Post by Stellar on Oct 10, 2014 12:49:07 GMT -5
thought I'd write a little article on growing plants emersed, (above water) as opposed to growing them submerged.
Most of the "aquarium plants you buy in stores, are not "true" aquatic plants. MOST are Marginal plants, from bogs, streams and seasonal pools. These plants spend a majority of their life above the waterline. Crypt sp., anubias, microsorium sp. and even swords are all "marginal" plants, and do EXCELLENT in a high humidity, emersed set-up.
These set-ups do not have to be elaborate, they can be as simple as some potting soil in a clear plastic shoebox, in the window sill. the benefit to this is taking full advantage of self propagation of your aquarium plants. assuring that they are algae/snail free. and most of all DIRT cheap (pun intended)
I'm sure you have all witnessed the RIDICULOUS prices of plants in our area. It's no wonder I drive to Toronto, to get plants from the same suppliers. Some of the packs are 3X the price I pay there. (and they're still snail free, not dying or mouldy) Regardless, of where you get them... you buy ONE pack, sacrifice it and plant 30 individual stems.... in just over a month, you can have 30 packs. now sacrifice 30 packs, and...well.... see where Im going?
Some plants grow much faster emmersed... as when you got them, they just came from a nursery that grew them that way.. they were only ever submerged in the store you bought them from.
In the very near future, I will be setting up a larger scale set-up, but for now I have this set-up in my bedroom.
It is a 20gal tank I had laying around, I put a piece of "egg crate" (lighting diffuser) on the bottom to lift up the pots a bit, put a couple inches of aquarium water, and stuck a bunch of cuttings in either rock wool cubes, or just regular potting soil. You could/should use an air stone, or submersible pump, to circulate the water. I have the tank covered in plastic wrap (loosely as the plants still need air exchange) and lift it daily. its lit up by 2 23w cfls, and I shut them off before bed. I would have them on 24h, but... since it's in my room, if I want to sleep in there, the wife says turn it off...I do it this way to avoid the entangling of plants. (im also using the rock wool cubes for the first time (for aquatic plants) )
YOU DO NOT NEED TO SET IT UP LIKE THIS...
You can fill the tank (or container) with a couple inches of substrate, and rock it that way....
If you do it this way, you want it saturated so that the top of the soil/substrate glistens, but doesn't pool water. you can separate plant species with cheap black garden edging.
That's IT... if you notice that the leaves are drying out, raise up your humidity, by giving the plants a spritz of water now and then... you don't usually have to fertilize, and you want to use a substrate that is meant for seedlings/cuttings, if your using such. If you're using ROOTED plants, then you want an nice organic potting soil. If you choose, you can mix (in a spray bottle), a 1/16 diluted commercial plant fertilizer and spray them now and then. If you do it "my way" just dose the water column. Remember, you want a weak solution. (especially when starting them off. )
The first week or so is quite slow, as nothing is happening really above the soil. they are too busy building that fantastic root structure you want. after the 3 week mark, they EXPLODE with growth...
I encourage everyone to try this! its a simple, cost effective way to grow out those plants for your next 'scape'.
You will notice that in order to 'sexually reproduce' plants, get then to flower/seed it is MUCH easier this way. Carpet plants like dwarf hairgrass, glosso, and babytears go CRAZY this way....
You will also get to see your plants in their 'terrestrial' form... things like H. deformis, L. aromatica, and even babytears look completely different.
They (once flooded) will take on the submerged form again.
To prep these plants for aquarium use, (again why I like rock wool and pots) simply pull the plant out, rinse it off, trim the roots a bit, and plant it in your tank. You may get some 'melt' but usually the plants are stronger than 'store bought' ones.
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask me, and also feel free to post pics of YOU emersed set-ups.
happy planting!!!!
and a 'wabi-kusa' setup I did a while back... It's looking a bit shabby now, as the room it's in gets a bit too warm... it'll perk back up..
Most of the "aquarium plants you buy in stores, are not "true" aquatic plants. MOST are Marginal plants, from bogs, streams and seasonal pools. These plants spend a majority of their life above the waterline. Crypt sp., anubias, microsorium sp. and even swords are all "marginal" plants, and do EXCELLENT in a high humidity, emersed set-up.
These set-ups do not have to be elaborate, they can be as simple as some potting soil in a clear plastic shoebox, in the window sill. the benefit to this is taking full advantage of self propagation of your aquarium plants. assuring that they are algae/snail free. and most of all DIRT cheap (pun intended)
I'm sure you have all witnessed the RIDICULOUS prices of plants in our area. It's no wonder I drive to Toronto, to get plants from the same suppliers. Some of the packs are 3X the price I pay there. (and they're still snail free, not dying or mouldy) Regardless, of where you get them... you buy ONE pack, sacrifice it and plant 30 individual stems.... in just over a month, you can have 30 packs. now sacrifice 30 packs, and...well.... see where Im going?
Some plants grow much faster emmersed... as when you got them, they just came from a nursery that grew them that way.. they were only ever submerged in the store you bought them from.
In the very near future, I will be setting up a larger scale set-up, but for now I have this set-up in my bedroom.
It is a 20gal tank I had laying around, I put a piece of "egg crate" (lighting diffuser) on the bottom to lift up the pots a bit, put a couple inches of aquarium water, and stuck a bunch of cuttings in either rock wool cubes, or just regular potting soil. You could/should use an air stone, or submersible pump, to circulate the water. I have the tank covered in plastic wrap (loosely as the plants still need air exchange) and lift it daily. its lit up by 2 23w cfls, and I shut them off before bed. I would have them on 24h, but... since it's in my room, if I want to sleep in there, the wife says turn it off...I do it this way to avoid the entangling of plants. (im also using the rock wool cubes for the first time (for aquatic plants) )
YOU DO NOT NEED TO SET IT UP LIKE THIS...
You can fill the tank (or container) with a couple inches of substrate, and rock it that way....
If you do it this way, you want it saturated so that the top of the soil/substrate glistens, but doesn't pool water. you can separate plant species with cheap black garden edging.
That's IT... if you notice that the leaves are drying out, raise up your humidity, by giving the plants a spritz of water now and then... you don't usually have to fertilize, and you want to use a substrate that is meant for seedlings/cuttings, if your using such. If you're using ROOTED plants, then you want an nice organic potting soil. If you choose, you can mix (in a spray bottle), a 1/16 diluted commercial plant fertilizer and spray them now and then. If you do it "my way" just dose the water column. Remember, you want a weak solution. (especially when starting them off. )
The first week or so is quite slow, as nothing is happening really above the soil. they are too busy building that fantastic root structure you want. after the 3 week mark, they EXPLODE with growth...
I encourage everyone to try this! its a simple, cost effective way to grow out those plants for your next 'scape'.
You will notice that in order to 'sexually reproduce' plants, get then to flower/seed it is MUCH easier this way. Carpet plants like dwarf hairgrass, glosso, and babytears go CRAZY this way....
You will also get to see your plants in their 'terrestrial' form... things like H. deformis, L. aromatica, and even babytears look completely different.
They (once flooded) will take on the submerged form again.
To prep these plants for aquarium use, (again why I like rock wool and pots) simply pull the plant out, rinse it off, trim the roots a bit, and plant it in your tank. You may get some 'melt' but usually the plants are stronger than 'store bought' ones.
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask me, and also feel free to post pics of YOU emersed set-ups.
happy planting!!!!
and a 'wabi-kusa' setup I did a while back... It's looking a bit shabby now, as the room it's in gets a bit too warm... it'll perk back up..
I may put it right where this one is... It's planned out in my head, just need $$$ to bring it to life 
