My lobelia cardinalis plants are growing massive in my 15 gallon tank. One
of them nearly reached the top of the water. The leaves are giant and they
all seem to grow extremely well. I have done a very dangerous thing, but
only to one of the plants...I've chopped a good portion (half) of the top
part of the plant off and re-planted it and left the bottom. I believe the
top part will grow and settle in well...but what about the bottom rooty
part? These plants have put out hundreds of tiny white roots which have
anchored them to the gravel.

I have learned that these plants send out daughter plants that originate
from the stem and one can chop them off and plant them. So far, all my
plants haven't grown any of these. Will the remaining part of the one plant
I cropped grow a shoot or two and continue growing?...or did I kill it.
These plants took a long time for me to get growing healthily and I'd hate
to throw it all away for a bad maintenance job.

Anyways..sorry abou the long post, but I hope there's someone that can help
me!!

Thanx alot!!

Dave Picklyk
www.picklyk.com/aquascape



Hello,
Sounds like you have the tall version.
I had one that outgrew my 29gal and it looked like a tree. I had to saw the
stalk with a steak knife.

"I have done a very dangerous thing, but
only to one of the plants...I've chopped a good portion (half) of the top
part of the plant off and re-planted it and left the bottom.I believe the
top part will grow and settle in well...but what about the bottom rooty
part?"

I remember mine had died sometime after I had trimmed it. I also had moved it
to a non-CO2 tank tho.
As far as the bottom section...
When you amputate the top section of a stemmed plant, a new plant will grow
from the stump.
This will result in a strange looking plant. Large leaves on the bottom and
small leaves on the top section. (See Movie Swamp Thing.)
You might want to try aquabid for the small version of L.C.

N8