Water planting! You’ve probably seen it going on in your favourite houseplant shops or on Instagram, but have you tried it? It’s not as difficult as you might think.
I went on ITV’s This Morning to talk to the nation about just how easy it is – the quickest method requires only a plant, some fertiliser solution and a vessel full of water! You can watch my segment here.
Indoor water planting
Water planting isn’t new, but it’s soooo trendy on the houseplant scene!
Unlike planting in the garden, indoor water gardening is very low maintenance, and your plants are also at less risk of catching diseases or becoming pest-ridden.
Who is indoor water gardening for?
Everyone! From kids and beginner gardeners, to advanced houseplant keepers, everyone can enjoy the benefits of water gardening. It’s also ideal for those with limited space for potted plants or without a garden, and it’s a great way to keep your home free from messy soil.
What plants can you use?
Most plants will work with this method. However, it is best to avoid cacti and succulents, due to the fact that they rot easily at the base. You can also root houseplant cuttings easily in water – this is called propagation, which I talk more about here.
- Davallia Plant on Lava Rock in a Tray
- Anthurium Aqua Red in Sierglass
- Clusia ‘Princess’ incl. glass vase
Indoor water planting tips:
- Wash all soil from roots and cut off any decaying leaves and stems.
- Plant into water with fertiliser solution. You may need to top up every so often.
- Replace water every 5/6 weeks
- Place away from sunlight, to avoid excess algae formation.
What is aquascaping?
Aquascaping is the practice of creating an underwater garden with a range of plants. You can use decorative pebbles, and even add fish. It’s super creative, and has become quite the art form!
Aquascaping tips:
- Wash gravel and substrate before planting to avoid cloudy water.
- Use filtered or distilled water.
- Consider the weight of your container too!
- Change the water daily for the first month whilst planfs establish.
- Feed every week with a suitable liquid nutrient solution.
Other types of water planting
Although greenery is the most popular type of plant to grow in water, there’s so much more that you can experiment with!
- Bulbs: They sit above water and the roots reach down and grow! Buy special hyacinth glasses for that very purpose!
- Herbs: Buying a growing kit such as the reservoir planter at Boskke. This helps water shop-bought herbs more efficiently, and makes them longer lasting.
- Marimo moss balls: These look very cool in water. Shake them once a week to help keep them fresh.
- Cut flowers: These are simple to prepare, but you can keep them even fresher when you mix up a potion of water, sugar, vinegar and a little bit of bleach. Anti-bacterial and nutrient rich.
- Boskke self-watering herb planter

Michael has been involved with gardening and plants since he was just five years old. He is a self-professed Plant Geek, and was listed in the Sunday Times top 20 most influential people in the gardening world, thanks to his plant hunter role at Thompson & Morgan.
Michael was responsible for new plant introductions such as the Egg and Chips plant and the FuchsiaBerry and keeps busy travelling the world in search of new plants as well as lecturing worldwide, including stints in Japan. He is very active on social media – so why not give him a follow at @mr_plantgeek or Facebook. You can also listen to The Plant Based Podcast with Michael and co-host Ellen-Mary on iTunes, Spotify and Google.
June Bailey
Can I use the sugar,bleach and vinegar solutions for the hydrophobic plants from QVC. I’m so pleased with them but I don’t want to use Flower Power because it will colour the water. Many thanks