# Tips on planting microsword and dwarf hair grass



## guppyman7476 (Jan 1, 2005)

Does anyone have any tips on planting microswords and dwarf hairgrass?

Ken S.


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Separate the one big bunch into smaller bunches and stagger them through out foreground.


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## buddha_red (Jan 18, 2005)

the dwarf hair grass
how long does it take to fill in?

is it a fast growing plant?


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

When I have planted either microsword or hairgrass, I have separated them into individual stems/blades and planted them. It takes a good amount of time to do this but each piece then forms runners and it fills in faster. 

For how long it takes hairgrass to fill in...it depends on your lighting, CO2 levels and the actual space you need to fill in. It also depends on how many individual pieces you plant. I have had it fill in the foreground of my 75g completely in 4-6 weeks. If you regularly thin it, every week or two, and replant the runner it will grow in faster also.

I have found the microsword grows much slower than the hairgrass.


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## glenhead (Jan 29, 2005)

Well, that may explain why my hairgrass is filling in so slowly. I separated the pot into three blobs and jammed them in the gravel. They've just started to spread, after a couple of months in the tank. Also, I'm pretty sure the CO2 levels are probably close to air-ambient despite DIY injection, since my kH is so low (I'm in the process of bringing the pH down) and the tank is heavily aerated (my wife likes the bubble wall). After I achieve a pH6.5, I'm going to start using the Seachem Acid/Alkaline Buffer ratio-based system to hold it there and provide a bit of kH (with hopes that'll help the CO2 levels (maybe)). Sometimes ingorance isn't as blissful as it's supposed to be!

Glen


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## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

Glenhead... All you need to bring your PH down is to inject the C02, if only you could talk your wife out of the bubble wall; removing the bubble wall would help increase your C02 in the water column.

You say your KH is "so low"... _How low is it?_ Make sure it is not below 3.


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## jppurchase (Dec 15, 2004)

guppyman7476 said:


> Does anyone have any tips on planting microswords and dwarf hairgrass?
> 
> Ken S.


One word - tweezers. Using tweezers to hold individual plants as you plant them makes it much easier to plant small plants like microswords and hairgrass. You shoud never just "jam" them into the gravel

James Purchase


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