Your germination plate is a great way to showcase your favourite succulent or cactus growing with its bare roots in water.

Here’s how to prepare your plant for its new showcase:

You’ll need a soft toothbrush, a pretty glass and of course, your plant and your germination plate.
If you’re working with a very spiky cactus, fold a kitchen towel so it’s thick enough to protect your hands from the spines, then use it to hold the cactus by its head under running water. Be gentle so you don’t break the spines off.

Remove your plant from its pot, and remove as much dirt as possible gently with your fingers. Then rinse the roots under running water to remove the rest. If needed, use the toothbrush or paintbrush to remove the last little bits of dirt from the roots. When they’re all cleaned up, you can fit the roots through the opening of your germination plate, and fill the glass with water.

Initially, cacti that were previously grown in soil will need a bit of adjustment to their new water habitat. Over a period of four to six months, they will develop the new (white) water roots that they need to grow hydroponically. As the old roots decay, they should be removed by rinsing the cactus periodically under running water.

Care tips for your hydroponics cactus :
Change the water weekly. Not just top it up, but completely refresh it, this helps with oxygenation.
There are no nutrients in the water, so we recommend adding one drop of organic liquid fertilizer to the glass when you change the water.