How to cut stem plants to prevent multiple side shoots?

[adman76]

Hi!
Is there anyway I can cut my stem plants like Tonina, Rotala, etc etc and not create new side shoots? It's making it hard for me to trim and maintain my tank.
Thanks!

[budak]

You can cut the plant and replant the top cutting (while taking and throwing out the bottom part)..... but side-shooting is how the plants propagate in nature.... you can't prevent that. The removal of the top bud stimulates side shoot growth from the lower leaf axils.

[adman76]

Wow, wouldn't that be very messy for fast growing plants then?? You mean everytime we do trimming, we have to uproot the old plants, grow back the top, and then wait til the roots grow and the plants grow and repeat the whole thing??

[budak]

But isn't the point of pruning to get the plant to produce side shoots in order to get a lush, bushy appearance? If that is not what you want, you will have to do that tedious process you described.

[adman76]

The problem is the plant is Limnophila hippuroides and it's not like Rotala where ot would look nice bushy

[Aeon]

Plan your scape according to the natural growth patterns of plants not the other way round.