Propagating an Amazon Sword...

[bookseller]

Newbie here... Just bought an Amazon Sword for the 30 gal tank. It has one shoot off it with a couple of "root bundles".

Can these be cut off for propagation into other tanks?

If so, is it as easy as simply anchoring the roots in the gravel?

 

[Lateral Line]

Most of the swords produce runners on the surface of the substrate from which new plants spring at more or less regular intervals.

I'd wait until the you have a small, but recognisable plant before cutting and moving it.

 

[bookseller]

This is a "Echinodorus bleberi" and is about 12 inches tall. The "runner" on which the "root balls" are attached is about 16 inches, long enough for the first one to float on the surface. Each "root ball" also has leaves coming from it. If as you say the plant develops new shoots from the main root and in the substrate what should be done with this other stem and roots? Leave them.. trim them, or what?

 

[Lateral Line]

The runners are normally along the surface of the substrate, however, if the substrate is gravel, or something coarse, the buoyant leaves will tend to pull the runner to the surface before the roots have a chance to anchor the runner to the substrate.

It sounds like you now have, what I called before, "small but recognisable plants", so yes, you can either anchor it to the substrate with some stones or similar and propogate a chain of swords, or cut it off and lay it on the substrate somewhere else.

 

[bookseller]

Thanks... Makes sense. Actually it looks rather obvious..

Thanks for the interest and the taking of time to reply.