In January, they begin to revive them by watering them with a nutrient solution of low concentration, and rearrange them in a warmer and brighter place. With the advent of sprouts, a solution of half concentration is given, then in March they switch to a normal solution. Growing, the tubers form a rosette of leaves. To rejuvenate the old tubers at the beginning of spring (when they start growing) are divided into 2 parts and planted again in the substrate.

Hydrangea garden - a deciduous shrub that blooms magnificently in early spring and summer. The inflorescences are dense, large, spherical in shape, of various colors: hot pink, red, purple, white. The leaves are dark green, opposite, juicy.
Hydrangea blooms well on Gericux's solution, and the pink variety acquires a blue color; pH = 5.0-6.0.
Agrotechnics for growing hydrangeas is quite complicated. In early spring, the lower, basal small shoots are cut from flowering plants and rooted in expanded clay in a 40% solution of Zherike. After rooting, the cuttings are planted in double flowerpots and given a normal solution, and with the onset of heat, the plants are installed on the balcony, in a greenhouse.
All summer the hydrangea is kept in open ground conditions; during rain, plants are covered with frames. In autumn, plants are brought into cellars, placed in piers. In October, if the leaves have not fallen off, they are sniffed and hydrangeas are transferred to a solution of low concentration (40-50% of the norm). From the end of October to January - February, the plants stand in the cellars at a temperature of 2-4 ° C. Transferring the plants to a room or greenhouse, the temperature is raised to 14-16 ° C. Then the hydrangeas are placed in the light, often and abundantly sprayed with warm water, well ventilating room. If the leaves that appear do not have a dark green color, it is necessary to add nitrogen salt to the solution or carry out foliar feeding with nitrate (at the rate of 0.1 g per 1 liter of water).
With the development of new shoots, they are tied to pegs. The root system that has fallen off during the winter is quickly restored. If all the roots coming out of the inner pot have fallen off, then during the dormant period (in a leafless state), the hydrangea is occasionally watered so that the roots in expanded clay do not dry out and die.
Hydrangea blooms in March-April and blooms for more than a month. After flowering mature plants<отдыхают>in greenhouses, on the balcony, after which they are again prepared for flowering.

Dracaena mechelifolia and odorous dracaena - indoor-resistant plants. Their straight slender trunks are decorated with regular elongated linear leaves, beautifully curving down. Dracaena flowers are white, collected in terminal panicles.
Dracaena mechelistnaya and odorous grow in one trunk and do not have rhizomes. They grow wonderfully in Gericux's nutrient solution at pH = 6-6.2, and are easily propagated by seeds and apical aerial layering. For abduction, it is enough to make a circular incision around the top (at a distance of 20 cm from it), which must be overlaid with wet moss, tied with a film and periodically moistened. After a month and a half, roots will appear. Then the layers are cut off and carefully, so as not to damage the delicate roots, planted in expanded clay.
Dracaena successfully reproduce by cuttings. Cut shoots take root well in expanded clay, in sand. Young plants are planted in double flowerpots, in boxes, gradually transferring to Gerique's solution (100 percent). In winter, during the dormant period of plants, especially in a cool room, where transpiration is slower, a weakened (40-50%) solution is given.
In hydroponic culture, dracaena grow for several years without any transplant. Caring for them is the most common. Roots withstand winter conditions well.

Drimiopsis pickaxe - a common moisture-loving bulbous plant. Arrow-shaped leaves with small dark green spots, which are clearly visible only in summer, depart from numerous fused bulbs on straight petioles. Drimiopsis blooms in April.
Small white flowers of an inconspicuous appearance are collected in spike-shaped inflorescences.
For beginner amateur growers mastering the hydroponic method of growing, drymiopsis (along with Tradescantia) is the easiest and most grateful material. These plants take root very quickly and grow well.
Drimiopsis propagates in the spring, when it is easy to separate and plant a greenish bulb. Transplanted young plants quickly grow into a rosette of numerous leaves.
Drimiopsis is also easily propagated by leaves: they are able to take root almost all year round. To do this, a well-developed large leaf should be carefully torn off from the very base of the bulb, retaining the lower expanded whitish part of the leaf petiole. Such a leaf quickly takes root both in pure water and in a weak (10-20 percent) nutrient solution. After 2 weeks, in the middle of the expanded base of the petiole, a kidney develops - the rudiment of the bulb - and roots. With the appearance of a young sprout and onion, the plant is transplanted into a substrate using an LTA solution; pH = 5.5.
In a hydroponic culture, drimiopsis grows without a transplant for 5-6 years or more, growing luxuriantly. In winter, drimiopsis rests, stops reproducing, but does not shed its leaves (when it is grown on an earthen basis, the leaves often die off for the winter).

