Bolbitis Motherplants - emersed growth?

[kassiel]

Hi folks,

I've just recieved some Bolbitis mother plants from AE for an upcoming rescape and I'm pretty sure they're the emersed form of the plant.

Questions are:

1) Are they the emersed form?
2) If so, I'm assuming the existing stems will rot away if placed immersed, so cut them back? how far back, right to the rhizome?
3) I was planning on positioning some near the top of some wood thats poking out of the water so that it would eventually grow emersed, if these are the emersed form do I need to position the rhizome above the water level, or can the it be below and the leaves just poke out?
4) I was planning on dividing the rhizome up into several pieces, where do I cut? Do I just divide it up where there is already a stem? The rhizome is about 25-30cm when untangled with quite a lot of brown "fluffy" roots as well
5) If I do have to cut the stems off (they're about 50cm) can anything be done with them, pot them up for example - would they form new roots from the stem?

thanks

 

[BigTom]

Wow, those look amazing. What size are they?

 

[kassiel]

Huge, some stems are 50cm and there are around a dozen in total. Should have seen the box they came in, first time I've ever had to go to the tip to get rid of a plant box!

 

[kassiel]

To give you some idea, the tank is 62cm tall, and including the rhizome they poke out of the water! They look great as they are but if it is the emersed form they wont last long like that, plus it wasn't really what I was looking for for my rescape.

 

[Ian Holdich]

Questions are:

1) Are they the emersed form?
2) If so, I'm assuming the existing stems will rot away if placed immersed, so cut them back? how far back, right to the rhizome?
3) I was planning on positioning some near the top of some wood thats poking out of the water so that it would eventually grow emersed, if these are the emersed form do I need to position the rhizome above the water level, or can the it be below and the leaves just poke out?
4) I was planning on dividing the rhizome up into several pieces, where do I cut? Do I just divide it up where there is already a stem? The rhizome is about 25-30cm when untangled with quite a lot of brown "fluffy" roots as well
5) If I do have to cut the stems off (they're about 50cm) can anything be done with them, pot them up for example - would they form new roots from the stem

]

1. Yes
2. In a high tech tank they will last longer, however, they will eventually die off. I would personally wait until they start to die off before cutting off.
3. They may grow emmersed, but in my experience, you need high humidity to ensure they stay nice and healthy. They may start to die off without humidity.
4. Cut the rhizome where you like, these plants are pretty robust.
5. Yes, you will find new shoot come from the rhizome.

Great plant btw.

 

[kassiel]

Thanks that's great, not sure what I'm going to do with them yet, noticed that a few of the leaves are starting to turn brown at the edges so think I'll probably preempt them falling apart and cut them back. Was looking to create layers of fern along wood and rock so probably easier to trim them back.