The science of growing plants in nutrient-rich water is hydroponics. Plants can survive without being planted in soil.

So is soil really necessary for a plant to survive, or can plants survive in just water? What if the water had all of the nutrients in it that soil does? The answer to this question is yes. When a plant doesn't receive water, photosynthesis and other biochemical reactions stop, the plant begins to turn yellow, dries up, and then dies. It produces sugar for the plant to use as food. Photosynthesis is a reaction involving sunlight, the chlorophyll in plant cells, water, and carbon dioxide. A plant biochemical reaction that you may have heard of is photosynthesis. A biochemical reaction is a reaction that occurs between chemicals inside the plants' cells to keep it alive. Second, water-filled cells help support various biochemical reactions in the plant. First, water acts as a solvent and helps to transport nutrients from the soil throughout the plant. Plants also need water and use it in many ways. Soil can contain all of these, but purified water does not. To thrive, plants need both macronutrients (like carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus) and micronutrients (like iron, sodium, and zinc). You probably know that just as we get our nutrients from food, generally plants get their nutrients from the soil.

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