# bucephalandra root trimming



## mort (23 Feb 2016)

Hi, my buces are really taking off and throwing out really long roots. Since they are on fine pieces of wood these roots extend many inches below the wood and are getting a bit overgrown. Its fine elsewhere in the tank but they have almost covered up a nice swim through so need a trim.
So my question is do they mind being cut back hard or is it better to just reduce them a little? any tips will be gratefully received as i'm starting to see flowers on some and don't want to damage their grow.


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## zozo (24 Feb 2016)

I would not cut them back to hard, not to close to the rhizome anyway, but some root trimming can't hurt. That's what most of us do before planting new plants trim the roots a bit to make planting easier. I've noticed on a Buce which i've planted on top of a piece of vertical standing driftwood and some parts of it's rootsystem died off on it's own over time. Probabbly due to trimming the plant parts from above. It just looses its haulthy color and eventualy fauls away. So you might inspect it's rootsystem first and start cuttting away the discolored parts if it has some before cutting off haulthy roots.

Also with tetrestrial plants i noticed, plants have a structured vascular system and any root damage can have effect on parts of it's growth aboveground. So cutting back roots to vigorously near the stem or rhizome can cause upper parts of the plant to die off. So it kinda works visa versa, cutting away top growth can have effect on some parts of its rootstructure as cutting away some rootstructure can have effect on topgrowth. 
No matter what kind of plant it is. Now from the outside it's not obvious how this vascular system in the plant is routed, but you could expect som die off from some leaves depending on what and how much you cut away.


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## dw1305 (24 Feb 2016)

Hi all,





mort said:


> So my question is do they mind being cut back hard or is it better to just reduce them a little? any tips will be gratefully received as i'm starting to see flowers on some and don't want to damage their grow.


I probably wouldn't trim them at all, unless it is absolutely essential.

If you need to trim them, I'd just shorten a couple by a small amount and see what happens. I know if you trim _Anubias_ roots they tend to callus over and form new bunches of bushy roots, but I don't know about _Bucephalandra. _

My worry is that the trimmed root is likely to die back and might cause the rhizome to rot.

Roots tips are different from the the rest of the root, and in some plants (orchids etc.) if the root tip is damaged the root dies. I know this happens with some terrestrial or semi-epiphytic Aroids when you cut their "ordinary" roots, but not the "aerial" roots.

cheers Darrel


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## zozo (24 Feb 2016)

dw1305 said:


> I probably wouldn't trim them at all, unless it is absolutely essential.



My idea as well, as i look what my buce does, it sheds leaves sometimes as it does parts of it's root wig and grows new ones. When i see a root go brown, don't even need to cut it, it falls off with a gentle pull. If you run your tweezers through like shaking and wiglin it a bit, you'll notice a lot falling out, these are decaying root tips and other accumulated debri. When all still is healthy the plant needs it, else it wouldn't be there, a plant doesn't grow what it doesn't need. 

Buce also grows a much bushier and more delicate rootsystem than anubias. It might be the slight difference of the Buce being more a lithophyte and attaches very good (maybe rather) to smooth rock surface in his natural habitat And anybias to softer wood as epiphyte.


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## dw1305 (24 Feb 2016)

Hi all, 





zozo said:


> Buce also grows a much bushier and more delicate rootsystem than anubias. It might be the slight difference of the Buce being more a lithophyte and attaches very good (maybe rather) to smooth rock surface in his natural habitat And anybias to softer wood as epiphyte.


Marcel that is quite interesting, the roots look much more like the aerial roots you would get on an _Anthurium <_"Aroid Anatomy"_>. _I think you are right they are roots that will attach to a hard surface.

I also suspect that they make trimming them a less risky procedure. 

cheers Darrel


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## mort (24 Feb 2016)

Thanks for the really interesting replies. I actually just went to see the root structure of the plant and decided untying it from the wood would be the easiest way to see the roots. As it came off, the roots that I wanted to trim actually stayed attached to the wood. It turns out that the buce has such a nice dense root system that a hygrophila pinnitfitida that is 6" or so away, can actually hide a lot of its roots underneath.  So I don't  need to trim the buce at all but maybe the hp. Which isn't a problem is it? Would only need to remove about a third of its roots and never has a problem before but just checking.

