Eusteralis stellata melt!!!

[AnA]

I have purchase from Teo this plant. It comes in land form and was advise by Teo that it will convert to water form eventually when put in water. Thing goes well and it started to grow beautifully. It grow so tall that it nearly touches the surface of the water. However, thing when wrong after I cut the top and replant. This top replant plant melt away. Anyone encounter the same problem? Please advise how to replant this plant. Thanks.

[AnA]

I have purchase from Teo this plant. It comes in land form and was advise by Teo that it will convert to water form eventually when put in water. Thing goes well and it started to grow beautifully. It grow so tall that it nearly touches the surface of the water. However, thing when wrong after I cut the top and replant. This top replant plant melt away. Anyone encounter the same problem? Please advise how to replant this plant. Thanks.

[AnA]

I have purchase from Teo this plant. It comes in land form and was advise by Teo that it will convert to water form eventually when put in water. Thing goes well and it started to grow beautifully. It grow so tall that it nearly touches the surface of the water. However, thing when wrong after I cut the top and replant. This top replant plant melt away. Anyone encounter the same problem? Please advise how to replant this plant. Thanks.

[AnA]

I have purchase from Teo this plant. It comes in land form and was advise by Teo that it will convert to water form eventually when put in water. Thing goes well and it started to grow beautifully. It grow so tall that it nearly touches the surface of the water. However, thing when wrong after I cut the top and replant. This top replant plant melt away. Anyone encounter the same problem? Please advise how to replant this plant. Thanks.

[budak]

key to Eustralis is: Handle with care. The fresh cuttings (esp the bottom segments) are prone to melt if handled too roughly (i.e. pressing too hard). Handle them much more carefully than most stem plants and use long tweezers to replant each cut stem individually. I used to have the problem too, but now that I have gotten the knack of it, they are taking off well.

[mok]

the trick is to give it a clean cut with a razor sharp scissor.
crushed the stem slightly and it'll melt.
when i cut the top to replant, i always leave the bottom alone
to sprout new shoots, just in case the replanted top melts.

[vinz]

Hmmm... I wonder if this applies to Gratiola sp?

[budak]

less so. Gratiola is much more robust.

[vinz]

Does other ppl experience this, I find my Gratiola gets weaker with each replanting? But it's inconsistent... sometimes better, usually worse.

[budak]

Toshi shared that Gratiola as very greedy feeders. The size of the new growth after trimming is an indicator. If the new side stems remain thin and smallish, probablyl more N and P is needed. When i had them, I trimmed in cycles, cutting off stems which reach the surface by half (throwing, replanting or giving away the top) and leaving the bottom part to regrow. After 3-4 times, then the bottom gets too straggly and i replant using the cut tops instead. but they got too invasive, so i replaced them with Eustralis.

[vinz]

Marcus... thanks for the light!!! Now I know why my Gratiola died... my tank was N-limited. Hmmm... might fit in just fine in my NO3 abundant Dragon tank.

When/where did Toshi share this?

[AnA]

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On 10/15/2002 11:06:51 AM

the trick is to give it a clean cut with a razor sharp scissor.
crushed the stem slightly and it'll melt.
when i cut the top to replant, i always leave the bottom alone
to sprout new shoots, just in case the replanted top melts.

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Yes, I leave the bottom alone hoping that it will sprout new shoots. May I know how long does it take to sprout new shoots? Thanks.

[budak]

Ana, should be visible within 3-4 days.

Vinz, quite long ago. or it might have been on private email. But I did notice algae started coming back after I replaced the greedy Gratiola with Eustralis.