Savon This post shows you how to grow potted canna lilies in water!
I’ve been in a major funk lately. The weather is acting funny and container gardening outdoors is working my nerves.
So I’m taking a break and bringing the vibes indoors. Last weekend, I spent over $70 on plants.
No list or plan in mind. I just impulsively bought whatever stood out to me. I do not recommend doing this but you know me.
Plus, I want to experiment more with the aesthetic look of plants. Plants nourish us, provide oxygen, and purify the air but I honestly just like looking at them.
Beautiful things in nature never get old. Sleep comes easier when I’m surrounded by plants. I function better. I enjoy life more and talking to them.
Seeing the way the sun’s shadows glitter and dart in and out from leaves makes me happy.
I also have a huge window in my room that is begging for plants and who am I to deny the house what it wants?
How to Grow Calla Lilies in Water for an Amazing Houseplant
I’ve never owned a canna lily. I vaguely remember seeing a video where someone submerged the roots in water instead of soil but I never thought anything more of it. Until I went to Lowe’s.
She caught my eye sitting by herself. I’m always drawn to the last plant standing for sale. It’s like getting picked last for recess.
She may be a little beat up and got burned a couple of times, but to me, that just means she is resilient. The plant also looked like it was getting ready to bloom. Perfect timing.
Here are some more reasons to learn how to grow canna lilies in water:
- Air purifiers. Canna lilies, as beautiful as they are, make wonderful indoor plants due to their natural ability to purify the air of toxins.
- Grow fast. If you’re a beginner gardener, a canna lily is a houseplant that is easy to take care of and hardy so you can watch blooms throughout the year.
- They’re gorgeous. Give them the right environment and they bloom beautifully with lush foliage to uplift the mood in any space.
Canna lilies are sleek tropical and aquatic plants with slender necks and star-shaped flowers that symbolize the circle of life. The plant can mean fertility and purity or death and rebirth.
What I Did
Although I love having plants indoors, I’ll admit sometimes it can be a little messy with the soil.
Whether you’re knocking over a plant, watering it, or moving it somewhere, it’s easy to have a few crumbles of soil trailing behind you like Goldilocks.
I’ve been wanting to play with hydroponics for a while but
1. It looked so complicated.
2. I was confused. Because traditional advice says these plants love moist soil but hate soggy feet.
Well, if that’s true, wouldn’t they be suffocated by water?
Here’s the science behind it:
- You can do hydroponics with a plant cutting and a glass of water. You don’t need a whole system.
- The difference is that soil naturally provides nutrients through bacteria. But too much moisture and you have an overgrowth of bacteria and a lack of oxygen, essentially choking out the roots and causing the plant to die. Whereas in hydroponics, the lack of soil allows for minimum bacteria, and oxygen is constantly recycled to the roots! Who knew?
So I decided to try it!
Finding a Pot
First, I went to Goodwill to get a glass vase, but ended up buying six. I ultimately decided on a square one for the lily to switch it up.
Then I cleaned the roots with a hose outside. A little bit of water pressure works wonders.
Next, I simply added water from the sink in the vase. The general advice I read is to submerge the roots in water and not the actual plant.
I haven’t added any plant food, nutrients, or fertilizer but I plan to this weekend.
Placement
For display, I put her in lots of bright and indirect light from the sun. My window is south-facing and those late evening rays are perfect.
I placed her with my rubber plant, a polka plant, and a pothos on my light stand for a chic display.
I work from my desk next to it, which keeps me calm when I’m trying to navigate the corporate landscape.
Is it weird that I like looking at the roots? It’s getting insight into a process that I shouldn’t be seeing..like human intestines, but in a beautiful, sick, distorted kind of way.
Seeing them all thick and twisted around each other in the water, but clean with no dirt, it’s like art.
I don’t know, don’t judge me.
All that to say, I hope she’s happy because I was happier after bringing her home.
I might be imagining it but I think she may bloom soon. Pictures just don’t do justice, but so far? I think hydroponics might be up my alley.
**UPDATE: She’s happy!**
Day #1 Enjoying the sun but reserved
Day #2 Scoping out the scene
Day #3 Coast is clear
Ahh, I’m so happy. The colors are so vibrant and beautiful, she’s perfect!
If you’ve never grown plants in glass jars or containers with only water, I highly suggest you try it.
Glass and water make for an elegant, clean, and aesthetic and I love watching the different prisms of light bounce off of each other with color and design.
I couldn’t ask for anything more with this canna lily!
Have you ever tried growing houseplants in water?
Until next time!