cacti. Of the cacti in hydroponic culture, 2 species grow most successfully: cut zygocactus and hybrid epiphyllum, or phylocactus. For them, solutions of Gerique and LTA are used.
Cactus cuttings take root well in crushed expanded clay, after which they are transplanted into ordinary pots with sand or fine expanded clay. Cacti also grow in double flowerpots and flat decorative bowls. In winter, these plants are watered with a nutrient solution less frequently than in summer; pH = 5.5-6.0.

Ethiopian calla - a beautifully flowering plant, giving a first-class cut in industrial floriculture and long-term flowering in the room in double flowerpots and vases. In boxes, it can be planted together with Kredner's begonia, Guinean tradescantia, Surikov's clivia, pinnate asparagus, Kerhovean's arrowroot and other ornamental plants.
Callas are marsh plants. They are very moisture-loving and grow well (for 6 years or more) in gravel, expanded clay, peat on nutrient solutions of Zherik and BILU at pH = 5.0-6.0. They have large, shiny, wide arrow-shaped juicy leaves 60-80 cm long on fleshy tender petioles. The leaves are decorative and can be used cut for flower arrangements on their own or with 1-2 flowers in floor vases, in ceramic holders or on headbands in flat wide bowls.
Calla lilies are original in their structure. A juicy large flower arrow ends with a wide asymmetrical bell of white or yellow. This<чехол>surrounds a narrow cob, consisting of densely seated inconspicuous flowers.
The roots of callas are cord-like, fleshy. They depart from a juicy tuber, around which a large number of<деток>- nodules with small weak leaves (they must be removed).
Calla lilies can be propagated by seeds, which are easy to obtain in hydroponic culture. Seedlings grow (throughout the year) in ordinary bowls filled with crushed expanded clay. Vegetatively, calla lilies are propagated by layering, which is separated from the mother plant in June - July, after flowering. Layers take the largest and planted 12-16 pieces per square meter. The first days water is supplied to the substrate, then a nutrient solution of 50% concentration, and after 2-3 weeks - the usual concentration. The air temperature in the greenhouse should be approximately 16-18 ° C with a humidity of 80-85%". At higher temperatures and lack of light, calla lilies leaves stretch, break easily, acquire a light green color, and the number of flowers decreases sharply.
From the beginning of flowering, callas are periodically given foliar top dressing with microelements (boron, zinc, manganese, molybdenum, potassium iodide, copper) and are often sprayed with clean water.
Timely planted plants bloom from mid-October - early November and bloom through May. After flowering they need<отдых>; the leaves turn yellow and the growth of callas stops, although the roots continue to develop. During this period, all children are removed from the main bush, as they weaken the tubers and delay further flowering of callas. Yellow leaves are also removed (cut out). After<отдыха>calla lilies develop powerful leaves and begin to bloom again.

