Look, I just really don't like working with soil in my apartment [DWC with Caladium, Tradescantia, Hawaiian "Ti"] (video.4d2.org)

submitted 3 weeks ago by cybervseas@lemmy.world to c/houseplants@mander.xyz

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Semi-hydro is so popular now, but everyone says to replace the water every few days because it runs out of oxygen. Coming from the aquarium/pond world I thought, "what if I put an extra bubble thing+pump into the pot?"

Apparently that's DWC. But so many of the ready-to-use DWC setups are...kind of ugly. I think people use them more for vegetables or weed. The caladium are from bulbs (etsy and Home Depot), the tradescantia are cuttings I took from a coworker's plant, and the "Ti" plants are still just logs I'm propagating that are showing their first little nubs now. Using aquarium liquid fertiizers.

I just want to avoid having a bunch of dirt in my apartment. Sweeping it, vacuuming, dirt stains...

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[-] cybervseas@lemmy.world 1 points 3 weeks ago

Thanks for the recommendations! Reducing the liquid level and increasing the nutrient concentration are make sense as the plants are getting started and developing roots.

It's been fun to see caladium bulbs growing successfully, when it's one of many plants that people say "do not like wet soil," so yeah what about no soil lol.

I found a bunch of your helpful pictures and posts, as well as a few good sounding Lemmy communities to join thanks to you. Are all of those pictures of your plants really all hydro? Wow! Other than a few YouTube videos, I've been reading University of Minnesota's "small-scale hydroponics" guide. Any other good websites, books, or guides I should look to for inspiration?

[-] Guenther_Amanita@slrpnk.net 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

increasing the nutrient concentration

Be careful. A nutrient burn is way more harmful than a deficiency.

It's one of many plants that people say "do not like wet soil,"

Water isn't the problem, it's the anaerobic conditions that lead to root rot

Are all of those pictures of your plants really all hydro?

Yeah, the only exception is my one Drosera, which lives in the peat mix I bought it in (can't survive in most other media) and a few of my balcony plants, mainly my blackberry (perennial) and some pollinator flower mixes that live as weeds.

All other ones, houseplants (including calatheas and some carnivorous plants!) and balcony crops (cannabis, melons, chilli, etc.) are in hydro.

Here, for example, my Tradescantia (because it was a main subject of your post) and Nepenthes

this post was submitted on 21 Jun 2025

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