Making Plants Grow Outwards...

[rust81]

This may seem like a bit of a dumb question, but I am wondering how I can get my plants to become more busy and grow outwards as opposed to simply upwards. I'm not running any co2 or high lighting, but I'm sure there must be away to change the growing strategy?

 

[SJ2K]

Depends what the plants are some will naturally seek the light so it'll be tricky to change, others (like moss's) are fairly easy to spread as thats natural for them

 

[fozziebear]

pruning, just like garden plants you can train them to grow a certain way (not all species though it has to be said.) basically if you prune it will grow back more in the place you prune, so pruning and re-pruning will give best results for leaf growth.

 

[Honeythorn]

Pinch out the new growth on top as with terrestrial plants, then the plant will put it's energy into sideshoots instead of going upwards. It worked wonders when I had my hygrophillia. Worked a little too well in fact and I had to chop a lot of it back!

 

[JJ56]

^^^ this is good advice, it's pretty much identical as to how you would make garden plants bushier.

By pruning from the top of the plant, the plant will try to grow from the side shoots which sprout from betwean the stem and branches / leaves.

Jonathan