Calceolaria hybrid - herbaceous beautifully flowering two-year-old covered ground. The leaves are tender, light green, when dried out, the coma (in land culture) easily withers and dies. The flowers are large, monophonic, two-lipped. The lower lip is large, spherical (inflated), the upper one is barely noticeable, short. Often the flowers have a variety of shading in the form of spots, dots, marble painting. Varieties with a red tonality of flowers are especially spectacular. Calceolaria propagates in a hydroponic culture in two ways - by seeds and cuttings. In the first case, the seeds are sown in fine expanded clay (fraction diameter 0.1-0.2 cm) in shallow bowls in July. Seedlings dive twice into the same substrate, increasing the feeding area, and then young plants are planted in double flowerpots, boxes or ordinary peat pots. The pot with the plant is kept on a saucer and watered with a nutrient solution and clean water (once with a solution, another time with water). By autumn, compact rosettes of leaves develop.
Calceolaria hibernates in cool (5-6 ° C), well-ventilated, bright greenhouses or rooms. In the spring, she starts to grow, and from that moment she is transferred to a nutrient solution of 100% concentration. In March - April, the plant develops a branched, slightly leafy herbaceous stem, ending in a beautiful inflorescence with original flowers.
After flowering, the calceolaria is not thrown away, but only the peduncle is cut off. In summer, young shoots appear on the stem, which in July - August can be used for cuttings. Shoots are cut into expanded clay, and after rooting they are transplanted into flowerpots. In the future, they proceed in the same way as with seed propagation.
Best of all, calceolaria blooms on the nutrient solution of Zherique at pH = 6.0-6.2.

Cypress pyramidalis - a valuable coniferous plant for decorating cool rooms, lobbies, halls. It grows well on a nutrient solution of Zherik (in the summer they give a 100% solution, in the winter - a 50% solution); pH = 6.2. Young plants grown in the ground, or cuttings rooted in expanded clay, are planted in double flowerpots. The roots of the pyramidal cypress partially die off for the winter.

Clivia meerkat - a bulbous beautifully flowering and decorative deciduous plant with dark green belt-invisible leaves. Her inflorescences are large and consist of several cinnabar-orange lily-like flowers.
Clivia blooms in winter or early spring. Works great on a solution of BILU at pH = 5.9-6.0. Thick cord-like roots do not die off in winter.
Clivia is propagated by layering, which in the spring after flowering separates from the mother plant, or<черенком>. <Черенок>clivia is a young bunch of leaves cut off at the base, which takes root in expanded clay for two months, after which it is planted in a double flowerpot, where clivia grows for several years without a transplant.
With a hydroponic culture of clivia, it is necessary to ensure that the air-humid zone does not exceed 6 cm. Otherwise, the roots may grow excessively (due to the aerial part).

Coleus Verschaffelt - semi-shrub, valued for its bright showy leaves. Its stems are ribbed, tetrahedral; leaves petiolate, ovoid, pointed, green in combination with red or burgundy. There are emerald, yellow, red leaves, etc. The flowers are collected in medium-sized terminal brushes, inconspicuous, lilac-lilac.
Coleus loves light and warmth. In winter, at low temperatures, it drops its leaves, often rots and dies; in spring (in March) it is easily propagated by seeds and green cuttings in expanded clay on a weak solution (20%) Zherik or BILU or pH = 6-6.5. Young plants are transplanted into double flowerpots or boxes, where they grow magnificently during the summer, reaching the maximum effect of leaf color.
In winter, coleus do not grow and are in relative peace. At this time, a half-strength nutrient solution is used for them.
In hydroponic culture, coleus can be used as flyers for the exterior decoration of balconies, windows, etc.

Equal leafed bell (May bell) - an elegant ampelous plant with flowing thin shoots, lushly covered with small light green leaves. Flowers small, white. From spring and throughout the summer, they abundantly cover the entire plant.
Equifoliate bell succeeds well on a solution of LTA and propagates by green cuttings, which are successfully rooted in expanded clay and transplanted into ampli vases; pH = 6.0-6.1.

Cordilina apical - indoor deciduous plant that grows beautifully in expanded clay on nutrient solutions of BILU and Zherik in double flowerpots. It not only grows beautifully, but also retains leaves throughout the trunk. Propagated in spring - cuttings and layering. In hydroponic culture, cordilina apical is stable and grows well.

Ligustrums - brilliant, evergreen, Japanese - ornamental deciduous shrubs of graceful shape with beautiful leathery leaves. They grow in gravel or expanded clay - in double flowerpots and boxes. In early spring, ligustrums should be trimmed to give them the most beautiful shape and rejuvenation.
Ligustrums grow best on nutrient solutions of Zherik and GDR-2. Easily propagated by green cuttings; pH = 6.4-6.6. Shiny arrowroot and Kerkhovean arrowroot are valuable houseplants. Kerkhoveana arrowroot is especially good, which forms powerful plants in hydroponic culture with numerous shoots and beautiful oval leaves with dark spots that stand out sharply on them.
Arrowroots are easily propagated by cuttings that take root well in expanded clay. Both of its species are grown in double flowerpots and in boxes.
In a hydroponic culture, arrowroot grows superbly, greatly overtaking plants cultivated on land mixtures in growth. The most suitable for arrowroot are nutrient solutions BILU, LTA, Zherike; pH = 5.8-6.2.

