Plant Growth

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BoltonN
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Sorry again for more questions but is there any way to help promote plant growth at the bottom of the stem rather than just new growth ? Should i trim the plant back and how’s the best way to do this ?
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This is the plant in question i think it’s called ‘ Limnophila heterophylla’ and it seems to be have a lot of new growth and the other plant in the aquarium is growing quite well but this one seems to be going ‘leggy’ and losing it’s bottom foliage.
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Martinspuddle
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This is normal for it to lose it's bottom foliage, in the wild it has bare stems and grows across the surface of the water. To combat this you need to cut back by half and replant the cuttings and this will cause this plant to spout new shoots which over time will make the plant bushier.
WARNING - DO NOT BREED, FEED OR PET THE PUDDLE! :dodgy2:
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BoltonN
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Martinspuddle wrote: Mon Jun 29, 2020 8:57 am This is normal for it to lose it's bottom foliage, in the wild it has bare stems and grows across the surface of the water. To combat this you need to cut back by half and replant the cuttings and this will cause this plant to spout new shoots which over time will make the plant bushier.
smashing should i cut it any particular point on the stem or just roughly in half ?
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VikingMummy2015
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I was watching loads of aquascaping stuff on YouTube this past week and one of the things George Farmer suggests is cutting off the bottom half and planting the top bit. It’s because if you trim the top of the stems, each stem then sends out two new growth shoots....it gets bushy like an umbrella shape and the bottom section starts looking a bit spindly and leggy in comparison. So cut off the bottom, separate into more bunches if you like, and re-plant them. You can then plant the previous bottom part elsewhere too if you want too (should grow quite bushy but low down).
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Ric
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Best to leave the bottom part where it is, though, because that part is usually rooted. Depending on the individual species, of course, but if you try to move the bottom half around you pull up the root system and substrate. Much easier to just stick the new cut-off somewhere else :)
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VikingMummy2015
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Ric wrote: Mon Jun 29, 2020 17:13 pm Best to leave the bottom part where it is, though, because that part is usually rooted. Depending on the individual species, of course, but if you try to move the bottom half around you pull up the root system and substrate. Much easier to just stick the new cut-off somewhere else :)
Yes, that’s true....he was doing it as part of a rescape so took out literally all the plants. Surprisingly little substrate disturbance really.
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Martinspuddle
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I tend to cut the top part in half and plant. I always leave the bottom as @Ric suggested, and this way you end up with triple growth as @VikingMummy2015 said and keep repeating the process you'll end thick bushy plant. :]
WARNING - DO NOT BREED, FEED OR PET THE PUDDLE! :dodgy2:
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BoltonN
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@Ric @Martinspuddle @VikingMummy2015 Cheers all i think tomorrow’s job is plant care then. When cutting off half way will the bottom part regrow leaves or should i plant the cutting in front of this leggy part to cover it and let the plant grow bushier with cuttings? Think it may be time to set up a ‘tank log’ rather than bombarding everyone with new questions a few times a week. All the help is much appreciated !
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VikingMummy2015
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BoltonN wrote: Mon Jun 29, 2020 19:47 pm @Ric @Martinspuddle @VikingMummy2015 Cheers all i think tomorrow’s job is plant care then. When cutting off half way will the bottom part regrow leaves or should i plant the cutting in front of this leggy part to cover it and let the plant grow bushier with cuttings? Think it may be time to set up a ‘tank log’ rather than bombarding everyone with new questions a few times a week. All the help is much appreciated !
Both parts will keep on growing! The top part will grow straight and tall, the bottom part will go bushy.
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