Butchered Cuttings?

[bjanbkboi]

Hey everybody, I have some water wisteria and some money wort that I know can be propagated by cuttings. I noticed roots growing out of the sides of them so what I did was I cut a little above the roots and planted those little parts root down. My question is did I do the right thing, or should I have just buried a whole stalk beneath the substrate or something? I also heard that they grow quickly, can somebody define quickly for me? I planted them a few days ago and I have a laterite and pea gravel substrate, and I have a 15 W power glo bulb, and I add liquid fertilizer as well. Btw my tank is 10 gallons.

 

[Biff0r]

I am not an expert but my brother is a head gardener at a big estate near here.

Usually they root higher up due to the steam at bottom being rotten or the plants needs more anchoring/nutrients. What I have read and been told is to cut the bottom off below the node (where the leaves are) and strip the leave from that node, once planted the node where the leaves were will re-grow as roots and find their own footings.

If you buried the stalk they will rot and this will not help your tank at all. Hope I am right, I am not an plant expert at all and if any info is wrong i will be soon corrected, if not flamed

The quicker they grow the more cutting you got Read topics in the pinned area and make sure you give them enough light and try and break up the 12 hours they need by using a timer which in turn helps reduce algae build up.

Good luck have fun!

Biff0r

 

[lljdma06]

To propogate via cuttings, simply select the length of stem that you want, cut there and replant both stems vertically about an inch into the substrate. The top portion of the stem will form roots in the submerged portion of the stem to anchor it to the substrate. The bottom portion, depending on the length, will usually develop 1-3 branched stems from nodes along the stem. Planting a bottom portion encourages bushy growth, while planting the top portion usually results in stronger growth as you've not removed the bud axis. To propogate side shoots, simply cut at the base of the side shoot and replant. The portion of the plant that goes into the substrate, about an inch, should be bare of leaves, as new roots will form from the nodes in that stalk. Aquatic plants do not quite behave like their terrestrial cousins, but there are similarities. Wisteria and money wort are both plants that can even be propogated with a single leaf. Simply leave a well-formed leaf in the surface and you'll see roots in a few days.

Roots in the middle of the stem simply mean that the plant is seeking additional nutrients from the water column, though they primarily absorb nutrients through their leaves.