How do you get plants to grow ON things?

[Cheadle Chick]

I was just wondering how you encourage plants to grow on rocks and drift wood and such?

 

[nitrous]

tie them to them usually and they will attach themselves in time

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

I tie mine down with Kite string (the cheap ones from a dollar store), you get tonnes and it's made from nylon. if you can hold it tight to the object it will attach roots rather quickly in the right conditions (anubias have attached themselves in 1 week)

 

[malkore]

and only some plants (java fern, anubias, java moss, riccia to name a few major ones) will grow on things.

staples work for water logged driftwood too, to attach java ferns by their hairy brown 'roots'.

 

[GodOSoot]

The staples would need to be 404 stainless steel right?

Or would regular steel leeching iron next to the plant roots be a good thing.

 

[shawmutt]

Fishing line 8O. Seriously, it's designed to be invisible underwater and it's strong as anything. I have a piece of driftwood with a bumpy surface with 4 pieces tied around it. In the beginning I took the plantlets off my java fern and tucked them under the line. Worked like a charm.