Pruning And Plant Sculpting!

[craynerd]

Hi guys, i know there was a thread about propagating a while back but i want to know more about general maintenance and pruning to produce quality plants.

I presume that aquatic plants can be pruned to produce an effect you desire. I have already discovered this with my pennywort by my own trials; the pennywort grew long with a few leaves and I found that if i keep cutting off the stalk when it began to grow too long it would grow back dense in leaves. Until now, i have some pretty groovy looking pennywort growin in the top of my tank. Full of leaves and very dense, not leggy and full of long stalks! I feel to some extent it is almost "learning" since it is tending to continue growing in such a fashion.

I want now to be able to prune my other plants to obtained desirable effects. What is desirable? personal taste sure enough, but of course we can all see a nice plant when we see one so there must be certain critical ways in which we should be pruning different species.

A good example is my Amazon sword. It is growing overly well with massive leaves mainly at the back. I feel in a way it is now becoming too bushy and I want to maintain this aesthetically pleasing look of broader leaves at the back and smaller at the front. How should i be pruning to achieve this!

Java Fern...a lovely mid size plant in the center of my tank. I want it to keep like this, crinkles and fresh like in Jimboos tank! Java fern seems to sprout new leaves far less often as other plants do, so it is important i prune this correctly...again how?

Also crypts and barcaly(sp?) longfolia ...is it a case of just cutting the larger leaves off and enjoying the sight of fresh new leaves? Same with water cabbage?

Look forward to replies!

Chris

 

[Neal]

I'd just experiment, I don't really think there is an right or wrong ways to prune (apart from totally dismantling the plant of course). Cut it any way you like and if it grows back how you like it, keep doing it, if not then try a different way. I don't necceseraly think it would be pruning that would cause these effects, I think it would depend on Co2, Water Quality, Ferts and of course the substrate it is growing in. I may be wrong this is just my guess.
Regards,
Neal

 

[craynerd]

CO2, water qual and lighting will only accelerate or inhibit growth. Pruning is surely required to sculp your plants!

Like a bonsai hobbiest....water and sunlight only grow the tree...he must then sculpt, wire and prune them to shape!

As you said, i may be wrong...but i have proof with my pennywort! I mean i gave that CO2 light and good water chem, yet it still grew leggy. It required my pruning to sculpt the plant into a nice specimen.

Chris

 

[Neal]

As you can tell I don't know much about plants it was just a thought I came up with, doesn't mean its true because as you said them things just enhibit growth, but I thought they helped it grow regularly but like I said, I know nothing about plants I was just trying to give you an explanation.
Regards,
Neal

 

[Luke_e]

I'm stumped on how i would go about prunning when i get my planted tank. Is it as simple as cutting the leaves off at the bottom of their stems? Or do you pull them out from the main plant?
Sorry if this sounds silly, biology wasnt my strong point in GCSE.

 

[Neal]

I think you just cut the tops off them and replant them or throw them away, i'm not sure as i've never done it before but surely thats something like what you have to do.
HTH,
Neal

 

[Luke_e]

Nice one neal.
So by cutting the tops off would it be the tops of the leafs? Or the top of the stem leading onto the leaf?

 

[craynerd]

I'm stumped on how i would go about prunning when i get my planted tank. Is it as simple as cutting the leaves off at the bottom of their stems? Or do you pull them out from the main plant?

I`m looking forward to a post by jimboo, gf225 ect on this one....if you get time!

 

[craynerd]

bump...long time no reply. Anyone with any more thoughts or should i just let it lie?

Chris

 

[MoreCoffee]

Craynerd,

Cant really be of much help with regard to what the experts do. But with my stem plants (ludwigia and wisteria) I prune them from the bottom. I snip them to the required length and then replant them in the substrate, this keeps the newer growth and smaller leaves in place and the plants stay looking fresh.
I also find that if any of the leaves are looking a bit worse for wear, its usually the ones towards the bottom.

The only thing that I dont really get from this method is the propagation of new plants, but right now I have enough of them.

They've not suffered from me doing this. I'm not saying it will work for all stem plants, but it is for the ones I have.
Perhaps becuase these two plants in particular sprout extra roots along the stem, I usually cut just below some of these and replant the roots.


Mr G

(watching this thread with interest to pick up some tips !)

Edited becuse the words I can spell, I cant type;
and the words I can type, I cant spell !

 

[tuskancharger]

I am too interested in the propergation of plants for my tank surely someone on this forum has some real knowledge on this subject and not just guessing
http/www.plantgeek.net/plantguide_cat.php?category=1 \just picked up this link on another topic it covers light requirements for certain plants

 

[aaronnorth]

here is the guide about pruning/ propagating:
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=211715