I’ll start by saying I’m a complete beginner, and this project definitely wasn’t planned to become what it is.
This began as a simple lavender cutting grown hydroponically and slowly evolved into something that feels at least bonsai-adjacent. I fully understand this may not qualify as bonsai in the traditional sense, and I also know hydroponics isn’t commonly used in bonsai practice.
I’m mainly sharing because I ended up accidentally going down this road, and I’m curious whether anyone here has explored anything similar.
This is lavender grown entirely hydroponically, currently day 194 from cutting.
General setup / background:
• Grown 100% hydroponically (DWC-style, AeroGarden-based system)
• Roots fully submerged; no soil or aggregate
• Dual air stones for continuous oxygenation
• Periodic root pruning to keep the system balanced
• Ongoing canopy pruning and light training over time
• No strict adherence to bonsai rules, this has been an observational experiment first and foremost
I understand lavender isn’t a common bonsai species, and long-term hydroponic growth for woody perennials also isn’t well documented. I also know lavender is generally said to not like “wet” or waterlogged environments. That hasn’t been the case here, actually quite the opposite, and I suspect the constant oxygenation from the dual air stones, along with airflow plays a large role.
So far, it’s been astonishingly better than I expected, which is what’s kept the project going. As a bonus, it’s also quite aromatic and calming to have in the room.
Nutrients / water details:
• Distilled water base
• MegaCrop 1-Part as the base nutrient
• Run conservatively (no aggressive feeding)
• Hydroguard for root health
• Dual air stones running continuously
• Focus has been on oxygenation and consistency rather than optimization
I’m know this isn’t proper bonsai, and this mostly came about on accident by overlapping with my hydroponic lavender project. Just thought it might be of interest here.
If anyone has experience with:
• woody plants in hydroponics
• lavender in unconventional setups
• long-term structural considerations for projects like this
Thank you all! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. Please don’t flame me
by Meechymane
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