can I use scissors?

[crazyred]

Man, my plants ALREADY need trimming in this high light 55. Can I just use regular scissors? The Hygro is a jungle and I can't imagine how to trim it other than hack off the tops with scissors.....would that be okay? Anyone need some Hygro? Give me a PM.

[JustOneMore20]

I use scissors to trim mine. It works fine.

[mr funktastic]

hey i could use some hygro!!! lol i find the most effecting thing to do is use your nails. just pinch the stem right at where the leaves come out(the node i think its called) and it will most likely start growing from there again. if u dont want to do that and u want to keep it in check then pull the stem out and cut the bottom off the where u want it and replant. it will form roots quickly and this will preserve the nice top of it. i told u the stuff will go nuts lol i bet u didnt expect it to be that bad. is the ref staying in it or did it fade away? i always found it hard to keep thereds. they would come and go as they pleased. did the foxtail grow alot? mine is growing just as bad as the hygro now sending out new shoots all over the place.

[An t-iasg]

I need (TO GET RID OF) some hygro!!! LOL!

Yes, you can use scissors to trim. I bought a pair of long aquarium scissors at DrsFosterSmith. If you use other scissors, I would wipe them off before and after you use them in the aquarium. You could use your fingernails, like Mr. Funktastic says, but if you have tons of hygro your fingers will get tired! I trim off the tops of my hygro and replant them, and get rid of the bottom and roots if I'm not starting another plant. The top will re-root very fast, as I'm sure you know!

[crazyred]

Originally Posted by mr funktastic

hey i could use some hygro!!! lol i find the most effecting thing to do is use your nails. just pinch the stem right at where the leaves come out(the node i think its called) and it will most likely start growing from there again. if u dont want to do that and u want to keep it in check then pull the stem out and cut the bottom off the where u want it and replant. it will form roots quickly and this will preserve the nice top of it. i told u the stuff will go nuts lol i bet u didnt expect it to be that bad. is the ref staying in it or did it fade away? i always found it hard to keep thereds. they would come and go as they pleased. did the foxtail grow alot? mine is growing just as bad as the hygro now sending out new shoots all over the place.

Yes, this is your Hygro Mr. Funktastic....as promised, it has gone WILD!!! It has a pinkish tinge to it, but not really red. LOL My nails would fall off if I tried to use them on this jungle....LOL The foxtail is starting to grow, but it is being shaded too much by the Hygro jungle which is why I need to trim it back. This Hygro has shoots all over the place....I've never seen anything like it! Of course, it is right next to the CO2 diffuser so it gets most of it. Every plant in my tank has taken off except a few of my E. tenellus plants....not sure what their problem is. I have five of them and two of them are growing well and sending out runners, one is getting there, but two of them aren't looking so hot. Who knows.

Thanks for the tip An-tiasg and Kristin! I'm just going to clean a regular pair of scissors really well and go to mowing. LOL I might get some plant cutter later.....right now, no time for later.

[malkore]

Make sure they are clean scissors. YOu don't want to contaminate the water with any glues or other chemicals from other things cut with the same scissors.
snap a cheap pair of kids scissors and only use them in the tank.

i often just use my thumbnail to pinch-cut the stems. That doesn't work well on very thickly stemmed plants, or java fern stems/anubias nana.

[mr funktastic]

i dont like scissors becuase sometimes the plant will look almost like it isrusting on the spot i trimmed. and i tried 3 different types of scissor to make sure it wasnt just the pair i was using. i like my nails cause i can cut and pull the stem out at the same time as where u have to collect the stem after when u use scissors. this will be a good time to see how well your plants are doing. if u trim them later at night around 7 or so they should be good and saturated with oxygen so when u clip the stem they will bubble like crazy. this is a good indicator of a health plant. thats just my 2 cents worth

[JustOneMore20]

I bite my nails...so I don't have any. I have to use the scissors. I use the kids kind...but cleaned them before using them. I may get some of the "plant" scissors soon...but right now the kid scissors are working great.

[BillD]

My preference is a single edged razor blade. It doesn't crush the stem the way scissors do.

[mr funktastic]

bill u are from canada!!!!! sweet! another memeber i can ask about good stores and stuff. there arnt many of us so i get excited when i find one lol. i use a razor sometimes as well. but i find it harder to trim at the node of the plant with the razor.