Amazon Sword Question

spike0544

I have an Amazon Sword plant that has grown a long stem up the middle of it with several leaves coming out of the stem. Some of leaf grouping have started to grow roots. I assume these are new plants. Do I cut them off and replant them or do they have to stay connected to the mother? I would like to give them the greatest chance of thriving.

Boredomb

Its the inflorescence as I was once told. Once there is several leaves and roots you can pull it off the stem and plant the new plantlets. You can also leave them attach and let the continue to float. Though when I did that with mine it would tend to get a build up of algae. Once there are no more plantlets left on the stem. You need to remove it from the main plant as it no longer serves a purpose.

Byron

Agree. Sometimes I leave them, just for appearance. You can also cut the inflorescence off at the base and then stick it anywhere like under a rock, so the stalk and plantlets are still intact. This is handy to fill in a difficult spot. The plantlets once they develop roots will assimilate their nutrients from the water, so being attached to the parent plant is not necessary at that stage.

I too find these adventitious plants tend to develop brush algae a lot, especially the closer to the light they are.

redchigh

Another trich I've heard is to simply pin down the stem (close to the plantlets) against the substrate with a piece of hardscape. The stem will keep growing and forming new plants, while the older plantlets root into the gravel, and you won't have to worry about the plantlets going into shock when removed too early.