In recent years, the small brown clay balls of the once very popular hydroculture seem to have gone somewhat out of fashion. Wrongfully so, after all, dragon trees cultivated indoors require significantly less maintenance in this form of culture than when using conventional substrate.
Why should you keep a dragon tree hydroponically and how do you get it used to it?
A hydroponic dragon tree offers advantages such as longer watering intervals, mold prevention and better waterlogging control. Getting the dragon tree used to this initially requires a less sunny place with high humidity to promote root growth.
Hydroponics can definitely offer some advantages for dragon trees
Hydroponics refers to soilless plant care in pots, in which small, fired clay balls support the roots of a plant instead of the usual substrate. As a rule, special planters are used in which the plant roots obtain moisture from a water reservoir in the lower part of the container. There are various reasons why switching to hydroponics can be worthwhile, especially for dragon trees:
- It can be watered at longer intervals
- Allergy sufferers can breathe a sigh of relief: without soil, various mold spores find no place to multiply
- regular substrate replacement when repotting is unnecessary
- dangerous waterlogging is easier to avoid
While on the one hand the watering work is less with hydroponics (€13.00 on Amazon), on the other hand the system offers better control over the water supply, especially when using the usual water level indicators.
Some things to consider when growing a hydroponic dragon tree
You should be aware that the clay balls of hydroponics themselves do not contain or store water or nutrients. Rather, these act as a “foundation” for the plant as they provide support for the roots. At the same time, the problem of dangerous waterlogging is effectively avoided with hydroponics because constant ventilation of the root area is guaranteed in any case. Since there is no soil with the appropriate nutrients, a precisely measured amount of liquid fertilizer must always be added to the irrigation water. Even with a hydroponic dragon tree, watering should not be overdone. The s alt layer that sometimes forms on the surface of the clay balls can be safely washed off or removed by mixing the balls on the surface.
Adjusting the dragon tree to an existence in a pot full of clay balls
With a dragon tree that was previously grown in ordinary soil, when switching to hydroponics, the roots must first increase in length in order to be able to reach the water in the reservoir. Therefore, after repotting, you should first move these plants to a less sunny place with very high humidity.
Tip
You can leave a hydroponic dragon tree to its own devices in a location that is not too hot for up to three weeks if you have filled the pot to the maximum of the water level indicator before you leave.
