Sideways hygrophila??

[newfound77951]

My Hygrophila polysperma "Tropic Sunset", which I just planted a few days ago, is now bending sideways.... The stems were almost to the surface when I planted them and now they are 3-4" away from the surface. They are certainly not shaded by anything, and there's plenty of light for them (4wpg). Only the tallest stems are doing this. Otherwise, the plant looks great.

I can go take a pic if needed. I have one from right after I planted it.

 

[Jchillin]

Interesting that you mentioned this...mine has done the same, including small holes in the leaves around the middle of the stem. Perhaps we can share pics?

 

[newfound77951]

Wow.. that was quick! I'll go take a pic and download ASAP. No holes on mine, but again, I've only had it for a week or so.

 

[Jchillin]

Here's mine.

 

[newfound77951]

Here's mine less than a week ago. The hygro is right in the center:

Here's the hygro now:

And a closeup...guess I have some holes too!...I thought it was just damage from transport

 

[Jchillin]

What's weird is, the one to the left is a clipping of the damaged/affected on and it has no issues at all.

My tank is low-light with the only fert being potassium.

 

[newfound77951]

Hmm....mine's high light and lots of ferts....we'll have to keep an eye on them and see how they compare.

Anyone else have this happen?

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Yup. I had a thread called horizontal control that had to do with the exact same plant. seem to be a hygro thing.

 

[rich311k]

Mine grows whichever way it wants. I can't find a rhyme or reason why it grows in the directions it does.

 

[newfound77951]

OK, then I guess I'll let it do it's thing, and trim as necessary!

 

[Jchillin]

Yup. I had a thread called horizontal control that had to do with the exact same plant. seem to be a hygro thing.

I remember that thread Ozz, but it never explained how I get the same effect in my low-light (1.5wpg) tank. Even with your revised light formula, I'm still under 2wpg.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Travis posted later in the thread that hygro acts as a weed, it grows sideways to consume as much area as it can. it then sends up new vertical shoots off the horizontal stem. You may be able to train it to grow vertical. but I haven't been sucessful.

The plant is just trying to spread..

It was also stated that lowering current helped. but I had vertical water flow and it grew across it.

 

[Jchillin]

Hygro, especially H. polysperma spp. tend to grow sideways. It is their nature. They will continue to do so until they take up all available horizontal space and then start back upwards, piling on top of their previous growth. This makes them a very hard plant to 'scape. I like to use them as a filler plant in spaces that I have no better use for. They fill spaces like water does a bucket - from the ground up, and don't tend to shoot out of their container, especially if you prune them judiciously. You may have to replant them from stem cuttings occaisionally to keep them healthy. Just cut them back ruthlessly if they try to escape their bounds. They won't complain

Yeah, he did. Thanks, I missed that part.