What do Plants Want?

My Experience with Both Hydroponic and Soil

1. Basic Needs

Scientifically, plants need air, water, and warmth to germinate.

This means that without one of these three, germination will not occur. Air, Water and Warmth are to plants what food, clothing and shelter are to human.

If Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs existed for plants, Air, Water and Warmth would form the first two rungs. I must have made that point clear at this juncture.

Still, don’t plants exist in the Arctic and the Sahara, where at least one of the three conditions in not met? Hold that thought.

2. Consistency

Plants need consistency because plants are adaptable.

Plants would do a lot with 500ml of water daily than with 20 litres of water once in a while.

Or, get used to having their roots existing in water, even if they are not water hyacinth.

This consistency in feeding and watering, our head agronomist attempted to explain it as follows: would you rather your child ate one meal, once in a while, or 3 meals at fixed times.

“3 meals a day,” I replied with certainty, “Or one meal a day at a fixed time if you wanted them to lose weight,” I added push some buttons.

But, my agronomist, a busy man overseeing 100 greenhouses had no time for his buttons to get pushed.

Yes. Yes. Consistency is everything, he nodded absentmindedly.

Like humans (and all living organisms), plants adapt to long-term exposure to stable conditions. This is why some plants are adapted to the arctic and some to the desert.

If you took a Nairobi plant to the arctic tundra, it would die, and vice versa.

3. Nutrients ?

Your plants do not need nutrients to germinate. But now they have germinated and you want 10kg per tomato plant.

This where nutrition comes in.

“Plants do not care whether they are eating nitrogen ions from manure or synthetics,” another agronomist/teacher said to a class of wide-eyed 18–35-year-olds hearing about hydroponics for the first time.

He was a dramatic fellow, this teacher.

Nutrition is essential.

But,

The boundaries on how to get them to plants can be pushed.

That is why hydroponics, aeroponics and soil work.

Take Home

As an urban farmer, whatever medium for growth you choose, ensure it prioritises consistency over quantity.

Regular 15-minute windows to tend for your garden are better than the once in a while full-day immersion.

Finally, if you are not using passive hydroponics, try and water your plants at the same time every day.