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How to propagate floating Alternanthera aquatica?

TimT

Member
Joined
24 Jul 2013
Messages
117
How do I propagate this bad boy:

15199436542_bdc8abcbdb_c.jpgAlternantheraAquatica by sendposttiltimpics, on Flickr

I have done a Google search and they talk about cuttings but mine is just one long floating stem. It is getting close to 1 meter and it still hasn't forked out or similar.

Should I break/cut it at one of the joints? And will it then continue growing from that cut. I have noticed that the 'old' end of it doesn't grow at all (which make sense). It's easy enough to trim shorter by cutting from the 'old' end. If it gets out of balance it quickly rectify itself so the leaves are over the water again. But I would like to have 2 shorter ones instead of one long.

Very interesting plant otherwise! Highly recommended if you have the room.

Thanks!
 
what you are calling a stem looks like a rhizome to me i would cut up portions of the rhizome that include a leaf or 2 :) nice looking plant :)
 
Thank you both for your input!
what you are calling a stem looks like a rhizome to me i would cut up portions of the rhizome that include a leaf or 2 :) nice looking plant :)
It think it is a stem and not a rhizome. It is totally hollow with thin walls (that is how it floats)

Maybe, like other stems, if you cut it it will fork at the cut point?
Could be...It should be a very precise cut as the thin wall propably will not be able to produce any new growth.

Here is a cross sections:
http://www.flowgrow.de/db/images/aquaticplants/detail/alternanthera-aquatica-4f7a010d0473e.jpg
 
It looks like it should snap off at one one the narrow points where leaves are coming from. I' d cut there.
 
ahh yes i see :) well i'd still try cutting a few sections with leaf nods and see if it works :)
 
Hi all,
what you are calling a stem looks like a rhizome to me i would cut up portions of the rhizome that include a leaf or 2 :) nice looking plant :)
It could be either really, they are the same thing. I'd agree with Allan, cut it immediately below a node (where the leaves come from), then trim the cut hollow stem back to immediately above the next node. It will only grow roots and new branches from the nodes.

I'd just float the cuttings in the tank, and I'd make sure they had at least one pair of leaves, so they will have an intact hollow stem between the node where the roots will grow from and the node with the leaves.

cheers Darrel
 
I'd just float the cuttings in the tank, and I'd make sure they had at least one pair of leaves, so they will have an intact hollow stem between the node where the roots will grow from and the node with the leaves.
Thanks, I'll try that! There is a small cosmetic challenge with small sections as the leaves are top heavy. So the leaves will only stay upright if the stems has a slight bend to them. But I'm sure they will still be fine as submersed leaves survive just fine although sometimes a little more bright green with hint of yellow.

OOOhhh nice, me want long time............going to look for one!
Although living in Denmark i ordered mine in Germany together with a bunch of other exotic surface plants, Make sure you place the order sunday/monday so the plants don't have to spend the weekend in a post office somewhere. Shoot me PM if you want the name of the supplier. But be aware of aphids. I got those along with the plants I ordered from him. But they don't attack this species so you should be fine if you only order this one.
 
(Aside) Where can I find a full tank picture? What little I can see, I like very much.
 
(Aside) Where can I find a full tank picture? What little I can see, I like very much.
Thanks! But I'm still holding back full tank shots as I prefer to complete the tank before I post and then do a sort of a retrospective journal. I have taken pictures throughout the process and plan to describe the decisions and iterations that led me to the finished result. But if I should lift the curtain a little here is a teaser of how the hardscape is built up below the land part seen in the background:
15206310561_081ec6d6f6_c.jpgP6080075
The Amazonia Soil is there to reduces the high hardness of the water so I added it inside the foundation too.
15186341996_851b66d317_c.jpgP6120141
The lava stones will also become alive and help break down the waste. I have used Epiweb to close the gaps between the lava stones.
15208965612_7d16693faf_c.jpgP8120003
The land part is also build of Epiweb with Hygrolon irrigation that sucks the aquarium water up into the soil. And that would be real soil and not Amazonia. The water level is never raised up to the soil level and I never water from above so no dirt or bacteria or other harmful things enter the tank from the land part.
15208995292_71c1376fb8_c.jpgP9080010
A different angle of the corner you have already looked into in the first shot in this thread.

You can see pictures of the some of the happy inhabitants here:
http://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/ikea-lighting-hack-for-macro-photography-some-pics.34141/
 
For future reference I can add that Darrel's method worked. Just in case somebody later do a search on this topic and finds this thread.

Here is a picture of the new growth:
15093529047_3926001c4f_c.jpgP9180047

Thank you all for helping,

Cheers!
 
Such a tantalizing project!
disappointed there seem to have been no updates ... hoping someone might know TimT & remind him ;)
 
Sorry to bump an old thread, but I've been looking to buy this plant without much success. If anyone knows where I could get it from it would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Costa
 
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