[daveonbass]

I was wondering how to prune amazon swords. The leaves are getteing nice and long but I don't know if I should cut the big ones out and make room for the smaller ones or should I cut the little ones. The large ones are starting to grow out of the tank and so they start to loose the tips, and I don't want the plant to get ugly because of that. any tips?

 

[Adrian]

I wouldn't "cut" anything. Just reach down to the white base of the older leaves and pull it off. If you cut them, then those remnant leaf stocks will rott.

 

[daveonbass]

but do I remove the big ones or the smallers ones...there growing quite large even for my 75 gallon tank

 

[Canoe2Can]

I'd say just remove the older ones. Since the leaves grow from the center of the plant, the peripheral leaves are the oldest and worst looking. The longer they are on the plant, the more likely they are to get covered with spot algae, disintegrate at the tips, turn brown, etc. Once they start looking tired, cut them off or pull them off at the base. One caution for pulling though: over time, you can start to pull the plant up and end up with a mound effect. If you cut the leaves, the stem ends will rot away and can be easily pulled off.

 

[lumpyfunk]

I have cut the old/ exterior leaves off of mine close to the substrate with no ill effects. I have also pulled off the leaves but I ran into a few stubborn ones that got messy, thus why I cut them now.

 

[kzr750r1]

As long as it's a clean pull of the leaf off of the crown it should be no issue.

Notice that the new ones come from the center and grow out from there. Take the oldest from the outside and you'll not harm the plant.

 

[Daniel*Swords]

It is also possible to pull/ cut the more central and bigger leaves. I've done this with my E. 'Rosé'. It curbs the plant's enthousiams for a while and a couple of the next leaves will stay under the surface. However, this is only a temporary relief. I'm planning on downgrading my Rosé... ie., switching the big one to a plantlet. Amazon sword (E. bleheri) is the same, it will grow out of most of the tanks given time...