Prunning From the Bottom?

[James Ervin]

In an article on the Krib, Dan Resler suggests that stem plants should
be pruned from the bottom. I quote:

"One solution is diligent pruning. Many of the so-called `bunch'
plants will do better, however, if they're trimmed from the bottom.
Pull the plant out of the substrate, lop off the bottom portion, and
then replant. Roots seem to be easier to grow than new stems and
leaves."

Can anyone comment on this and their experiences? Or, perhaps just
elaborate on this. I think this may be tied in with the absorbtion of
nutrients from the upper portion of the plant (through the water) vs
the root system........so perhaps it is intuitive after all.

James Ervin
Remove SPAM to email me.

[Rich Conley]

Stem plants tend to look nicer when pruned that way. When I'm trying to
propegate them, I just leave the bottom, chop off the top, and plant
that...and the bottom plant will branch below the chopped point..but they
can get rater unsightly after theyve been cut up a couple times.

Then I pull them out and just plant the cut off tops..and it looks all
nice and orderly again.

James Ervin wrote:

> In an article on the Krib, Dan Resler suggests that stem plants should
> be pruned from the bottom. I quote:
>
> "One solution is diligent pruning. Many of the so-called `bunch'
> plants will do better, however, if they're trimmed from the bottom.
> Pull the plant out of the substrate, lop off the bottom portion, and
> then replant. Roots seem to be easier to grow than new stems and
> leaves."
>
> Can anyone comment on this and their experiences? Or, perhaps just
> elaborate on this. I think this may be tied in with the absorbtion of
> nutrients from the upper portion of the plant (through the water) vs
> the root system........so perhaps it is intuitive after all.
>
> James Ervin
> Remove SPAM to email me.

[LeighMo]

I think it's just that the tops of stem plants tend to be much more attractive
than the bottoms. The bottom leaves are older (leaves don't live forever),
plus they're shaded by the upper leaves, and are often straggly-looking. The
tops, OTOH, are lush and green. So it just makes sense to save the tops and
discard the bottoms.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

[DWS]

Wow -

So your saying rip out the whole plant, cut and replant the tops?


"LeighMo" > wrote in message
...
> I think it's just that the tops of stem plants tend to be much more
attractive
> than the bottoms. The bottom leaves are older (leaves don't live
forever),
> plus they're shaded by the upper leaves, and are often straggly-looking.
The
> tops, OTOH, are lush and green. So it just makes sense to save the tops
and
> discard the bottoms.
>
>
> Leigh
>
> http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

[Dave M. Picklyk]

My best experience with stem plants, especially hygrophelia and the type, is
to lob the tops off and try replant them. When I leave the rest of the plant
it gets more bushy by sprouting off shoots. I think ripping the plant out
and only planting the top part is a lot more disruptive to the environment.
For one, the stem will be hard to stay anchored in the gravel (especially if
you have cories and other little critters). Another issue is that you will
never have solid growing plants with well established root bases. If you
constantly are tearing up plants you don't give them a good chance to grow
good...thus enabling other factors like algae to get a slight upper hand at
the competition for nutrients.

---IMHO & experience :)
--
Dave Picklyk
www.picklyk.com/aquascape

"James Ervin" > wrote in message
...
> In an article on the Krib, Dan Resler suggests that stem plants should
> be pruned from the bottom. I quote:
>
> "One solution is diligent pruning. Many of the so-called `bunch'
> plants will do better, however, if they're trimmed from the bottom.
> Pull the plant out of the substrate, lop off the bottom portion, and
> then replant. Roots seem to be easier to grow than new stems and
> leaves."
>
> Can anyone comment on this and their experiences? Or, perhaps just
> elaborate on this. I think this may be tied in with the absorbtion of
> nutrients from the upper portion of the plant (through the water) vs
> the root system........so perhaps it is intuitive after all.
>
> James Ervin
> Remove SPAM to email me.

[James Ervin]

On Tue, 15 Apr 2003 22:38:37 -0700, "DWS" > wrote:

>Wow -
>
>So your saying rip out the whole plant, cut and replant the tops?
>
>

It seemed odd to me, but makes sense now.




James Ervin
Remove SPAM to email me.

[LeighMo]

>So your saying rip out the whole plant, cut and replant the tops?

