Overgrown already...lol

[icebear]

Lots of growth... i had no idea they could grow that fast!

I guess i need to prune, but i don't know how to prune some of these without making them look worse... but i don't really mind the vals floating their tips along the surface....

(i can't seem to focus my camera today)

[icebear]

pruning suggestions anyone?

[Alice]

Wow! They did grow fast!

Taller tank maybe?

[Deborah]

I don't know what you can do about the vals. I don't think clipping the tips of the leaves would look very good. With the red lotus type you usually take off the long stems before the leaves reach the surface of the water otherwise the plant just shoots the stems right up to the surface and you don't have foliage underwater.

[icebear]

I was thinking i'd try clipping the vals at a point- like recarving the shape only shortening them, but i know when i do this with houseplants i have to be careful that the clipped edges don't brown and receed- but i don't know if waterplants will have these problems. They may not be bothered or they might 'melt' from the top down

And the swords- do you just clip the stem of the leaves at the base as close as you can? Some plants if you clip them too close to their point of origin, they will cause the main stem to rot-- i don't have any idea how tricky it is to prune water plants....yet... and have been reluctant to experiment.

The lotus looking plant is a miniature lily- its one from the bucket ponds that i take inside to overwinter, i thought i'd toss it in to see what it would do and it seems to like it. I'll go ahead and prune the surface leaves on that.



I thought i'd have a harder time filling this tank with plants, but the $20 i spent about 6 weeks ago has turned out to be more than enough! not that i'm really complaining. I did want more variety, but i don't think i'll have room.

I might try taking cuttings and propigating some of whats doing so well and gifting them out to whoever wants them....

[Stang69]

I cant offer much advice on cutting them back as I just hacked away at mine and they always grew back not the most practical way to do it but it worked for me hehehhe



Sorry
Jeff

PS It does look nice and full though

[adrianleewelch]

I just cut mine off with scissors, any old way will do, in the wild they are nipped at by fish and just regrow. even if you just whack it off in a straight line itll prolly regrow and have its nice shape back in a week, try it on a couple and cut em back 4-5 inches, sit back and see what it looks like after one week, then go in with the weedeater !!

[Casey]

[OodleyBoodely]

From what I can see most of yours are generally allowed to grow to full height and then are thinned by removing entire plant from the root up. The cryptos, apons and swords are usually treated this way. The cryptos may not handle pruning well. I don't know a lot about pruning water plants, though, so you may have to experiment as Adrienne said. I do know that if you have bunch plants, you should cut and replant the tops and discard the bottoms-apparantly it is harder for the plants to regrow new top than to regrow new roots. I couldn't tell if you had any bunch plants (cabomba, moneywort, ludwigia,ect.)

Just re-read and caught an error! That should read: .....if you have bunch plants, you should cut and replant the tops and discard the bottoms-apparantly it is harder for the plants to regrow new roots than to regrow new tops. Sorry if there was any confusion.

[icebear]

no bunch plants, most of them appear to be illegal for sale up here....many have proved to be invasive... millefoil and stuff....

[Doug1]

gotta love Elodea canadensis , cold water Kudzu