[WinterWind]

So my ludwigia repens stems have reached the surface of the water, and I want to trim them and replant the pieces that I cut off. However, I'm not really sure how to do this. Where should I cut? In between the nodes, or right where a new one starts, etc.? And let's say I cut off 1/3 of the stem, will the plant continue to grow vertically or will it stay that height? Will the clipping be able to grow if just push some of it into the gravel?

I pretty much have the same question about the water sprite. Will it continue to grow vertically or will it stay that height?

Thanks for your help.

 

[oblongshrimp]

if you cut the ludwigia it will just sprout new branches and start growing upwards again. You can pretty much cut it whereever you want (whatever looks best to you) Yes the clipping will grow if you just push it into the gravel.

Water Sprite is different. You can't do anything about its height. All the leaves grow from the base by the roots. If you cut a leaf in half it will stay that height, but it may die (I have never done this before). Normally older leaves will start to get a darker green and appear to die off. Just pinch these off at the bottom and new ones will just replace it. To propagate this plant just float those old leaves for a while. You will eventually see new growth on the dying leaf. This new grow with form into baby plantlets (much like java fern). You can get a ton of plantlets off one leaf. When the plantlets have roots and are big enough to easily remove they can be pulled off and planted into the substrate or floated. If you have any other questions about these two plants or if something I said was unclear please feel free to pm me.

 

[WinterWind]

So for the water sprite you break off a stem that looks unhealthy/dying from the bottom and let it float around and it will grow new plantlets?

 

[oblongshrimp]

yup. Thats all you have to do

 

[Storm_Rider]

i assume this is the same for wisteria since wisteria looks and acts a lot like water sprite.. ime at least

 

[Blacksunshine]

for my lud glandiosa. Is a reverse trim. when you snip it the two that grow back are always junk. So I find a nice collection of roots half way up the stem cut bellow that. Yank the old stem and replant the shortened one.

 

[oblongshrimp]

wisteria if i remember correctly looks like watersprite but does not grow the same way. You can trim wisteria wherever you want and plant the stems. Wisteria is a stem plant and watersprite is a type of fern I think.

 

[WinterWind]

Okay, I think I have a problem. The piece that I snipped off from the ludwigia seems to be doing okay, but the (bottom) part that I left planted doesn't seem to be doing so well. Will it recover or die?

And for the watersprite I notice some small plants coming out of the dying stem. Can I just leave the stem on the watersprite or do I have to disconnect it from the main plant?

 

[epicfish]

What do you mean "doing so well"...as in it hasn't sprouted any new leaves, or is it turning brown? Feel the stem. If it's soft, I'd toss it.

For the water sprite, cut off any parts that are dying