Myrtle ordinary - indoor evergreen tree with small fragrant leaves and white flowers. Well propagated by cuttings. The cuttings rooted in expanded clay are transplanted into small (No. 4) flowerpots or a pot with a plant is placed in an ordinary vase, the neck of which is suitable for this pot.
Myrtle grows well on the GDR-2 nutrient solution at pH = 6.2-6.4.

Monstera is delicious - a magnificent indoor deciduous plant with ornamental leaves on long petioles and numerous aerial cord-like roots extending from the stems. Monstera grows in cool and moderately warm rooms, easily propagated by cuttings - part of a stem with 1-2 small leaves that take root in water, in expanded clay. The cuttings are transplanted into double flowerpots. They grow well for several years without a transplant, increasing in size every year.
The best nutrient solution for Monstera is Zhe Rique; pH = 6.0-5.2. Oleander (Nerium oleander) is an evergreen shrub with flexible shoots and leathery leaves. This ornamental leafy plant grows well on nutrient solutions of GDR-2, Zherique or BILU, easily propagated by cuttings (spring and summer) in water and expanded clay.In order for the oleander to bloom, it is necessary to keep it in a sunny place and cut off old shoots, since the inflorescences of this plant are laid only on young annual shoots; pH = 6, 2.

Ophiopogon Yaburan and Ophiopogon spike-shaped - unpretentious plants with narrow, long lily green leaves. There are varieties with white or yellow stripes on the leaves. Ophiopogon inflorescences are upright arrows. In the first species, the flowers are white, in the second, they are lilac, and the fruits (berries) are bluish. Both species reproduce by a bunch of leaves separated with a part of the rhizome. Layers are planted in double flowerpots, vases.
Ophiopogones work well on nutrient solutions of BILU or GDR-2; pH = 5.8-6.0.

Palms. In the greenhouse of the Forestry Engineering Academy named after S. M. Kirov, young palm trees have been growing in double flowerpots for three years already: the low chamerops palm on the BILU solution and the date palm on the Zherique solution. They develop satisfactorily, partially shed their roots for the winter. The leaves of these palms are dark green, normally formed.

ferns especially good in double drawers and flowerpots, in low hanging vases. Such, for example, are bulbous asplenium, Cretan bracken, sublime nephrolepis, scatti and hearty. They have magnificent, beautifully curved, delicate and slender (leaves), divided into small segments.
Under room conditions, ferns are grown in amples and in double flowerpots on solutions of GDR-2 or Gerique. On the BILU solution, they grow somewhat worse.
In production conditions, where there are hydraulic racks, nephrolepis should be planted to obtain a cut (like asparagus). Green fronds of ferns can be used not only for arrangements of cut carnations, roses or sweet peas, but also as an independent cut for vases.
Young plants planted in expanded clay develop well and grow for several years without transplanting and dividing.

Petunia hybrid large-flowered - a herbaceous plant with large delicate double flowers of bright colors. Leaves and stem are light green, sticky.
Petunia hybrid large-flowered is widely used both for decorating rooms and for decorating balconies in summer. It blooms profusely and develops well on a nutrient solution of LTA.
In expanded clay, petunia is propagated by cuttings. Young plants are pinched and cut 2-3 times so that the plant is low, bushy and blooms most beautifully and abundantly.
In rooms, it is better to maintain a one-year culture of petunia, cutting off a shoot from last year's plant every spring; pH = 5.8-6.0.

Pittosporum Tobira - a beautiful evergreen houseplant. The leaves are entire, without hairs, rather large, obovate, collected at the ends of the stems. Cuttings easily root in expanded clay. Pittosporum grows well in double flowerpots on nutrient solutions of LTA and Zherik, care for him is normal. In the spring, to form a bush, the plant must be cut. Once every few years, it is necessary to rejuvenate the stem, remove part of the roots or transplant the plants into large flowerpots.

