Growing plants

[Dalmatian Mollies]

Hi! I was wondering if it is easy to grow aquarium plants from seeds. I’ve gotten plants from pet smart and I love them. How would I get started growing these plants? Thanks!

 

[Byron]

Are you referring to true aquatic plants, or to terrestrial plants (which places like Petsmart usually sell as "aquarium" but they are not true aquatic)?

 

[Dalmatian Mollies]

Are you referring to true aquatic plants, or to terrestrial plants (which places like Petsmart usually sell as "aquarium" but they are not true aquatic

I believe I want aquatic plants(they are plants that are completely submerged?). I have an Amazon sword plant so I was thinking of a plant like that.

 

[Byron]

I asked because propagating aquatic plants via flowers/seeds is not as easy as it is for terrestrial. There are true fully aquatic plants, Vallisneria species are among these, and they grow submersed permanently. There are also amphibious plants, also termed marsh or bog plants, that grow part of the year submersed and part emersed. The sword plants belong to this category. Going from memory, but only one of these grows permanently submersed, and this is Echinodorus major. All the other species grow roughly half the year submersed (flooded season) and half emersed (dry season). These will only flower and produce seeds during the emersed period, never submersed; which means that in an aquarium when grown fully submersed, they will not flower/produce seeds. [I'll come back to this.] But these amphibious plants also reproduce vegetatively, by forming adventitious plants from the nodes along the inflorescence instead of flowers followed by seeds.

When grown in good conditions (light and nutrients) most sword plants once established will send out one, maybe two, sometimes even three inflorescences vertically toward the surface. As I said above, instead of flowers, adventitious plants develop from the nodes, and once they have an inch or two of roots, they can be separated from the inflorescence and planted. So you would have numerous plants over time. Most of these plants are grown emersed by nurseries because it is less expensive and faster that allowing the adventitious plants to develop submersed.

Sexual reproduction via flowers/seeds means growing the plant emersed, while involves a permanently moist growing medium for the roots, but the leaves are in the air. This takes longer, and I have never bothered, but other members may have and can advise on their methods if you are interested. The emersed leaves are different from those that develop when grown submersed; not only shape (this can really vary) but the structure, since aquatic leaves are thinner so they can assimilate nutrients better from the water, and they do not need as much support against gravity. Emersed leaves are thicker because they need the support, they have to prevent drying out, and their assimilation of many nutrients is via the roots rather than the leaves.

Vegetative reproduction is easier and quicker as I said. I have developed tanks full of swords, chain swords, Anubias, Java Fern, Vallisneria, etc, over the years just by providing sufficient light and nutrients.

 

[Dalmatian Mollies]

Thank you so much for the info! I’m excited to hopefully see some new sword plants come up in the future! I’m going to research some of the other plants to hopefully start. Thanks again!!

 

[j j m]

ive often thought about growing my own