How to choose the right plant

All the plant-lovers know the name 'houseplant' includes hundreds of species. Dozens of kinds are available all year round at garden centers, supemarkets and florist's. Pretty much everyone likes houseplants yet millions of specimens die each year. Every species has their special needs. If we bear these in mind they ornament our home for a long time in gratitude. In the following I help you to choose the ideal plant considering how successfully can they be kept in semi-hydro system.

1. Do you want the plant to be on dipslay all year round?
Flowering annual plants live for a few months only, once their flowering period is over they defoliate and die. They are often grown from seed. Are not the best choice for hydro (Petunias, Begonias, Primrose etc).

Perennials make better display:
Foliage plants originate from tropical or subtropical regions where they keep their leaves all year round. They live permanently under room conditions yet rarely flower and/or blooms are insignificant. Their value may be in the variegation or shape of foliage (Palms, Ficuses, Dracaenas etc).
Flowering houseplants are similar to foliage plants but once their attractive blooms are spent the plant looses its display value and often needs special care to rebloom (Orchids, African violets, Bromeliads, Poinsettia etc).
Flowering pot plants provide only temporary floral display and they often loose their foliage afterwards. They can be stored leafless indoors or outdoors or as a bulb. Their houseplant 'value' to us is similar to annuals cause don't make good subjects for hydro (Azaleas, Cyclamen, Tulips etc)
Cacti are leafless and many of them have spines. Their charm is in their unusual shapes and forms yet many of them can be made to flower regularly. Even considerably plain cacti can produce splendid blooms which makes them valuable and cherished by growers.

2. How much do you want to spend on the new plant?
Common species are usually available at an affordable price, yet it may vary due to their size, growth rate and difficulty. Geographical location also affects the supplies and costs.
Slow growers like palms are considerably pricey. Large specimens are more costly due to the time and space the nursery has to invest in them  (Ficuses, Dracaenas) Smaller specimens of these kinds are cheaper (and more fun to watch them grow!) also they take better to transplanting in hydro. The most popular are the small or middle sized plants (in 8-15 cm pots). Fast growers should be bought in small size if you don't want to run out of space in a few month's time (Scindapsus, umbrella plant, peace lily etc)

3. Do you want common or rare plant?
Though shops offer a wide variety of plants, the most popular are still the old favourites; Chlorophytum, Aloe vera, Crassulas, Cacti, Peace lily, Ficuses, Ferns, African violets, Begonias, Palms, Lucky bamboo and Pothos.  This doesn't mean these are the easiest and nowadays everyone wants to have unique plants of unusual shapes and colours. Some rare plants can easily be ordered from the internet and are not considered to be difficult to keep.

4. How much time and effort do you want to spend on your plants and do you have experience with the species?
Some plants are said to be indestructible but we all know this is not true. Though there are some that flourish on lack of attention like Sansevierias and Cacti, most of them need regular care and competence. Plants grown in semi-hydro have less chance to become sick but water levels need to be monitored regularly. Flowering species may need special care to burst into bloom.

5. What shape and size do you want?
Both size and shape are very important. A small specimen would look very odd in a spacious room and a fast growing ficus can take up lot of useful space in a few months' time in a tight hall. There are 6 basic shapes and almost all the houseplants fit in one of these groups.
Grassy plants have long narrow leaves and grass-like growth habit but very few houseplants are actual grasses. The broad-leafed species like Chlorophytum and Tillandsia are very popular.
Bushy plants have several stems, can be small and compact like Peperomia or shrubby like Aucuba. Some needs be regularly pinched to maintain the shape (Maranta, Pilea).
Uprights plants are often used as solitairs serving as a focal point in the room. Column plants have a thick vertical stem, many cacti and succulents have this growth habit. Trees are mostly the same form - a central branched or unbranched stem bearing leaves on top (Citrus, Ficus elastica). False palms have stems which are completely coated with leaves in young age but on a mature plant only the upper part of the stem bears foliage. They are often used as specimen plants in public buildings (Beaucarnea, Dieffenbachia, Dracaena, Yucca).
Climbing and trailing plants are very popular and very useful in interior designs. They can be trained on canes, trellises, wires or poles. Climbers are grown as upright plants clinging to moss stick with aerial roots (Pothos, Philodendrons) or to hoops with tendrils (Stephanotis, Passiflora). Climbers/Trailers can be attached to poles or let them spread out as a ground cover (Pothos, Hedera). Trailers have stems hanging down covering the pot. They have attracting leaves of flowers and are often potted in hanging baskets (String of pearls/hearts/lemons/bananas/buttons, Columnea, Fittonia, Holiday cacti).
Rosette plants have leaves that form a circular cluster around a central point. Most are low-growing. Flat-rosette plants have large leaves, a number of flowering pot plants have this growth habit (Violets, Primula). Succulent rosette plants have fleshy leaves in several layers (Echeveria, Sempervivum). Funnel rosette plants are also very popular and their upright strap-like leaves form a vase which holds water (Aechmea, Vriesea, Guzmania, Bromeliads).
Ball plants are all cacti, and bear no leaves only spines or hairs (Mammilaria, Parodia, Astrophytum).

6. What growing conditions can you provide?
Every plant has their likes and dislikes, and even if you provide a welcoming environment they can get a little sick after the rehoming. A healthy plant adapts quickly with little or no fuss. Types of conditions can be the following:
Shade
Semi-shade
Bright shade
Indirect or little direct light
Full sun
Central heating in winter
No heating in winter