Plants That Need No Drainage
Gardeners faced with extremely soggy terrain may be discouraged about providing adequate drainage to raise healthy plants. But several categories of plants need no special drainage arrangement, either because of their species characteristics or their growing conditions. Does this Spark an idea?
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Epiphytes
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Epiphytes are air plants. They draw moisture and nutrition from dew, humidity, rainwater, nutrient dust carried by water and debris that collects on and around their hosts. Epiphytes attach themselves to hosts for support and to reach good light in dense tropical forests, but they are not parasites. Orchids and staghorn ferns are examples of epiphytes.
Aquatic Plants
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Plants that live in water need no drainage. Some submerged pond plants never even surface for air, but the plants you can see, such as water hyacinth, water lily and common duckweed, have roots in the water to absorb soluble nutrients. Their exposed leaves and surfaces carry on photosynthesis above the surfaces of lakes and ponds.
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Hydroponics
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Plants that would normally need good drainage when planted in soil thrive in hydroponic gardening beds where correct amounts of water are wicked up to them from a reservoir. Other hydroponic systems allow the plant roots to grow directly into nutrient-enriched water while the plant is supported above it. A low-maintenance vegetable garden will grow in a marsh in hydroponic containers.
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References
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