Wax ivy (hoya carnosa) - a beautifully flowering climbing plant. The leaves are oval, thick, as if waxy. Small waxy pinkish-yellow flowers are collected in an umbrella inflorescence. Waxy ivy grows well in double flowerpots on nutrient solutions of LTA, BILU or Zherik; 5-6-node cuttings are easily rooted in expanded clay not only in a nutrient solution, but also in clean water. After rooting, the cuttings are transplanted into flowerpots.
Liana-like stems of ivy are tied to trellises of thin pegs set in expanded clay, so that plants can be forced to grow in the same plane. In hanging vases, they will grow like hanging plants.
Common ivy (Hedera helix) - evergreen<лазящее>a plant with aerial roots attached to a support. Its leaves are dark green, leathery, palmately lobed with a heart-shaped base. This is a shade-tolerant and very undemanding plant. Its cuttings root easily on expanded clay substrate in water or nutrient solution.
For growing ivy in double pots, support is needed. When placed in flat hanging vases, it becomes an ampelous plant. In this case, the shoots fall beautifully, reaching a length of 3 m.
Common ivy grows well on nutrient solutions of BILU and Zherik at pH = 5.0 - 6.0. It is transplanted every few years, when the roots become cramped in the vessel they occupy.

Reinekia bodily and variegated - well resistant, undemanding plants. The leaves are linear, tapering towards the base. The flowers are pinkish-lilac, small, collected in dense inflorescences. The cuttings root wonderfully.
Reineckias grow well on Géricique's nutrient solution in double pots and vases filled with gravel or expanded clay. Grown hydroponically, they develop into powerful leafy bushy plants. After a few years, it is necessary to divide and transplant them.

hybrid tea rose - the most valuable deciduous shrub, resting in the winter in a leafless state in a cool place at a temperature of 4-6 ° C.
The rose is a well-known beautifully flowering plant. In double flowerpots on solutions of Zherique and LTA, Ophelia and Hadley varieties are especially successful at pH = 6.5-7.0.
Annually in early spring, the hybrid tea rose is cut into 4-5 buds. Her cuttings are superbly rooted in expanded clay. At 1-2 years of age, roses can easily be transferred from land crops to hydroponics.
In room conditions, a rose requires a lot of care, but it gives a person great aesthetic pleasure with its double flowers of beautiful colors. In greenhouse conditions, roses grown hydroponically in hydroracks produce more inflorescences than when they are grown on land. This is evidenced by the data of the Main Botanical Garden of the Estonian SSR (Table 7) and the Garden and Park Administration of Leningrad (Table 8).
Under production conditions, for roses planted in expanded clay, the temperature is maintained at 12-14 ° C in autumn. In December, pruning is done for 4-5 buds, the leaves are sniffed if they have not fallen off, and the air temperature in the room is reduced to 10 or even to 0 ° FROM. Solution

Table 7
Average output of flower cut roses per 1 m3 (according to the data of the Main Botanical Garden of the Estonian SSR)

Table 8
Output of flower cut roses from 1 m - (according to the Garden and Park Administration of Leningrad)

(50% concentration) is fed into the substrate 1-2 times a month. From February, the room temperature is increased, the plants are sprayed with water and 1-2 times a week, and later daily 2-3 times a day, they give a nutrient solution of normal concentration. Rose bloom begins in April and ends in November-December.

Saxifraga plaited - a plant with numerous long (50 cm or more) filamentous shoots that end in rosettes of dark green leaves with white-red or yellow-white spots, stripes, patterns. These plants are easily propagated by leaf rosettes with roots.