Yes. With stem plants, I mean. Don't try this with an Amazon sword. <g>

Just cutting the top off a stem plant and discarding it, leaving the bottom, is
called "topping." It's not recommended for many stem plants like Cabomba; it
makes the plant straggly and unattractive.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

[LeighMo]

>My best experience with stem plants, especially hygrophelia and the type, is
>to lob the tops off and try replant them.

Eventually, though, you'll have to get rid of either the tops or the bottoms,
because you'll run out of space to plant.

>Another issue is that you will
>never have solid growing plants with well established root bases. If you
>constantly are tearing up plants you don't give them a good chance to grow
>good...

Generally not a problem with stem plants. They don't rely on their roots much,
and can grow just fine floating. And they root very, very fast if they are
growing well.

FWIW, some stem plants, like Hygrophila and Rotala, can be "topped" and still
look good. If you cut them back hard, they will grow back bushier than ever.

Most stem plants, though, never look right if you keep topping them.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

[Ron Nelson]

Although I have found that topping cabomba and then letting the bottoms grow
back to the surface often causes them to sprout a new top that you can use
to increase how much cabomba you have. It does mean you have to deal with
the ugly cut bottoms for a while though.

Ron

"LeighMo" > wrote in message
...
> >So your saying rip out the whole plant, cut and replant the tops?
>
> Yes. With stem plants, I mean. Don't try this with an Amazon sword. <g>
>
> Just cutting the top off a stem plant and discarding it, leaving the
bottom, is
> called "topping." It's not recommended for many stem plants like Cabomba;
it
> makes the plant straggly and unattractive.
>
>
> Leigh
>
> http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

[Robert Flory]

"Ron Nelson" > wrote in message
...
> Although I have found that topping cabomba and then letting the bottoms
grow
> back to the surface often causes them to sprout a new top that you can use
> to increase how much cabomba you have. It does mean you have to deal with
> the ugly cut bottoms for a while though.
>
> Ron
>
> "LeighMo" > wrote in message
> ...
> > >So your saying rip out the whole plant, cut and replant the tops?
> >
> > Yes. With stem plants, I mean. Don't try this with an Amazon sword.
<g>
> >
> > Just cutting the top off a stem plant and discarding it, leaving the
> bottom, is
> > called "topping." It's not recommended for many stem plants like
Cabomba;
> it
> > makes the plant straggly and unattractive.
> >
> >
> > Leigh
> >
> > http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/
>
I do the same with Cabomba. Mine tends to generate an abundance of new
stems out of the substrate and I can then cut out the old stem if it gets
ugly looking.

bob

[LeighMo]

>I do the same with Cabomba. Mine tends to generate an abundance of new
>stems out of the substrate and I can then cut out the old stem if it gets
>ugly looking.

I do that, too, if I want to propagate it. But I find it tends to make the
Cabomba straggly. If you don't top it, it gets much thicker, with that nice
"bottle-brush" look.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

[Empty]

James Ervin > wrote in
:

> Can anyone comment on this and their experiences? Or, perhaps just
> elaborate on this. I think this may be tied in with the absorbtion of
> nutrients from the upper portion of the plant (through the water) vs
> the root system........so perhaps it is intuitive after all.

My take on this was always:

A) It is easier grow roots than a crown
B) The cut part heals better enclosed in gravel than open to whatever
C) The plants look better

I do this when not propagating and just pruning... It is a pain in the butt
sometimes, but I chop them to 1/2 or so of the tank height so I don't have
to do the work or stress out the plant more than necessary.

~Empty
--
'You're not friends. You'll never be friends. You'll be in love till it
kills you both. You'll fight, and you'll shag, and you'll hate each other
till it makes you quiver, but you'll never be friends. Love isn't brains,
children, it's blood... blood screaming inside you to work its will. I may
be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it.'
Spike

[linda mar]

how much length of the top part should we keep as a minimum for good growth
of the top part? (discarding the bottom).

linda

"LeighMo" > wrote in message
...
> >So your saying rip out the whole plant, cut and replant the tops?
>
> Yes. With stem plants, I mean. Don't try this with an Amazon sword. <g>
>
> Just cutting the top off a stem plant and discarding it, leaving the
bottom, is
> called "topping." It's not recommended for many stem plants like Cabomba;
it
> makes the plant straggly and unattractive.
>
>
> Leigh
>
> http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/

[LeighMo]

>how much length of the top part should we keep as a minimum for good growth
>of the top part? (discarding the bottom).

4"





Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/