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Impulse Aldi buy - propagator

Aqua360 said:
that looks great! Is that anubias there? I'm not familiar with that leaf shape, whats the plant on the left? :)
Click to expand...

On the right is the Staurogyne Repens, it is much darker and tougher leaves when grown emmersed. It started from a few stems at the right hand end and I just keep trimming and replanting tops and get more and more.

On the left, the biggest plant there is Ceratopteris Thalictroides. I really had no idea if this would grow well, but this piece broke off the main plant when I was removing it from the pot, so I stuck it in here. It's taking really well and has put out new growth. At the back left, you can just see a couple of new leaves from a small Echinodorus Quadricostatus.

The second propagator at the back with the lid on is 50\50 Monte Carlo and Hydrocotyle Tripartita Japan. They Hydrocotyle grows like a weed in there and has to be controlled, will cover the whole thing in no time at all and work its way through anything else you plant in there. The Monte Carlo just went in and was not even planted in the soil. I saw someone else post on here who had just laid HC on the soil and it rooted and spread. MC would be so hard to try and plant in potting compost, so I am trying the same approach to see if it will take.

I mist both of these daily with water that has previously been boiled, keep the air vents almost shut to keep up the humidity, but just allow a little fresh air to circulate.
 
Wisey said:
On the right is the Staurogyne Repens, it is much darker and tougher leaves when grown emmersed. It started from a few stems at the right hand end and I just keep trimming and replanting tops and get more and more.

On the left, the biggest plant there is Ceratopteris Thalictroides. I really had no idea if this would grow well, but this piece broke off the main plant when I was removing it from the pot, so I stuck it in here. It's taking really well and has put out new growth. At the back left, you can just see a couple of new leaves from a small Echinodorus Quadricostatus.

The second propagator at the back with the lid on is 50\50 Monte Carlo and Hydrocotyle Tripartita Japan. They Hydrocotyle grows like a weed in there and has to be controlled, will cover the whole thing in no time at all and work its way through anything else you plant in there. The Monte Carlo just went in and was not even planted in the soil. I saw someone else post on here who had just laid HC on the soil and it rooted and spread. MC would be so hard to try and plant in potting compost, so I am trying the same approach to see if it will take.

I mist both of these daily with water that has previously been boiled, keep the air vents almost shut to keep up the humidity, but just allow a little fresh air to circulate.
Click to expand...

wow, I've never seen Repens like that :)

so tempted to try this now lol, I may just have to set it up tomorrow with a bit of spare monte carlo! :D will post pics when I can, phone camera still gubbed :(
 
You should! Looking forward to seeing it!

Have a look at Andy's thread linked below, this is where I got the idea to just lay my MC on the soil surface.

http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/andys-hc-propagator-step-by-step.28930/

You can use whatever substrate you like, I know some people use whatever aqua soil they have. I had a bag of potting compost at home from re-potting a house plant, so just used that.
 
I think i'll do the monte carlo tonight, and order some more anubias nana mini for it. Received some mini nana last night, can't believe i've missed it before; if it grows as easy as any other anubias, it will definitely be a gem for low tech and high tech set-ups!
 
How did you get on with your propagator?

I did buy the third, but it's sat empty until today.
The S. Repens has gone crazy since the weather got better and it's had more light.

I started with this earlier:

3aee4a8f5baa4f09a7833333af95914e.jpg


62b2d82efc117d595c845dca6c4cfd19.jpg


I trimmed and replanted 28 S. Repens plants and threw away all the Hydrocotyle Tripartita as it takes over and I can trim and replant in the tank if I need more. I moved the Ceratopteris Thalictroides and Ech. Quadricostatus to the new one and used the space for the S. Repens to fill a whole propagator. Had so much I had to put some in with the MC.

e10e9255c3fa5795e2c541e0ed21ebc0.jpg
 
Wisey said:
How did you get on with your propagator?

I did buy the third, but it's sat empty until today.
The S. Repens has gone crazy since the weather got better and it's had more light.

I started with this earlier:

3aee4a8f5baa4f09a7833333af95914e.jpg


62b2d82efc117d595c845dca6c4cfd19.jpg


I trimmed and replanted 28 S. Repens plants and threw away all the Hydrocotyle Tripartita as it takes over and I can trim and replant in the tank if I need more. I moved the Ceratopteris Thalictroides and Ech. Quadricostatus to the new one and used the space for the S. Repens to fill a whole propagator. Had so much I had to put some in with the MC.

e10e9255c3fa5795e2c541e0ed21ebc0.jpg
Click to expand...

I failed badly :lol:

Really disappointed, as I'd bought various different plants for it; that weren't cheap haha. All the Monte Carlo died, along with the staurogyne repens; the dwarf hairgrass in it looks passable, but definitely hasn't taken off.

I ended up unplugging it from the wall (electric heated one), and its sat next to the windowsill. No idea what my next move is, might try a different fertiliser; or invest in a spray bottle since I didn't have one this time.

I may have had it far too humid, as I haven't had to spray it once
 
Wisey said:
How did you get on with your propagator?

I did buy the third, but it's sat empty until today.
The S. Repens has gone crazy since the weather got better and it's had more light.

I started with this earlier:

3aee4a8f5baa4f09a7833333af95914e.jpg


62b2d82efc117d595c845dca6c4cfd19.jpg


I trimmed and replanted 28 S. Repens plants and threw away all the Hydrocotyle Tripartita as it takes over and I can trim and replant in the tank if I need more. I moved the Ceratopteris Thalictroides and Ech. Quadricostatus to the new one and used the space for the S. Repens to fill a whole propagator. Had so much I had to put some in with the MC.

e10e9255c3fa5795e2c541e0ed21ebc0.jpg
Click to expand...

PS yours looks amazing! Well done :)
 
Ah man, that's a shame!

I keep mine pretty wet to be honest, I spray almost every day. I'm not sure my MC is going to do well, but everything else grows well. I think it's worse if they get too dry, so I keep it nice and damp. No heat in mine at all, just sits in the kitchen.
 
Wisey said:
Ah man, that's a shame!

I keep mine pretty wet to be honest, I spray almost every day. I'm not sure my MC is going to do well, but everything else grows well. I think it's worse if they get too dry, so I keep it nice and damp. No heat in mine at all, just sits in the kitchen.
Click to expand...

I really want to try it again, I have some basic £3 ones there, so I may fill them up and have at it; the only ones that appear to at least be alive are the bacopa and hairgrass as mentioned, gutted I couldn't get the Monte Carlo though, would have saved me money long term :(
 
Wisey said:
Ah man, that's a shame!

I keep mine pretty wet to be honest, I spray almost every day. I'm not sure my MC is going to do well, but everything else grows well. I think it's worse if they get too dry, so I keep it nice and damp. No heat in mine at all, just sits in the kitchen.
Click to expand...

I also meant to ask, do you have a thin layer of water at the bottom as well, or just misting?

I had the substrate quite wet when I did it
 
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