- ornamental plants, exceptionally suitable for indoor hydroponic cultivation. Sedums easily propagate in spring and summer with green cuttings in crushed expanded clay or in a mixture (1: 1) of sand with expanded clay. Rooted cuttings are planted in several pieces in low pots, vases, cups or boxes, in which miniature decorative compositions are created - often in combination with cacti, kalanchoe, aloe.
<подушки>

- an elegant miniature plant with pink, white, purple violet-like flowers that cover the entire plant in spring and summer. The stems of Saintpaulia are weak, fragile. The leaves are small, rounded, petiolate. With a lack of light, they rise vertically, and Saintpaulia ceases to bloom. It easily propagates in expanded clay with leaves and cuttings. The transplanted cuttings grow well on the LTA solution. For the winter, Saintpaulia is best placed in indoor greenhouses (with additional illumination) or placed on the windowsill of a bright, cool (but without drafts) window; pH = 6.5.

sparmania - fast growing and undemanding plant. For hydroponic culture, any of the nutrient solutions mentioned above are suitable, but it is best to use a GDR-2 solution at pH = 5.6-6.0.

- the most undemanding indoor plants that can grow in water for several months. I divide the best for rooms, and later every day 2-3 times a day, they give a nutrient solution of normal concentration. Rose bloom begins in April and ends in November-December.

Saxifraga plaited - a plant with numerous long (50 cm or more) filamentous shoots that end in rosettes of dark green leaves with white-red or yellow-white spots, stripes, patterns. These plants are easily propagated by leaf rosettes with roots.
Numerous shoots come from the upper mother plant, from which a large number of small rosettes develop, hanging in the air.
Of the numerous rosettes, the saxifrage forms the second tier. If they are given a place to root in a lower-hanging vase, then a third tier is formed. It turns out a very interesting composition that can take part of the wall.
Saxifraghu is immediately planted in hanging amples, where it grows for a long time. For its nutrition, solutions of Zherique and LTA are used.

Ceylon sanseviera (cuckoo's tail) - resistant houseplant. The leaves are basal, evergreen, narrow-lanceolate, 50-80 cm long, erect, with light transverse wide stripes. Creeping rhizome. The divided parts of the leaf take root well in expanded clay and, placed in double flowerpots, grow for many years without planting on the BILU solution.

Sedum carneum and Siebold's sedum - ornamental plants, exceptionally suitable for indoor hydroponic cultivation. Sedums easily propagate in spring and summer with green cuttings in crushed expanded clay or in a mixture (1: 1) of sand with expanded clay. Rooted cuttings are planted in several pieces in the bottom
some pots, vases, cups or boxes in which miniature decorative compositions are created - often in combination with cacti, kalanchoe, aloe.
Sedums grow luxuriously, forming bluish-green<подушки>with shoots falling over the edge of the dishes. Sedums can equally well decorate a window, a wall, they can be placed on tables or special stands. These ornamental plants grow well on nutrient solutions of LTA, Gerique and GDR-2 at pH = 5.5-6.0.

Saintpaulia violet (Uzambara violet) - an elegant miniature plant with pink, white, purple violet-like flowers that cover the entire plant in spring and summer. The stems of Saintpaulia are weak, fragile. The leaves are small, rounded, petiolate. With a lack of light, they rise vertically, and Saintpaulia ceases to bloom. It easily propagates in expanded clay with leaves and cuttings. The transplanted cuttings grow well on the LTA solution. For the winter, Saintpaulia is best placed in indoor greenhouses (with additional illumination) or placed on the windowsill of a bright, cool (but without drafts) window; pH = 6.5.

African sparmania (room linden) - a tree with large felt bright green leaves of a heart-shaped shape. The flowers are white, collected in bunches. Golden anthers of stamens protrude from the center of the flowers.
Sparmania is a fast growing and undemanding plant. For hydroponic culture, any of the nutrient solutions mentioned above are suitable, but it is best to use a GDR-2 solution at pH = 5.6-6.0.

Tradescantia, zebrina and netcreasia purple - the most undemanding indoor plants that can grow in water for several months. The best for rooms should be considered the green-leaved river tradescantia and its variegated forms, as well as the drooping zebrina, which has leaves with two silvery stripes along the vein (leaves are lilac-pink on the underside).
River tradescantia grows most rapidly in coarse gravel and expanded clay on solutions of BILU and LTA (at pH = 5.8). It forms huge thickets of densely leafy stems up to a meter or more long. In boxes, the stems of tradescantia green leaf form a dense lawn; bending over the edge, they hang down in an impenetrable thick green curtain.
Tradescantia quickly take root in pots with saucers. These plants also grow well in vases.
When the stems are exposed, Tradescantia is severely cut off (rejuvenated), and it is again covered with numerous leafy shoots. Tradescantia is indispensable for vertical wall decoration. The best substrate for this plant is expanded clay.

creeping ficus - ampelous plant with a creeping stem and small numerous leaves. It grows on a solution of Gerique in amples, framing them beautifully and hanging over the edges. Propagated by green cuttings in expanded clay. Can grow for several years without a transplant; The pH should be maintained at 6.0 - 6.6.

