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Emersed to submersed form

Victor

Member
Joined
10 Jun 2013
Messages
298
Location
Brazil
Hi. I've planted some stem plants in my tank like rotala wallichii, myriophyllum turbeculatum and rotala macrandra. All them in emerged form. Now the plants are developing leaves adapted to aquatic enviroment. So should I prune the modified part (submerged) and uproot the previous emerged stem and get rid it to plant the submerged stems in its place? Or this is not necessary? Thank you.
 
But what happens if I leave the old stems there? Sooner or later they'll to rot?
 
Trim the stem as close to the base of the plant as possible, as long as its above a leaf node you will get new submersed growth from that stem.
Alright. But I need to know if the old stems will rot. I think I'll do as described above in my first message. But I'm afraid to destabilize the tank uprooting the plants.
 
Alright. But I need to know if the old stems will rot. I think I'll do as described above in my first message. But I'm afraid to destabilize the tank uprooting the plants.
They shouldn't rot if you cut them just above the substrate the plant should grow new submersed stems, are the stems melting now ? Not all emersed stem plants melt/rot IME some just adapt and change to submersed growth, what are the plants you are growing?
 
They're fine, just beginning to produce the firsts adapted leaves. But I'm already planning now what to do in next weeks.
 
For the specific three species, you mention, re-growing from the "low-cut" stem is defenitely possible, but unfortunately not allways very reliable, depending very much on general health of the plant and tank environment. Often only a single, new shoot will appear- sometimes none at all.
Working with these three species, I therefore allways combine letting the "low-cut" stems stay and re-planting several of the off-cut tops inbetween (remember to remove lowest leaves of re-planted tops, so no leaves end under gravel/soil). The tops will defenitely root and grow and any new shooys from "low-cut" stems will add to density of the plant group.
Rot. mac. amd Myr. tub. is much more willing to branch from un-cut stem, then is Rot. wall. by the way.
When you later do general trimming of group of these plants, you should use same method, to ensure vitality in group.
 
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