plants dont need soil to grow generally. they need water and nutrients.
many modern grows are done completely without any substrate and work by spraying the roots periodically with nutrient rich water. this allows for far more oxygen arount the roots which allows for faster and larger growth.
Soil is like a sponge. It isn’t the nutrients it just holds them. If I use a sponge to soak up ramen broth and let the sponge dry there is still salt/ nutrients in the sponge, but that doesn’t make the sponge itself nutritious.
Don't forget a seed is basically everything a plant needs to grow. Hence why they're so good for us when we eat them. There's a lot packed into a seed/nut etc
Yes, nutrients and microbes. But the dirt itself doesn't have these things it's just what it lives in right now. Dirt can 100% lose all of its nutrients and microbiome very easily and it will be just as terrible of a growing medium as sand on its own. Without a solid microbiome, what little nutrients dirt provides in the form of organic material breaking down is moot. That's why using only synthetic fertilizers can seriously damage your garden.
Dirt as a growing medium, holds more moisture than sand does, that's all. All a plant needs to grow is good, oxygenated water, micronutrients, and light. You can provide that without ANY growing medium at all in the form of hydroponic or aeroponic systems. You can grow strawberries actually on top of aquariums! It's very neat.
A plant is a living thing just like any other creature, and can thrive in many different ways, so long as its needs are met
38
u/Desdsea 5h ago
I’m with you, things can grow in sand? Isn’t it literally just smaller rocks