Stem plant trimming in general.

[Verminator]

Ok, i have 3 stem plants in my tank, which inevitably are going to need trimming sooner or later. Especially if i want to keep them smaller and more compact - mainly H. Polysperma 'Rosanervig'.

The 3 plants in question are;

1. Hygrophila Polysperma 'Rosanervig'
2. Ludwigia Repens
3. Gymnocoronis Spilanthoides

Now each plant may vary slightly due to it being a different plant, ofcourse. My question is how do you cut yours. Theres a few methods i'm aware of, each probably equally suitable and perfectly fine to carry out.

Option 1: When the plant reaches the desired height cut it to the base and let it throw up a new shoot from base, planting the end of the cutting back in the substrate at half height for example. Allowing new shoots to grow and existing stem to regrow up

Option 2: Just cut off the top inch or so of the grown stem and replant. Leaving old stem at chosen height. New shoots and cutting regrow up aswell. Does the stem that has been cut rot and die off or will it remain there healthy just without the growing tip?

Option 3: Completely remove plant and cut of base. Plating all the tops ofstems back in the substrate to regrow up, throwing bottom parts away (or alternatively replanting in spare tank to increase stock perhaps?)

These three options may seem very similar, was just unsure on what to do. So i thought i'd ask you all on here, may as well. May aswell find out before i actually have to come to trim them, which will probably be in the next two weeks atleast. Any help or opinions/experiences is much much appreciated.

Thanks, James

[ranmasatome]

if i want them to be more dense.. then option 1. and repeat over and over until density is acheived.

[Fei Miao]

Bear in mind stem plants as they grow, will be usually quite bare near the bottom, mid ground plants and hardscapes can be use to hide this.

My general trimming methods for stem plants-
1. Major trimming-I cut them shorter than the height which I eventually wants them to be.
2. At the same time cutting them to the desired shape, ie, rounded corners, slopes etc.

3. Minor trimming- Every nodes trimmed will produce at least another 2 new growths.As the stem plants grows new shoots i will cut the tips again to encourage thicker growth.

As a guideline-A major trimming will be probably every 3 weeks, minor trimmings every now and then.

[Fei Miao]

...to add, the cuttings can be replanted to increase bulk.

[Verminator]

Jus tto add i i have Egeria Densa growing in my tank. It reached the surface, so i cut the growing tip off and replanting in the bottom which has started growing up. But my porblem is a new shoot started right on the end, sticking out sideways, but right where i cut it off originally. I was hoping it would form a shoot from the base Hopefully this won't happen with my other 3 stem plants?

Thank you for the input, much appreciated.