Bushing Out R. rotundifolia - Aquarium Advice

travis simonson · 02-10-2007, 02:38 AM

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 · 02-10-2007, 04:10 AM

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 · 02-10-2007, 09:20 AM

Quote:

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 · 02-12-2007, 03:24 AM

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 · 02-12-2007, 10:49 AM

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 · 02-12-2007, 07:41 PM

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 · 02-13-2007, 09:26 PM

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 · 02-13-2007, 09:33 PM

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 · 02-13-2007, 09:43 PM

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 · 02-13-2007, 10:24 PM

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

02-10-2007, 02:38 AM	#1
travis simonson Hortipath Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Englewood, CO Posts: 2,038 Images: 32	Bushing Out R. rotundifolia 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. __________________ “There is something in the quality of a good translation that can never be captured in the original.” -William Gibson

02-10-2007, 04:10 AM	#2
dapellegrini Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 870	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... __________________ LIVE IN ARIZONA? COME CHECK US OUT!

02-12-2007, 03:24 AM	#4
zenkatydid Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Sydney Posts: 765 Images: 3	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. __________________ 50gal planted - yoyo loaches, BNs, SAE, odessa barbs 28gal planted - sparkling gouramis, dwarf cories (hastatus, habrosus, pygmaeus) 5gal planted - betta, otos 5gal planted - glass shrimp, CRS

02-12-2007, 10:49 AM	#5
dapellegrini Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 870	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... __________________ LIVE IN ARIZONA? COME CHECK US OUT!

02-12-2007, 07:41 PM	#6
travis simonson Hortipath Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Englewood, CO Posts: 2,038 Images: 32	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 . . . __________________ “There is something in the quality of a good translation that can never be captured in the original.” -William Gibson

02-13-2007, 09:26 PM	#7
Sicklid Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Tarpon Springs FL Posts: 658 Images: 4	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?

02-13-2007, 09:33 PM	#8
travis simonson Hortipath Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Englewood, CO Posts: 2,038 Images: 32	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 __________________ “There is something in the quality of a good translation that can never be captured in the original.” -William Gibson

02-13-2007, 09:43 PM	#9
Sicklid Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Tarpon Springs FL Posts: 658 Images: 4	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!

02-13-2007, 10:24 PM	#10
travis simonson Hortipath Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Englewood, CO Posts: 2,038 Images: 32	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 __________________ “There is something in the quality of a good translation that can never be captured in the original.” -William Gibson

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