How do you manage the growth of Vallisneria?

**seanang168** · 13th May 2010, 12:55

Hi

I have a row of vallisneria (I think this is the name), those very long band of stem that can grow very long like a tape. Anyway, they are so long that is covering the surface of the water.

Can anyone advise how to manage this? I started to trim some of them and noted that the next day, from the cut end to some distance down, it turns reddish (signs of rotting?) So these plants cannot be trimmed?

Or maybe trimming would further trigger growth of new runners?? hmm..

**Shadow** · 13th May 2010, 14:10

You can't trim Vallisneria species like cutting hair. You need to trim it as close as to the substrate otherwise like you already experience it, the whole leaf will melt.

**jiajuen900** · 13th May 2010, 15:37

on that note , how about vallinsnera nana. Or other echindorus species that look simliar to valinsnera ( long leaf kind ). How do we trim them?

**Shadow** · 13th May 2010, 16:22

If not mistaken all aquatic plant is the same. You should not cut the leaf half.

Even java fern or Anubias nana, if you cut the leaf into half, slowly the other half will melt

**jiajuen900** · 13th May 2010, 16:30

then what about HG? if we trim the top will the bottom rot?

**Shadow** · 13th May 2010, 16:37

it will, so normally people with advice cut until 1 cm from the substrate.

**jiajuen900** · 13th May 2010, 19:52

icic thanks

**blue33** · 13th May 2010, 21:10

Vallisneria maybe, i've not try on them but i dont think it will. But not other plant like hairgrass etc. i moaned my hairgrass short, japonica etc. and has never encounter issue on that. Look at my Rocky Mountain, mostly hairgrass, i trimmed them till short lots of time, it has never die at all. Trimming will stimulate better grow. If trimming the hairgrass will die, then why people advice to trim them short, do a search in AQ on hairgrass and you will see lots of people advice to trim them. Try it yourself.

**seanang168** · 13th May 2010, 21:51

Originally Posted by Shadow

You can't trim Vallisneria species like cutting hair. You need to trim it as close as to the substrate otherwise like you already experience it, the whole leaf will melt.

Hi thanks, so for super long band, I should cut the whole thing away? how sad..

**jiajuen900** · 13th May 2010, 22:27

No just the leaf the that you want to cut. Leave the shorter leaves. Or if you want, you could take the shoots from the original valinsnera and replant.

**Shadow** · 14th May 2010, 18:24

Just cut the one that too long. I never try to cut all the leaves at the same time, normally I do selectively but even if you do my guess it it will grow new leaf before the old leaf start to rot. It won't rot overnight for sure. It take a while before the damage leaf start to rot.

**felix_fx2** · 14th May 2010, 19:18

Originally Posted by seanang168

Hi thanks, so for super long band, I should cut the whole thing away? how sad..

They grow hyper fast in good conditions, oh watch out for runners going to places you don't want them to.

**seanang168** · 15th May 2010, 00:02

Hi bros thanks for the advice! Today I actually proceed to remove those leaves that have turned red. It really turns red very fast overnight. I hope that as I removed these reds, it would spur it to grow new ones.

**cponkshe** · 6th Jun 2010, 20:22

Hi,
I have this same problem of Vallisneria growth but I do cut my vallisneria with a sharp scissors at the surface of the water . My leaves have shown no indication of rotting or melting, they remain green and infact so much so that when light falls on them (4 x 18W flourecent tubes), the cut portion gives out lots of bubbles.