Planting

[re_hashed]

Right, time to swallow my pride and ask probably one of the most dumbest questions that you guys are going to be asked in a while

Planing the plants themselves. Simple enough yeah?

I get all set, plants ready for where I want them, and 'in I go'. My fingers instantly feel like they've grown to the size of sausages and I'll stick one plant in and undoubtly pull another one up when I'm removing my hand to get another.

I get myself in a right old pickle, bits of plants everywhere, some not in the substate deep enough, a 'bunch' that end up so far apart that I can drive a flippin bus through them.

God only knows whats going to happen when I've got to plant some of the smaller plants.

Please can someone give me some tips on what they do !!! ???

Some of these tanks are just amazing and looking at the photos it winds me up when people, who already have a wicked tank, say "yeah I removed that xxxxx in the far left and replaced it with a yyyyy". Blimey, if I'd tried that I would have knocked over the bogwood, flattened about 90% of the other plants, and have mounds of debris all over the place.

Maybe I'm just a clumsy 'something'

Thanks

 

[montyII]

Love your honesty, re_hashed, and I completely know what you mean. I have no tips, being a newbie myself, but you do get better with practice. I seem to end up putting a plant in, standing back and looking at it, then moving it 8 more times before I'm sort of remotely happy with it. At least it warms your hands in winter!

 

[nry]

Long tweezers are a really good purchase, I was never convinced myself, though I bought some a few months ago and have never looked back - they really do make planting easier!

 

[re_hashed]

Long tweezers are a really good purchase, I was never convinced myself, though I bought some a few months ago and have never looked back - they really do make planting easier!

Metal ones? I was thinking about getting some, but I wasn't sure if they'd damage the plants too much as they are usually quite pointed and knowing me I'd grab them too hard.

I was thinking about using a set of 'training' chop-sticks - you know the ones that are joined together at the top.

Anyone use these to any success, or would even these be too chunky?

 

[nry]

Training chop sticks

They would be worth a try, it is actually hard to squeeze the metal ones too hard due to their length, though the chop sticks will likely be fine!

 

[BHornsey]

As nry says, tweezers are great. Not squeezing too tight is a bit of knack but you soon pick it up. A good quality metal pair are a bit pricey but a worthwhile investment.

Never tried chopsticks but my memories of using them is that they have a rounded profile.

 

[re_hashed]

Thanks everyone !!

A long pair of tweezers it is then.

Luckily for me my big sister is a doctor at Addenbrooks Hospital so after a quick phone call to her she's stopping by mine on the way home with a selection of 'long' tweezers for me to pick out what I want.

 

[rsands]

just bend the ends of the tweezers so the end of metal isn't forcing into the stem...its more like a flat bit of the tweezers pushing against the plant. i also find it is so much easier to plant into sand instead of gravel