6 ways to grow indoor plants without soil if you’re scared of getting dirty

  How to grow a plant without soil?

The happy revelation is that you're able to be a plant mom! The complication is you've got a deathly fear of worms or a little space that may not really dirt-friendly. That leaves us with, well, the conflict: the way to grow plants without soil. And moreover, how does one grow plants in an easy-care way that does not put you in Chia Pet territory? (Like, not that you simply wouldn't need a Golden Girls head that sprouts microgreens.)

You, my friend, want to urge into hydroponic planting. See, there are plenty plants capable growing in water instead of soil or other media. Plants derive certain nutrients from soil like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, which also exist alongside other mineral solids, air, water, and organic matter.

"Growing something hydroponically means the roots grow in water and chemical substitutes are used instead of present chemical elements," says Levi Gardner, environmental educator founder and co-executive director of Urban Roots. "These nutrients can come from either synthetic or organic chemicals. This means that they're going to either grow in water enriched with something like ammonia or fish emulsion. Basically, growing a plant hydroponically means its roots are in water instead of in soil."

And many greens can actually be grown in hydroponic systems, says Gardner. This includes many leafy friends, from herbs like basil, thyme, and mint, salad-ready greens like kale, chard, and lettuce.

"These systems are able to convert nutrients into growth relatively easy, bigger plants like tomatoes and peppers would require tons more fertilization, additionally to greater basins and more light for photosynthesizing," says Gardner.

If you actually want to use water to its fullest extent, Gardner recommends going a step further. Embracing aquaponic systems are differently to become a proud plant mom...with a goldfish.

"Rather just growing a plant, this is often often a symbiotic relationship between fish and a plant," Gardner says. "The fish turns food into waste which successively feeds the plant while the plant uses the nutrients and cleans the water. These systems are more complicated, but they're far more rewarding and more representative of principles or ecology."

How cute, I love it! Below, we've some systems which will teach you ways to grow plants without soil (just many grow lights and hydration).

1. SPROUT GARDEN HYDROPONIC UNIT, 
Get your greens ready! This sprout garden has an automatic sprinkler so you will not even feel bad once you forget to water them for a month on end. And hey, good way to health-up your meals.

2. SMART GARDEN HYDROPONIC UNIT, 

This is a reasonably sophisticated smart garden, with the power to grow all kinds of plants. It comes equipped with basil pods, so if you'll get your hands on some fresh mozzarella and balsamic vinegar, you are going to be in Caprese salad heaven.

3. LED INDOOR GARDEN KIT PLANT GROW LIGHT, 

This adjustable UV stand works if you do not have the emotional investment for a full garden and instead what a kind of minimalist green statement piece. Maybe this is often clock time to form an orchid plant blossom?

4. FOUR-TRAY FEEDER SPROUT, 

The kit includes some alfafa seeds that are ripe for growing, and may be expanded to eight growing trays total if you're really looking to form the microgreens an easy part of your diet.

5. AQUAPONIC BETTA AQUARIUM BOWL, 

How cute is this? A spathiphyllum or bamboo plant is very recommended as a topper, as is an adorable Betta fish companion. Note that we're talking Betta fish during a singular context; they're notoriously vicious killers and you do not want to observe two fighting fish go at it over their food.

6. INDOOR LED GROW LIGHT,
 
This is great if you would like to possess a cluster of various plants, especially if you would like to form space for basil, lemon mint, peppermint, thyme, grass, parsley, nettle plants, and succulents. Soil plants are welcome to mingle also , as this technique mainly caters to shining a light-weight on whatever's on whatever's within the basin.