How to you trim stem plants?

[NinjaFly]

Hi,

Can I know what is your practice of trimming stem plants?

Do you pull out the plant, cut from the bottom and then replant them back into the gravel or do you just cut from the top?

Coz if I pull them out, sometimes it will mess up the water coz the roots will pull some fertilizers out from the gravel. Then cut them off will mean that I will have to let the plant's root re-grow out again. Sometimes, dunno for what reasons, the replanted stem doesn't grow roots and they just melt off.

However, if cut from the top, it will not look really nice as the cut portion will just turn black and it can be a hassle to replant them back as without roots, sometimes they just float back up to the surface again.

[Simon]

bushy or not bushy that is yr answer, to create a bushy effect, trim the top, coz every stem u cut, 2 or more node will grow from it (provided u got enuff light to subtain them from melting)

think the reason y yr plants r melting from the bottom is coz of the light

[vinz]

I do both...

Cut off the top and let the bottom regrow. Cut it to the height so that the cut ends are hidden behind the plant/rock/etc in front. Let it regrow. After a few round like that, the plant bottoms get scraggly or very messy, you uproot and replant the tops. Read this and follow the links.

As for uprooting read this thread.