Bushing Out R. rotundifolia

[travis simonson]

An example of of trimming R. rotudifolia for bushing:

Here is the first planting:

I've planted this in a hedge formation and will be trimming it to make it bushier. If I don't mess this up it should get very bushy.

 

[dapellegrini]

How do you get them all so straight? Mine twist and turn in every direction...

Also, those all look like replanted tops... Have you been able to successfully get this stuff to turn into a bush by trimming and leaving the bottoms rooted?

My next project is trying to get my r. Rotundfolia to do exactly what it sounds like you are doing, which I have previously believed impossible...

 

[SparKy697]

How do you get them all so straight? Mine twist and turn in every direction...

Also, those all look like replanted tops... Have you been able to successfully get this stuff to turn into a bush by trimming and leaving the bottoms rooted?

What he said.

 

[zenkatydid]

i had it planted in a spot for about a month with weekly trimmings of up to half the plant, chucking the tops and leaving the bottoms. it certainly did start to produce more tops - 2 or even 3 shoots from each cut bottom - but i got sick of the ugly messy bottoms and started over.

 

[dapellegrini]

That sounds like the R. Rotundfolia that I know. I have a hard time believing that you could maintian a nice bush without uprooting and replanting every couple of weeks, though if someone could figure it out it would be Travis, thus my interest...

 

[travis simonson]

Those are indeed replanted tops. I used to have problems with R. rotundifolia twisting and getting all gnarly on me too but I've found that if it gets enough light and ferts it tends to grow much more cleanly. I just trimmed the batch pictured above (which is actually R. rotundifolia "Colorata").

Here, the R. rotundifolia has been topped (a few of the choicest stems replanted to extend the planting) and is now fairly short and headless. In about five to seven days it should start showing new growth on the clipped tops and put out many new growth shoots. Here's the pic right after trimming (I apolgize for the camera mugging mbuna):

Note: I rounded it toward the front, making the stems closest to the front glass even lower so that (hopefully) it will regrow with a rounded character. We will see . . .

 

[Sicklid]

Cut stems or replanted tops, yours is still denser and way better looking than mine! How far apart would you say you have them spaced when you plant them, Travis?

 

[travis simonson]

I plant them in bunches, probably about ten stems all together. I try to space the bunches close enough together so that the appearance from a distance is seamless. It grows just fine, even tightly packed light that

 

[Sicklid]

I see... I always read that if they are not properly spaced, the bottom of the plant does not get enough light to stay looking good... chalk it up to yet another theory disproved by you, Señor Simonson!

 

[travis simonson]

It grows so fast for me that by the time the bottom is getting scraggly, it's time to top and replant anyway. A fairly high-maintenance plant, but very interesting to experiment with

 

[zenkatydid]

bizarrely, i discovered this 'trick' with my hygro, which i stuck in a bunch in my low light low tech tank because i had spare, and the bunched together bit looks much better than the painstakingly planted bit in my other tank. bizarre!

 

[Peyton]

How in the world do you get rotala to grow that compact in high light? Only in my low light no co2 tanks can I get it like that and then it does not look as good.

 

[TTKarl]

What would you consider enough light for this plant? With 65w PC and EI ferts I have problems with mine creeping along the bottom of the tank. I always thought that plants that creep on the substrate was from too much light for the plant?

I'm not disagreeing with you. Whatever your doing it seems to be working. Just wondering.

 

[hashbaz]

Travis, you are a cheater!

I have both the regular and the "colorata" version of this plant in my tank. The regular version grows very twisted and snarled, and sometimes creeps along the substrate. But the colorata version (like Travis has) grows very straight.

Perhaps I have misunderstood, but it seemed to me that a lot of people have been surprized that this plant grows so straight for you, Travis.

I too am very curious to see the outcome of rotala rotundiflia in the hands of a master.

 

[travis simonson]

First of, I am NOT a master. Reserve those terms for guys like Steve Hampton, Tom Barr, etc.

If this works like I hope it does it should look pretty nice

 

[hashbaz]

Be sure to continue posting lots of pics. If your method works I'm going to steal it!

 

[travis simonson]

The plants are starting to show their new growth, although it is a bit slower than usual because they are being shaded a bit by overhanging H. leucocephala (and big, fat, lazy mbuna ). Here is a shot about ten days after trimming for the first time. Within a week there should be abundant, thick, bushy growth. It may require a second pruning but it's looking like it will be pretty thick on the first go

 

[zenkatydid]

looking great! new shoots on my rotala always come through much smaller and spindlier than the main stem, it's frustrating.

 

[Sicklid]

Looks great, Travis. Love the camera hog looking straight into the shot in the upper right corner...

new shoots on my rotala always come through much smaller and spindlier than the main stem, it's frustrating.

I finally got mine to come in HUGE leaved and bright pink by doubling my lighting and adding DIY co2, but at the cost of BGA.

 

[zenkatydid]

i only have about 1.5wpg, so that may be the cause. when i had diy co2, though, it was even more straggly than now, without. must be a balance thing.