A betta vase , the popular setup where a peace lily sits on top of a vase and a betta fish lives underneath, is not a safe long-term home for the fish. Bettas need several gallons of filtered, heated water around 76–81°F, room to swim, and access to air at the surface. A typical betta vase offers less than a gallon, no heater, no filter, and roots that can block the surface. The peace lily part can work. The fish part usually does not.
Peace lily in water is one of the easiest soil-free houseplant setups: keep the crown and leaves above the waterline, let only the roots sit in clean water, feed with a very dilute complete fertilizer, and refresh the water every one to two weeks. Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum) tolerate lower light than most flowering houseplants, which makes a peace lily in water a good fit for offices and north-facing rooms, as long as you watch for stagnant water and root rot.
Monstera in water can live for months and even years if you give it bright indirect light, clean water, and a dilute nutrient solution, but it usually grows slower and smaller than a monstera in soil or a chunky aroid mix. Water alone has almost no nutrients, so the real secret to keeping monstera in water long-term is feeding it like a hydroponic plant, keeping the roots oxygenated, and changing the water before it turns stale.
Can you grow pumpkins hydroponically ? Technically yes, but pumpkins are one of the crops that struggle in home hydroponics. Vines sprawl for feet, plants need strong sun-level light and warm conditions, and female flowers must be pollinated. Epcot’s greenhouse grows pumpkins hydroponically, but that’s a professionally run commercial greenhouse. At home, your best odds are a miniature variety in a Dutch bucket or large drip-fed container, in a greenhouse or sunny outdoor spot, with hand pollination.
Yes, you can grow sunflowers hydroponically . A 2023 study in Ornamental Horticulture grew cut sunflowers in an NFT system with commercial-quality results, using EC 1.8–2.2 mS/cm and pH 5.5–6.5. For home growers, the easiest options are sunflower microgreens on a tray, or pollenless cut-flower varieties in Dutch buckets or deep media with very strong light. Single-stem cut-flower types reach harvest in about 50–95 days depending on cultivar, and stems often run 2 to 4 feet tall.
Here’s how to grow cat grass without soil: soak oat, wheat, barley or rye seeds, spread them in a single layer on a damp soilless pad or coco coir in a draining tray, keep them moist but never waterlogged, and give them bright light once they sprout. Sprouts appear in about 3–7 days, and grass is ready in 10–14 days at about 4 inches tall. Most mold comes from too much water and poor airflow. Offer it in moderation, and ask your vet if your cat has health issues.
Here’s how to grow duckweed indoors: float a starter culture on dechlorinated water in a shallow, still container, add a very dilute nutrient solution, give it bright light, and harvest a portion every few days so it never covers more than the surface can support. Duckweed can double in as little as 3 days under ideal conditions. Grow it only in closed containers, never release it into ponds or streams, and use only clean, controlled cultures for feed or food.
Hydroponic grapes are experimental, not a proven home crop. The most advanced work comes from Australia’s CSIRO, where researchers grew dwarf table-grape “microvines” in coco coir bags under LED light and harvested first fruit 145 days after transplanting. Microvines have mostly been research plants. Regular grapevines are large, long-lived woody vines that usually need winter chilling, so at home the realistic approach is a container vine in soilless media on drip, grown outdoors or in a greenhouse. Treat any attempt as a trial, with no yield guarantees.
A hydroponic lemon tree is possible: grow a dwarf lemon, usually a Meyer, in a large container of well-drained soilless media such as coco and perlite, fed by drip or careful hand watering with a dilute, complete nutrient. It needs at least 6 hours of direct sun (8–12 is better), 65–75°F days and protection below 32°F. Before you buy or move a tree, know the law: citrus quarantines in states such as Florida, California, Texas and Arizona restrict moving citrus plants. Buy from a licensed local nursery and never ship or carry citrus across state lines without checking.
You can grow raspberries hydroponically , but it’s a long-term project, not a quick countertop crop. Raspberries have a perennial root system with biennial canes, they want full sun and good drainage, and many types need winter chilling to fruit. Commercial growers succeed with “long-cane” plants in coco coir or bark-filled pots under high tunnels, fed by drip. At home, the most realistic route is a compact or everbearing variety in a large container of soilless mix on drain-to-waste drip, outdoors or in a greenhouse.