All Plantclub plants aren’t potted like any average houseplant. With our use of semi-hydroponics and mineral substrate, maintenance and watering can look a little different. So before you pick up that watering can, here’s everything you need to know about how we take care of your greenery, so you don’t have to.

Watering & overwatering, how does it work?

For some species of plants, signs of overwatering appear as droopy, yellow or brown leaves and soft or unstable stems, while underwatered plants will develop dry, crunchy, wilting leaves sometimes with brown tips or leaf curling.

Plantclub plants are potted using more self-sustaining methods, which means they need much less water than usual. Inorganic substrate and water level indicators, make up our semi-hydroponic system that is best suited for the types of plants Plantclub offers.

What is semi-hydroponics?

Semi-hydroponics, distinct from hydroponics which eliminates soil entirely, uses inorganic potting materials that simplify plant care by reducing watering frequency and providing benefits like sustainability and pest prevention.

Unlike traditional potted plants that use soil or peat moss—controversial due to its environmental impact and non-renewable nature — Plantclub’s semi-hydroponics method involves placing the plant and potting material in an inner liner, which sits inside an outer pot. This setup allows water to be gradually released by the mineral substrate, monitored by a water level indicator. To avoid waterlogging, the indicator should show "minimum". Thus, this system ensures plants absorb water as needed, unlike regular soil which dries out quickly.

Our substrate mix

At Plantclub we use a carefully curated inorganic vulcanic-based mineral mix, of zeolites, pumice, and lava. There is no peat involved in the potting of our plants. These mineral substrates can hold three times as much water as normal soil and provide other benefits such as excess nutrient storage, pH stabilization, odor and fungus prevention, and better conditions for root growth.

The benefits of semi-hydroponics

With all these factors combined, plants from Plantclub require a lot less water than you may be used to and are generally more self-sustaining than regular houseplants. There are also the added benefits of less pests and a substrate that is longer-lasting than regular soil - meaning a lot more time before you need to repot. Plus, less water and no peat also means more environmentally friendly plants.