Growing beautiful flowers can be hard if you are not blessed to live in an area with natural luscious soils. Hydroponics is a great way to grow any flowers you might like as you can fully customise the amount of light, nutrients levels and temperature settings that your plant is exposed to.
Nutrient levels
Tropical flowers tend to grow in very rich soils with a lot of nutrients. The exact mix will depend on the natural location of the flowers that you are growing as a flower that grows well in Malaysia forests will need a different set of nutrients to one that is found in South America. Equally some flowers set up roots in soil while others bloom in moss or bark. As tropical flowers are more sensitive it's advisable to get a nutrient mix or film that is specific to the breed that you are trying to grow, rather than a generic 'flower mix'. Contact your hydroponic store before you order as they may be able to make you a custom mix.
Light levels
While tropical flowers are often associated with hot and sunny climates, they may not receive that much light naturally if they are from the lower levels of the rain forest. This can make them relatively easy to grow inside. If you have a particularly dark hydroponic set up you might like to allow them a setting of light regularly to stimulate flowering. This again is likely to vary by the breed and natural habitat of the flowers.
Temperature and humidity
One of the most critical controls for tropical plants is the temperature and humidity. It can be useful to set up an auto misting systems, that takes regular temperature and humidity measurements and makes adjustments to the misting and air conditioning to maintain given conditions. Over-misting the plants can lead to condensation on the petals which can damage the overall appearance of your blooms, and under-misting can result in dry and papery petals which also look poor.
As tropical plants have a relatively stable conditions year round at the equator once you find a setting that works for your blooms you can leave it there year round.
Hydroponics can be a great way to grow beautiful and unique blooms in your own home. Not only will them look great but you also get the pleasure of knowing that you have grown them yourself with your own hard work.
