The Beautiful Houseplant You Can Grow Indoors Without Using Any Soil

There are many benefits to growing houseplants indoors, from adding color to your home's aesthetics to improving air quality. Unfortunately, potting soil can diminish the effects of air quality control and introduce allergens, mold, and other contaminants into the home. Luckily, there are some plants that can be grown indoors without using any soil through the use of hydroponics. The African violet (Streptocarpus ionanthus) is one such beautiful indoor houseplant that can grow in water indefinitely.

African violets are tropical plants that produce vibrant purple flowers, hence the name. However, different varieties can produce blue, pink, purple, red, or white blooms. Most people think they are hard to care for, but the truth is, it is easy to successfully grow African violets if you know how. With proper care, they are known to bloom several times per year, but bloom times can vary. Regardless of whether you grow them in potting soil or without using any soil at all, African violets have very specific temperature requirements, but generally they do well in indoor conditions. They grow best with daytime temperatures below 80 degrees Fahrenheit and nighttime temperatures above 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

While it is possible to grow African violets in water without any soil, you can't simply place them in a jar of water and expect them to grow forever. You can propagate your African violets this way, but eventually, leaving them submerged in water will lead to root rot. Instead, you will want to create an ideal moisture environment for them, without submerging all the roots in water constantly. In addition, it is essential to avoid letting the foliage sit in water, as this will invite disease to the leaves.

To grow your plants without soil, you can create a simple setup with a two-part pot. At the bottom of your pot or container (which doesn't have any drainage holes), you will have nutrient-rich water. Then, you will put your plant into a net cup filled with glass stones or gravel. Place the net pot in the main container so it rests with about ½ an inch of it's base touching the water. This allows the roots of your African violet to take up moisture and nutrients from the liquid.  Add nutrients when the plant shows slower growth, about every two weeks. You will want to look for a nutrient solution that's high in phosphorus, to promote flowering. That's all there is to it! Of course, you'll still need to practice proper care and avoid crucial mistakes with your African violet houseplants. They do best with direct lighting, and you should dust off the leaves using a soft brush and remove any dead ones regularly.