i have some wisteria which has plenty of roots up the stem but none at the bottom so it keeps coming unplanted. is this normal?
I use lead weights to anchor plants down when needed. I use a chunk of rockwool between the plant and the weight to prevent crushing the plants stem. I have a fairly course plain gravel substrate and with Wisteria this is the only way I can get it too stay down when intially planted. If I pull up the stem after a few months it may have some roots, but never a lot. The plant does well so I don't worry about it.
Hygrophilla Deformis should root like a weed.. is it rotting off at the stem? also are you dosing ferts and providing any carbon? It should root in any substrate, fertile or not.. its equally able to feed from the water column or the substrate so a fertile substrate isnt necessary. Be careful when you plant it not to damage the stem, its very prone to rotting off at the bottom if it gets bruised. It could also be fish pulling it up.. I seem to remember my barbs loving to do that!
