Herb 'n Garden

NO SOIL REQUIRED

Story & Photos by Sue Baltes

The winter months might be a good time to start a new hobby of indoor water-gardening. Recently I got an early morning message from a dear plant friend, Geri, who messaged me a photo of an amazing Christmas Cactus she found growing on a windowsill that she had forgotten until she saw the beautiful flower. A few months earlier a piece had broken off her beloved cactus and she hated to toss it and thought she’d just stick it in water, and then actually forgot about it. Well it formed roots, flower buds and then a beautiful bloom. Geri asked if I’d ever seen a cactus root in water before. Well of course I had because in the winter months I love to fill my sunny windows with vases and colored bottles filled with water and plant stems and watch them begin to root. Many of them I don’t get to flower, but it is still a great way to start new plants for spring or to just enjoy growing them in water. Just this week I spent an afternoon with another dear plant friend, Lucas Hobbs at Studio 120, while getting a muchneeded pedicure and I noticed that he has a lighted cabinet in his salon that had previously held his nail polishes. Well he has turned it into a really cool plant cabinet full of lots of unique bottles that he was using to root plants, so we discussed the thrill of watching them grow. He told me which ones were his favorites and the ones he had the most success with. Some examples were tradescatia, snake plants, rosemary and calantheas. Growing plants in just water, whether they be house plants or herbs, is a great way to start gardening for beginners. It also serves those with limited space and/or the folks who don’t want to be burdened with high maintenance plants. Water propagation works very well for many types of plants. Here’s what you need to do: simply clip off a piece of a house plant and place the stem in a bottle filled with water. Placing the plant in a window provides the light they need to grow. But like Lucas, who didn’t have a window in his salon he transformed the lighted cabinet for his plants to provide the needed light. Depending on the type of plant it will quickly sprout roots and will continue to grow more lush over time. Almost any container or bottle will work, though glass or ceramic containers seem to work best as metal ones will corrode. Hydroponics is yet another name for growing plants in water, and commercial growers often have fertilizers and other

chemicals added to the water. At home you can also do that by mixing up a weak solution of watersoluble fertilizer. Hanging or creeping plants often work very well in bottles. When you cut you clipping, be sure to clean off all the soil and dead or decaying stems and you should be ready to enjoy your new indoor bottle garden For years I’ve loved to find unusual bottles and fill them with water and plants. The advice I always share is at least once or twice a week to pour out the water and add fresh. I’ve also found that plants rooting in water make such thoughtful gifts. Some of my favorite plants to use are spider plants, ivy’s, orchids, pothos and herbs like rosemary and lavender, and its fun to keep a jar of mint rooting in the kitchen to add to your tea. So, if you need a new hobby think about growing some plants in water and think “No Soil Required.”

Sue Baltes is the owner of Herb 'n Garden shop on the corner of Academy Street and Bicentennial Park. Herb 'n Garden is open Tuesday through Saturday from 1 to 5 pm.

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