plant question

[TylerRuth]

I have a wisteria and a banana plant that I just got. I put them in but their roots are still above the gravel, is this ok for them or will they not do so well unless I bury them a little better?

 

[Slavo]

I have a wisteria and a banana plant that I just got. I put them in but their roots are still above the gravel, is this ok for them or will they not do so well unless I bury them a little better?

I'm not sure about Wisteria, but with Banana Plant (Nymphoides aquatica) you have to leave the banana shaped roots above the substrate; it cannot be burried beneath it. If you bury them, they will rot away, thus harming the plant. However, when the plant matures and is established in the tank those roots will rot away.

I would plant it so that the banana shapped roots are resting on top of the substrate.

Btw - not sure what size tank you have it in or what your lighting parameters are, but from personal experience this plants gets very large. I had mine in a 50g tank, which was 24" tall and at one point I had about 7 lily pads that had reached the surface, some measuring 8-10" in diameter with 36" stems (measuring from base of plant to lily pad).

 

[sodbuster95]

My Water Wisteria tend to grow fairly extensive roots above the substrate and are doing just fine left that way. I have a gravel substrate and inject CO2 as well as various nutrients. I assume they're getting fed more from the water than the plant tabs.

You can cut stems off that have roots (of about 2", I think) and replant them if you're looking to propagate the plant.

 

[Mebbid]

Water wiateria are heavy root feeders. They will however grow a new set of roots to dig into the substrate. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[TylerRuth]

Awesome, thanks for the info.everyone

 

[gobbledygook]

You can float the wisteria till you see roots forming and then plant it. Pretty much any time you trim you can float the trimmings and they'll form roots, even from tiny bits. I pretty much shove anything that has a bit of stem in the substrate and it grows. The stuff without stems I float till root starts growing.

The banana plants have tubers (the bananas) that store nutrients. Do not plant those! If you just place it on the substrate it will grow roots down and plant itself. Try putting a few together and watch the roots all twist together for something really fun.