Advances of Soilless Cultivation on Flower Crops: A Review

Abstract

Soilless cultivation has emerged as a transformative approach in modern floriculture, offering precise control over the root environment and overcoming many of the limitations historically associated with soil-based production. This review examines principal advances in soilless cultivation technologies as applied to flower crops, encompassing hydroponic, aeroponic, and substrate-based systems. Developments in growing media are evaluated, including the adoption of coconut coir, perlite, rockwool, and emerging biochar-based substrates as alternatives to conventional peat. The literature underlying this review was identified through systematic searches of the following academic databases: Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics), Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed/MEDLINE, CAB Abstracts (Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International), AGRIS (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), the Horticulture Research Information Service (HRIS), FSTA – Food Science and Technology Abstracts, and AGRICOLA (National Agricultural Library of the United States Department of Agriculture). The management of nutrient solutions—covering pH, electrical conductivity, and macro- and micro-element ratios—is discussed in relation to optimising floral quality and yield. Advances in light-emitting diode (LED) technology are reviewed with respect to their capacity to manipulate flowering time, stem elongation, and secondary metabolite accumulation in ornamental species. Water use efficiency and the environmental sustainability of recirculating versus open soilless systems are critically assessed. Applications to commercially important species—including rose (Rosa spp.), chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum × morifolium), gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii), Phalaenopsis orchids, and Pelargonium spp.—are examined in detail. Post-harvest quality and vase life are considered as functions of pre-harvest nutrition and substrate composition. The review concludes by identifying key research gaps and future directions, with particular emphasis on precision fertigation, digital sensing technologies, and the integration of soilless systems into sustainable circular production models.