A lot of people work with what they call a "soil-less medium," by which they mean that the soil they use isn't soil but compost or something of that kind.
I have a different version of "soil-less," which means sphegnum moss. (I tried gelatin, plain water, etc, but they didn't work very well)
I suppose that lots of different kinds of moss and grass would do the same. All it does is create something for the roots to lock into, something that will retain water but won't stay soggy.
We use LOTS of garlic, so last year I tried growing garlic inside. The cloves rotted even before they sprouted. This year I'm trying something different.
Not much different, but a little.
I put the garlic in the refrigerator for a couple months to simulate winter.
Then I put them in the moss. They all sprouted within about a week. Once the roots are well established I'll let the water level drop so the moss stays dry but the roots get all the water they need.
I've grown tomatoes and peppers this way, started melons, beans, etc. They thrive, but before I've just used it as a starter garden before I put things outside in the spring. Not permanent.
We'll see how it works.
Update 1
Update 2
Update 3
Update 4
Final results