Ficus elastic (rubber ficus) often found in room culture. Its large shiny leaves are very decorative. In expanded clay, it grows on nutrient solutions of BILU or GDR-2. Roots develop well in solution in summer. In autumn, the roots that are in the solution die off, and those that are in the inner flowerpot (directly in expanded clay) are preserved. Therefore, in winter, expanded clay should be periodically watered with a nutrient solution, making sure that it does not dry out.
The cuttings are rooted in expanded clay. After rooting, they are transplanted into double flowerpots or pots with saucers; pH = 6.0 - 6.2.

Fuchsia hybrid and fuchsia graceful - trees or shrubs (depending on the formation of the plant). These are resistant plants that bloom for 7-8 months. The flowers are pink, white-pink, red, purple-red, purple, simple or double (depending on the variety). They abundantly cover the entire plant.
Fuchsia cuttings easily root in expanded clay. It can be propagated by large mature leaves with a strong petiole. The leaf is torn from the stem with a sharp movement. At the base of the petioles there are dormant buds that germinate easily and quickly develop into young plants.
Fuchsias grow excellently on nutrient solutions "LTA, BILU, Zherik, GDR-2, Zherik-2 at pH = 6 - 6.2.
Magenta should be pruned annually in early spring.

Chlorophytum bundle (corolla) - a very famous and common ampelous plant. Its long lily leaves (green or with white-yellow stripes along the leaf plate) are collected in basal bunches. Chlorophytum blooms inconspicuously. The arcuate stems of inflorescences after flowering form rosettes (bundles) of leaves with aerial roots at their ends. Strong specimens have 5-10 such hanging stems with bunches, leaves, and with a hydroponic culture, a second tier is formed from rosettes of various sizes. Their total number reaches 20 or more pieces. Turn out very beautiful<двухэтажные>plants for amples, boxes or double vases.
Chlorophytum grows well on solutions of JITA, BILU, Zherik at pH = 6.0 - 6.4. For lush development and obtaining powerful plants, the air layer (wet zone) for the roots should be 6-7 cm, so that due to the aerial part of the plants it does not develop<борода>. Chlorophytum easily propagates by young individual bunches of leaves with a ready root system.

Chrysanthemum Indian (large-flowered and small-flowered) - not only an important industrial cut crop, but also a potted plant for indoor landscaping.
Chrysanthemums are valued for their spectacular terry inflorescences of different colors, shapes and sizes. They bloom at the latest time of the year - in autumn and winter, until December. Their stems are stable, densely leafy; leaves are juicy green, lobed.
Chrysanthemums are propagated by cuttings, which are cut from mother plants in March - April. Cut off small basal apical shoots 5-7 cm high and plant them in bowls, boxes, pots filled with crushed expanded clay (0.2-0.4 mm). After 4-5 weeks, rooted cuttings are planted in ordinary pots in expanded clay, consisting of larger fractions (0.4-0.5 mm).
Young plants are installed either in bright cold greenhouses on pallet racks or on windows in a bright cold room using an ordinary saucer. Rooted cuttings and young seedlings are first watered with a weak concentration of Gericux or J1TA nutrient solution, and then with a normal concentration at pH = 6.5-7.0. In large-flowered chrysanthemums

