How to grow plants in water
- After you have picked an appropriate container, fill it with water, gravel, pebbles, sand, marbles, beads or any similar material that sparks your imagination. Add a pinch of powdered or small piece of charcoal to keep the water clear and clean smelling.
- Prepare a concoction of water and fertiliser, using a water soluble fertiliser in the amount of one quarter.
- Growing houseplants in water is also known as hydroponic farming. After having mixed your diluted fertiliser, it is time to choose the right plants.

- Hanging plants or creepers like money plant, taken from cuttings are often the easiest to root in a water, but rooted plants may be used as well.

- Wash the soil completely off the roots of the soon-to-be-indoor water garden plant and cut off any decayed leaves or stems.
- Place the plant in the water-fertiliser solution. You may have to change the solution on occasions. Replace the nutrients solution in every four to six weeks. To reduce algae growth, you can opt for a dark or opaque container. However, should algae become an issue, change the solution more frequently.

Create a Miniature Pond for Indoors
- The only difference between an indoor pond and an outdoor pond is size, apart from location. Indoor ponds can be as small or as large as space allows. The Indoor ponds or a tub garden can be made from nearly anything like rubber containers, plastic pots, glass aquariums etc. You should avoid using metal or wooden containers. Basins or plastic washtubs make exceptional choices for smaller indoor ponds. It is easy to build and can be a great addition for your balcony or terrace. A small container may be suitable for one plant.

- A container that is only a few inches deep will work for other plants. If you want water lilies in your tub garden, look for a container at least 12 inches deep.

- Piled up stones and plants can be incorporated along the edges of the pond to help conceal the container. n
- Prior to building an indoor pond, you'll need to determine its location. Be sure to place the container where you will see it often. Water is heavy and you most likely will not be moving the tub around once the water is added. So, select an area with at least four or five hours of direct sun if you want to grow water lily or other flowering plants. However, some protection from the late afternoon sun is desirable for your container garden. Shallow water plants can be elevated on bricks or other suitable support. Water lilies and other deep-water aquatics should be in a pot on the bottom of the container.

- Stack clean stones along the edges of the pot. The top row of stones should cover the edge of the container. You can also add some artificial plantings along the outer edges of the pond.

- Nearly any plant that enjoys moist indoor environments can be used. Before setting these plants in place, be sure to repot them with clay or sand soil. You can place potted plants in tiers, with some outside the water and others only partially in the water, which can be accomplished by using stones or overturned pots to keep the top of the container above the water.

- Surface plants for water gardens, such as water lilies, must have their roots submerged but the leaves and flowers float above the surface. Don't crowd too many plants into a container. Two to three potted plants and some floaters will make quite an impact.
- Other than replacing water, fertilising and trimming your plants, there is little maintenance involved for pond gardens. When plants begin to grow, add a fertiliser tablet available in the market. If you notice algae, all you need to do is remove the plants, empty container, refill with clean water and replace the plants.

How to make a Tabletop Water Garden
Create your own little aquatic garden to give your home interiors a makeover. Just take an over-sized glass mug. Take a handful of charcoal and line the base of the vessel to minimise odours. Cover with aquarium pebbles. Then, fill the vessel with pure water — rainwater, RO purified or distilled water. Place the potted plant into the vessel. Some loose soil may escape the pot. Just scoop it off the top of the water and add more rocks to the potted plant if needed. Pull off any dead roots from the floating water plants and give them a good rinse before adding to the mug. You can experiment with water lettuce, water hyacinth, duck weed, fairy moss etal.

Selecting plants
- Make a splash in your water garden this year by choosing plants that are visually intriguing as well as functional.
- While selecting, consider both the ornamental qualities and the practical value of each plant. A good combination will oxygenate the water, compete with algae to keep the water clear, and take up nitrogen to balance the pond's ecosystem.
- Before running out to buy plants for your water garden, make a proper plan. The plants should not cover more than 23rd of the water's surface.

- Floating plants like water hyacinth, water lettuce, parrot's feather grow freely on the water surface and can be placed in all areas of the pond. They grow quickly and require periodic thinning. By shading the water with their leaves, they reduce the amount of light needed for algae to grow.

- Surface plants have their roots in the soil and leaves on long stems that float on the water's surface. By blocking sunlight, they also inhibit the growth of algae. Water lilies are surface plants. Tropical and hardy, they are easily grown and make great plants for the average pond or container garden.

- Always purchase plants from a local nursery. You can then examine the plant to be sure it's healthy. Remove the plant from its pot and look at the root system. Roots should be white and firm, bulbs and tubers should be large and healthy.

Choosing the right soil
- Clay soil is one of the best options for aquatic plants. It holds nutrients and anchors all plants very well. However, too heavy of a clay concentration in the soil can reduce healthy root growth. If available, this garden soil could be dug up from your yard or occasionally purchased.

- Sand can anchor shorter plants well, but not tall plants. It will hold some nutrient but not as well as a clay-based garden soil.
- Gravel can work best for filtration purposes. Water runs through gravel faster than soil. That way, any liquid fertiliser released will easily get mixed with the water.

Source: Times of India

BDST: 1509 HRS, DEC- 09, 2015
Edited by:  Sharmina Islam, Lifestyle Editor