Commercial tricks for healthy looking plants?

[DaveyH]

I was just browsing the new shipment of plants in my LFS and they look in perfect condition compared to last week's delivery, which are already looking a bit ragged with leaves and roots melting.

I accept the best specimens would have been bought during the week, and the remaining ones handled a bit, but I was wondering if there are any tricks of trade that commercial growers use to ensure the plants look great when first delivered?

 

[ian_m]

Yes they grow them emmersed (out of water), thus plants have access to copious CO2, don't get nibbled by snails and are algae free.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I accept the best specimens would have been bought during the week, and the remaining ones handled a bit, but I was wondering if there are any tricks of trade that commercial growers use to ensure the plants look great when first delivered?

They "cheat" really by growing the vast majority of them emersed.

There are several advantages to emersed growing, of which the two major ones are the absence of algae and access to aerial CO2.

Have a look at the Tropica production video in this thread <"A New beginning....">

cheers Darrel

 

[DaveyH]

Thanks - that makes sense. I guess with species that can't deal with the change the leaves that started off growing in air will die off quickly to be replaced by new growth (hopefully)?

 

[Jack12]

... and then when plans have been purchased they get emersed and inevitably need to adjust to new environment. Melting and poor growth ensures most of the time. This results in customer blaming their own aqua skills and buying new plants? yes no? i don't know... but its profitable for sure

don't fiddle with your set up and give plants time to adjust i guess.

The best thing manufacturers can do is perhaps to at least warn customer that plants they have purchased have growth under different environmental conditions, while fish shops should maybe put a label warning their beloved customers that plants they see in their shop have been put in display tank a few days ago, and haven't had time to die (adjust to new growth environment) yet...

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

... and then when plans have been purchased they get submersed and inevitably need to adjust to new environment. Melting and poor growth ensures most of the time. This results in customer blaming their own aqua skills and buying new plants? yes no? i don't know... but its profitable for sure

I must admit I have a similar jaundiced view.

Have a look at <"Low Tech Plants..."> for some comment on the commercial realities underlying aquatic plant production.

cheers Darrel

 

[Jack12]

i wish authors of stickies on EI, CO2 and lights will consider including this fact just to warn new aquascapers. Perhaps more future enthusiast will join the hobby and won't be discouraged by failures that result in this little but very important fact.

I seriously spent quite a bit before realised whats happening. But what worries me the most is that most people like me are/were constantly adjusting the set up and reading stickies thinking maybe the flow is not enough, or perhaps CO2 levels - this created an even more unstable growth environment for new plants, which are already are suffering...

please put labels on plants

 

[PARAGUAY]

Sadly a lot of LFSs do not think plants a priority.On delivery day,providing they are from a well known company and look healthy then is the time to purchase as afterwards they wont get much TLC from the shop and they look worse for wear not long after that and still for sale . Unless its (and there are some)a good aquatic plant retailer then better purchase on line from the top European suppliers.