May bell

Flowers in a decorative stand

pluck out all side shoots, leaving only the apical flower bud. In small-flowered chrysanthemums, the opposite is true: pinch the top twice at a height of 15-18 cm, and after branching, pinch all the shoots of the second order - to obtain a branchy bush with numerous flower buds.
For the summer, plants are installed in greenhouses, nurseries, in open ground, watered with a nutrient solution, sprayed with clean water. By autumn (August), plants with buds formed on peduncles are brought into cool greenhouses or into rooms where they bloom. The best specimens are left as mother plants for cuttings for the next year. Chrysanthemum as a soil cut crop in greenhouses has been used recently. The cuttings rooted at the end of spring are planted in June in the soil of greenhouses: in peat, vermiculite or ordinary soil mixture. 40-42 cuttings are planted per 1 m2. Flowering plants receive by November 7th.
The best varieties of chrysanthemums are Luyon (canary-yellow inflorescences with rounded petals) and Boni Jean (straw-yellow inflorescences), as well as white chamomile, double golden yellow with an emerald center and Delight chrysanthemum with medium-sized terry inflorescences of amaranth-lilac color.

Cyperus alternate leaf (sitovnik) - a moisture-loving plant that, with a hydroponic culture, can grow for many years in a row. Its stems are straight, slender, trihedral, green, bearing at the top an elegant crown of narrow lily leaves. With good care of plants from the crown of leaves are formed<детки>- cuttings used for propagation. Cyperus works very well on any nutrient solutions, but it develops most effectively on a solution of Gericux at pH = 5.8. Over time, the rhizome, growing, breaks the inner pot, and the root system fills the outer flowerpot with a solution, so the plants periodically have to be divided into 2-4 parts and planted in other flowerpots.

Echeveria second glyauka (Echeveria sizaya) - a plant with pale greenish-blue fleshy leaves, collected in a dense closed rosette. The leaves are oval, pointed, tapering towards the base. This plant is a wonderful material for table flat vases, in which you can create a miniature landscape, a small composition of several plants (echeveria, aloe, Siebold's sedum and other succulents) planted in expanded clay.
Echeveria propagates with thick leaves, which are first dried for 12-14 hours and only then planted in expanded clay. Echeveria grows on nutrient solutions of BILU and LTA at pH = 5.5 - 6.

Justice scarlet - very unpretentious, well growing and flowering plant in hydroponic culture. Bright pink inflorescences stand out clearly against the background of dark green leaves. Justice blooms in summer and early autumn, easily propagated in expanded clay with green cuttings. It grows in double flowerpots, in boxes on solutions of LTA, BILU, Zherik, GDR-2; pH = 6.2 - 6.8. After flowering, the inflorescences are pruned, and then the plants that bloomed in early summer bloom again by autumn.
In addition to the above plants, hydroponics can grow coleus, heather, euonymus, bamboo, paperomia, oxalis, thuja, cypress, umbrella agapanthus, blue passionflower, lemon, myrtle-leaved eugenia, large-leaved grizelin, fiery kolanchoe, figs and a number of other plants. On balconies in boxes and vases, you can grow (mainly on solutions of LTA, BILU and Zherik) open ground plants listed in Table. 9.
On the balconies (in boxes and vases with nutrient solutions) these letniki develop rapidly and bloom profusely throughout the summer. For climbing plants (peas, morning glory, nasturtium), support is needed in the form of pegs, nylon cord, etc. Not only expanded clay can be used as a substrate. Excellent results were also obtained when growing letniki in a mixture of peat and expanded clay, peat and moss.
Many types and varieties of annuals produce good mature full-fledged seeds that are suitable for growing new seedlings for the next year. Sowing seeds of letniki is done in the spring, followed by picking and transplanting - just like when cultivating a plant in land mixtures. The difference lies in the fact that weeds do not appear in artificial substrates, seedlings do not get sick, are not damaged by pests, plants do not need to be fed, no fertilizers need to be applied.
According to literature data and our observations, it has been established that in open ground conditions in mobile gardens made of large flat vases, bowls, cubes, such perennial plants as hybrid anemones, small periwinkle, Carpathian bellflower grow well in a substrate of expanded clay, moss or peat , delphinium, mesembryantheum, medicinal soapwort, aubrecia, garden primrose, alpine rezuha, horned violet, edelweiss, felt sapling,

irises, lilies, monbrecia, gladioli, dahlias and other outdoor plants.
For decorative design of all the above plants of various objects, the most promising are the so-called moss walls, or, as they are also called, flower vertical compositions.