How long do plants need to anchor?

[drunkenmonkey]

I've had a java fern attached to a piece of driftwood (with an elastic) for about 2 months now. I can see that some of the roots have anchored themselves to the driftwood, but a lot of roots are still floating around. About how long does it take for the roots to anchor themselves??

 

[clutterydrawer]

for ever.


I tied some little ones to pebbles aaaages ago, I took the string off today because I thought they must be attached, they weren't in the slightest. *sigh*

 

[ouchia]

you could try accelerating the root growth by adding a fertiliser like kent's 'pro-plant accelerator' or something like that... my rotala indica (which takes awhile to grow any roots at all) rooted in a couple days after fertilisation...

 

[smithrc]

java fern should have ancoured to wood by now... it takes its nutrients etc in throught its leaves - its 'roots' are only used to hold it down.

If your using stone (like the other guy said) it will take a lot longer as the 'roots' cant hold on as easily.

 

[drunkenmonkey]

Thanks smithrc. I cut off the elastic band this morning and it stayed on the driftwood.

 

[!guppy!]

thats an interesting one... i did a sneky trip that seamed 2 work tho, my 10g tank has ceremaic pots as my theme so i put soil and a read in one the pots, gravel on top so soil doesnt go all ova.. and that read has done 100% better than the rest

but the rest plants, and theres alot cos of my big tank also, i hope they go fast, my plants need bulking up hehe