# Anyone know how to cut Anubias to encourage new growth?



## wantsome

I was told a while back that if I knick the rhizome on an Anubias with a razor the rhizome with sprout new growth. I'm just wondering if any one here knows how to do it and could provide some info? 

I have a large rhizome with no leaves. I would like to get it to grow some.


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## BruceF

Is the rhizome healthy? Yes you can just cut it a bit. Not too deep. It will cause the rhizome to branch and put on new leaves.


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## Zapins

Anubias grows slowly so anything you do now will take a long while to take effect.

I often find that by simply ripping off old leaves new buds grow in their place. The process does take a very long time though at least 4-6 weeks. I keep a lot of anubias and I have tried the nicking technique in different positions on the rhizome but I haven't seen anything that makes me say with 100% certainty that it actually forms new buds from the cut. The leaves seem to occur at the joints along the rhizome where the leaf meets the rhizome. This is the stem cell region where new growth comes from, so the buds will form from there whether its from damage or from an increase in light that now hits the stem (after the leaves were cut back).


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## Yo-han

If the rhizome is healthy, you can make half through cuts or just slice it all the way through. Remember, without leaves it really needs to be healthy or it just dies.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk


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## Ever Inquisitive

I agree with Zapins, working at a pet store I have a little section in our planted tank for Anubias rhizomes without leaves. I look for little "joints" along it and I usually nick a couple of them at a slight angle and typically growth occurs from these points. Take care to leave them alone as much as possible until they establish.


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## saddletramp

My concern is that I have an Anubias "Snowflake" It is small with white leaves. It has been growing nicely for a year now. I would love to get started branching, but so not want to olose it or any part of it in the process.
Any advise other than what is written here? 
Thanks in advance, Bill


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## Zapins

There are several ways to get anubias to branch.

One is to cut the growing tip off. If you remove the terminal bud other buds will form and the plant will branch.

The other way is to rip off all of the leaves and cut the terminal bud off. In a few months time there will be many new buds that form from where the leaves were torn off. This way produces lots of new branches but takes forever to fill in again.


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## saddletramp

Thanks for the advice. Bill


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## oblongshrimp

Sweet, my anubias had a lot of bba and repeated doses of Excel and H2O2 have left many of the leaves in rough shape. I will try cutting them all off and seeing if it will branch out and recover for me.


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## Zapins

Better to rip them off than cut them. Pulling the leave backwards until it tears off will nick the stem naturally and stimulate growth.


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## takeshi

You could possibly grow them emersed? They'll be able to receive a lot more light and also CO2 directly from the air. I've seen people do that..


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## Zapins

Takes much longer to grow plants emersed than submersed. Anubias can grow emersed but it takes them months to fully convert.


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## takeshi

Zapins said:


> Takes much longer to grow plants emersed than submersed. Anubias can grow emersed but it takes them months to fully convert.


But I thought that's why people DSM?


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## Zapins

I don't agree with the idea behind the dry start method. Emersed plants have to support their own weight which requires putting more resources into structure, they can only absorb nutrients from their roots which requires huge root systems that they don't need underwater, and finally they produce a wax cuticle to prevent them from drying out. Under water the wax cuticle often interferes and prevents leaves from absorbing adequate CO2 and O2 gas. This often leads to the dye off you see in emersed plants when first submersed - especially amazon sword plants. 

I have no idea who first thought of the DSM or why it caught on, but looking at the extra resources that go into structure, cuticle, and roots combined with the incompatibility of emersed leaves in the underwater environment I don't see the benefit at all if your goal is to eventually keep the plants underwater. If your goal is to de-clutter your aquarium and have a place to store plants, flower them, or grow them without algae or snails so you can sell them then emersed is the way to go.

On top of those points, after growing a few hundred different species at home emersed and submersed over the years I have to give fully submersed plants (with CO2 supplementation) the faster growth rate. Hands down, by at least 2-3x faster if not more.


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## Tugg

Zapins said:


> I have no idea who first thought of the DSM or why it caught on...


Probably some "pro" who wanted to show off his skills in a beautifully scaped/algae free tank photo... Then tore it down right after the pics were taken.


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## Zapins

That seems like a believable beginning.

I think I'll arrange a little test to compare growth rates between emersed and submersed plants. I'd really like to lay the growth rate question to rest for good. It seems like it crops up often enough.


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## Tugg

I would use carpet plants as the test since they are the most likely source of it.


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## Zapins

I was thinking of using HC.

I can do a number of tests since I have it emersed and submersed at the moment.


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