Stem Plants Root Up High

TakeTheCann0lis said:

Whats wrong with my plants they keep shooting roots off up high and they become a large tangle.

I have Bacopa and Red Cabomba that are both doing this.

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That's normal. Just pinch off the roots at the stem once in a while.

This usually happens when your plants aren't getting enough fertilizer. They start sending out more roots in an attempt to get more.

Cboss said:

This usually happens when your plants aren't getting enough fertilizer. They start sending out more roots in an attempt to get more.

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Good to know that. Nice indicator.

If they root into a fertile substrate, they will stop dropping roots into the water column. I usually weight the bunch of stems, drop it where I want it on the substrate, and let it root itself.

Plants (especially stems) use roots as anchors, not just for taking up nutrients.
Most plants we use in our tanks are 'marginal' plants - that grow on the banks and get flooded.

You can overdose all your fertz and your plants will still grow roots up on high on the stems.

It can indeed be an indicator of infertile substrate but it can also be fairly useful when propagating new stems. Unfortunately i have forgotten the technical term for these roots.

OVT said:

Plants (especially stems) use roots as anchors, not just for taking up nutrients.
Most plants we use in our tanks are 'marginal' plants - that grow on the banks and get flooded.

You can overdose all your fertz and your plants will still grow roots up on high on the stems.

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agreed... no matter how fertile my substrate or my water my stems grow roots.
I also have a few rooted as marginals in extremely fertile pond soil and they continue to send out roots up the length of the stems.

I have green and red cabomba they rarely send out root. My base substrate is JBL Proflora on top is the JBL Manado.
I fertilize thrice a week micro and macro elements n add root tablets every six months to plants that need an extra boost. Just last week I bought a new product ELOS Terra Uno root tablets and waiting to see the results.

OVT said:

Plants (especially stems) use roots as anchors, not just for taking up nutrients.
Most plants we use in our tanks are 'marginal' plants - that grow on the banks and get flooded.

You can overdose all your fertz and your plants will still grow roots up on high on the stems.

Click to expand...

I agree - I have dirt tanks, I won't get into the mutli layers that make up my substrate, but it is very fertile. I still get roots on some stems.