A reversed ... wabi kusa!

[Silviu Man]

Hi!

I am preparing my main project for this summer, "What Dreams May Come". There is a lot of work to do, especially for decoration and planting areals. One of the most difficult isues looks to be planting in slope.

Maybe I should post this there, being part of that project. But, being something different, I think this should be posted separately; maybe this could bring an added value to such projects; I will be glad to get this!

There will be a hill, with HC only all around it and on the top of the hill, a tree. The tree should look like this (that I like so much, a very nice performance, in my opinion) : https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/bonsai-peak.42881/

Therefore, to avoid a dry start (this is dificult to do because of long period of arranging and planting the tank) I decided to made two wabi kusa where I will cultivate my plants prior to place its in the tank.

Theoretical, waby kusa work in the sense of addapting submerged plants to emersed environment. On the other hand, plants that grow emersed have problems with addaptation under water. Most of its are in-vitro so need a period of addaptation when loose a lot of leaves. So, my ideea is to develop a waby kusa and then after to slowly flood it so the plants will adapt themselves to submerged environment.

So, the materials and method :

I bought two smal plastic tanks (aroun 10 litters each). On the bottom I put 2-3 cm of gravel. Over the gravel I add a sintetic mesh that will support the fertil substrate and will also bind the roots of the plants.

The small sticks show the limit of each plant (a kind of planting plan). When the plants will be ready for being mooved in the large tank, I will cut the mesh on the line of that sticks and so I hope to get fixed pieces with plants firmly attached on the mesh.

Then after I added the universal substrate (Tropica Aqvarium Soil).

I made a small hole in the cover and from that hole I will add CO2.

And ... this is it. Next week I will receive the plants.
Wish me luck!

 

[Konsa]

Hi
It looks like interesting little project.
What is the logic behind adding CO2 on a dry start metod where plants will have access to all the CO2 from the air 400ppm. In my oppinion few holes on lid will provide enough CO2 and prevent mould formation trough air circulation.
Ussualy the plants nowadays are mostly in their emersed form even in-vitro plants.The difference with the latest is that they are young plants grown in sterile environment so free from contamination.
Main issue with emersed plants in their adaptation to life underwater is exactly the reduction of available CO2 which even in high tech setup is relatively lower compared to the CO2 levels in the air.
Its a good idea to propagate the invitro plants in wabi kusa that way they will have the chance to mature and build up some reserves for their transition to the submerged environment.
Regards Konsa

 

[Silviu Man]

Hi!
Thank you for your comments.
Regarding CO2, indeed is much better to get it from air due to its concentration. I read about many wabi kusa and there are two main methods : to keep it uncovered in a bowl that aloud air circulation or to keep it covered for some time. If you choose second method, then CO2 addition is needed. This was my last experience and it works. I gues it depends also of the plants. Those that need high moisture in the air must be covered most of the time; this means CO2 is requested because low ventilation.

 

[Konsa]

Hi
If it works for you and gives U confidence its the right thing to be done.I personally when need high moisture (mainly when want to propagate plants out of my tank used to life underwater) use small 1mm holes on the lid and a heat mat underneat the container that creates good moisture and air being gas will always find its way in.As the plants grow after every trim I make the holes little bigger to about 5mm.After 3-4 trims the leaf mass will be able to handle good few hours without lid before any damage occurs.
Good luck with the project.
All the best
Konsa

 

[Silviu Man]

Thank you, Konsa!
I will post pics from time to time!

 

[Silviu Man]

OK, I will receive the plants Tuesday.

I will have the following plants :
1 x Micranthemum Monte Carlo In-Vitro
2 x Staurogyne Repens
2 x Alternanthera reineckii Lila In-Vitro
1 x Utricularia graminifolia In-Vitro
2 x Hemianthus callitrichoides Cuba In-Vitro
2 x Eleocharis pusilla Mini In-Vitro

For two planting boxes I will use as substrate:
1 x Tropica Aquarium Soil - 3 l

Light will be ensured by :
2 x Aqua Zonic Eco white 6W 25cm, fixed on the cover.

Maybe, for some colleagues, budget is interesting. All this it cost me around 60 pounds and I expect to get, in return, after multiplication, equivalent of 250 pounds, maybe more.
I am planing to start another one, only for moss (Riccia Fluitans In-Vitro). This will come in a couple of weeks.

 

[Silviu Man]

Today I received the plants and the soil. So, I start my litlte experimet in the form of wabi kusa that should act as a plant nursery.
The materials and the method :

On the bottom of the pots I add gravel ( around 3 cm) the 1 cm of soil, the synttetic mesh, and again 2-3 cm of fertil soil

Then after the plants...

On the cover of the pots, inside, I will have lamps (that kind of submersed lamps) for the light.
I hope to be able to show pics after a week, with good results.