The buce does have a system of dense bushy fine roots but there are also a number of thicker roots that look identical to the anubias thicket green roots. So I think it is somewhere I  between the two.


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## zozo (24 Feb 2016)

dw1305 said:


> the roots look much more like the aerial roots you would get on an _Anthurium_


Indeed Darrel it kinda looks simular like that, tho Buce has a much more complex rootsystem, it grows root pens indeed the same as anubias does and also have seen roots with side roots and rhizods (branching like f.e. like Taxiphyllum sp. moss) and a bunch of roots just tangled togheter like the picture shows. But as said it can die off with trimming the plant, those roots come and go. Didn't have to trim any roots it cleans them up by itself if no longer needed. Buce also attaches much more firmly than anubias or java fern does. Like buce roots have much more surface area with many more rhiziods able to cling to rock easily. And Anubias i see only grow these root pens and not yet seen it branch, they start out white and turn green after a while. If the surface is rather smooth anubias comes off easily 

The bolbitis i think also is a perfect lithophyte, it grows so many rhiziods it almost looks like grey fungus..


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## tmiravent (24 Feb 2016)

Hi, 
My short buce experience: if my buces look like the picture (zozo) i would cut the bad leafes.
In the anubias also, i would trim a lot.
If the plant shows signs of algeae try to  clean and cut the bad leafes.
I beilieve it helps the plant to recovery quickly.
Buces work similar as other  plants, you can cut to best recovery or for scaping goals trying to control growth.
Each time i cut my buces they de seem to grow faster...
 Cheers


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## CreepyCobra (28 Feb 2016)

Hi there! Is there a Buce guidebook or pdf out there that one could use for reference or just general care and propagation tips? I'm from California and we don't really have much on Buce. Got my hands on 10 different varieties and decided to put an all Buce and moss tank. Thank in advance for any feedback or help!

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## tim (28 Feb 2016)

CreepyCobra said:


> Hi there! Is there a Buce guidebook or pdf out there that one could use for reference or just general care and propagation tips? I'm from California and we don't really have much on Buce. Got my hands on 10 different varieties and decided to put an all Buce and moss tank. Thank in advance for any feedback or help!
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk


Not that readily available in the uk yet either, beautiful plants http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/bucephalandra-all-in-one.26970/ worth a read and some stunning images.


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## zozo (28 Feb 2016)

As far as i know of there is yet not a complete guide book about growing, caring for and propagating Buce. The only extensive article i have found is from Tom Bar (forum)
http://www.aroid.org/gallery/boyce/...rg10.3372wi.44.44201] - Wong & Boyce 2014.pdf

There are several facebook communities where buce enthoussiast gather and show their collection you might turn to these for information on specific spieces. There are so many Buce variants and still new variants are found in nature all growing in nature at flowing streams on rocky surfaces in the splash zone which flood occasionaly for longer periodes in the wet seasons. If you search the net for info on buce in it's natural habitat you'll find very little references of buce growing on wood or soil. With the few photos i found where it looks like growing in mud, probably is rock buried under a muddy depossite. 

But as it grows epiphytic it also finds its way on wood.

The 2 buce sp. i'm growing i bought from a german enthousiast who's nursing over 60 different buce sp and he had nothing much to tell me other than they all are rather easy to grow and not particularly demanding. What i experienced till now is what you need the most is patience and to more flow you'll give them the more they love you. For the rest it's the same as with anubias, if grown under high light its susceptible to algea growth on it leaves.


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## CreepyCobra (28 Feb 2016)

tim said:


> Not that readily available in the uk yet either, beautiful plants http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/bucephalandra-all-in-one.26970/ worth a read and some stunning images.


Thanks! Reading up...

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## mr. luke (2 Apr 2016)

When I buy Buce that's grown emersed I cut the roots off as close as I can to the rhizome as they tend to rot away anyway. Some Buce have a very different root structure to others.
The one in the first in age looks like 'pink lady' which is similar to gigantea and kishii in terms of root structure.
Belindae and the 'brownies' share a similar root system.
While so.e do grow on rocks they accumulate a good layer of soil and dirt in the roots so they may as well be buried. If I remember ill get a picture of a root system to show you what I mean


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