How to Propagate Java Ferns

[itafx]

I have some Java Ferns with new plantlets sprouting off the leaves of the parent plant. The sproutlets have roots some 2" long. Do I cut the new plant off the old leaf or do I have to wait for it to fall off before I can plant. Any advice on how to effectively propagate these would be very helpful.

[Sectoid Command]

You can either wait for them to fall off themselves or if you're impatient, just give the new plant a good hard tug and they'll come off.

[itafx]

That sounds like a good thing to try. Have you ever seen it where the last 1/3 or so of the tips of new growth leaves turn translucent? it looks like a darker color of green as if you squished the leaf or froze it, or something like that.

[Taelen]

That's good to know about tugging the new plant off but I have a related question. On the old, large plant, there are what I would think are the roots, long brown thin structures. Any picture of Java ferns I have seen didn't show these things, does one trim them off and if so to what length?

[itafx]

Are these the main roots of the parent plant or are they from the site where the baby plant was? I know that when planting Java Ferns you're supposed to tie the roots on to a rock or driftwood or some other type of anchor and they are supposed to grow into and around it and anchor the plant.

[Smaug21]

My brother just got done doing a 5 or so trimming and seperating of his java ferns and i can tell you from experience you can do very little wrong.

To give you an example, in my tank now, i have an about 2 inch root that came off one of the plants that is sprouting leaves! so even roots can come back. I've also have a few that got cut a bit (by what i don't remeber) but about 6 little plants spawned from the cuts, so even there you'll

As far as the little plants, you can take them off at any time, but a bit bigger and they seem to grow better, so i tend to leave them on till they have a few 1-1.5 inch leaves on them.

At anyrate, you can't really kill it very easily so go for what you feel like.

[Taelen]

Originally Posted by itafx

Are these the main roots of the parent plant or are they from the site where the baby plant was? I know that when planting Java Ferns you're supposed to tie the roots on to a rock or driftwood or some other type of anchor and they are supposed to grow into and around it and anchor the plant.

I do have them anchored to my driftwood and there's plenty of new leaf growth, my issue is with the little brown "roots" that are 3-4 inches long and seem to be coming from everywhere. I'm all for the natural look, but it does make it seem a bit messy and chaotic.