# new emersed plant collection



## kimcadmus

We have so many plants in our club I decided to start and emersed set-up/collection. A couple of years ago when Niko polled members we had more than a 120 plants among all the members if I remember correctly.

Here is the link to the setup journal that I have started:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plant-physiology-emersed-culture/82597-dfw-emersed-plant-collection-started.html#post620915

So if anyone wants to contribute plant clippings to grow the collection, I would really love it!

Any that would grow emersed that doesn't appear on the list would be ideal. A few plants in particular that I am looking for are:

Wanted:
Eleocharis parvula
Eleocharis belem
Eleocharis 'japan'
Special Crypts!!
Hemianthus callitrichoides (dwarf baby tears)
Tonina
Polygonum
Echinodorus
You name it and I will try it!


emersed setup 1_15_12planted by kimcadmus, on Flickr


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## fishyjoe24

nice, Jason yesterday told me about this....

the club also need to make of a list of the plants each member has so, if a member has it we can get that plant, and not randomlly going out and buying plants.


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## Vivarium Concepts

*Ohhh, I can play this game!

Alternanthera
Anubias
Bacopa
Hygrophila
Hydrocotyle
Lilaeopsis
Lysimachia
Microsorum
Ophiopogon
Riccia
Sygonium
Taxiphyllum
Some of these are not true aquatics anyway.
The hard part is getting them to transition from submersed to emersed.

Kim, what are you planning to do with these?
*


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## kimcadmus

@Cindy - Michael and I want to make some emersed dish gardens or wabi kusa. We have both been growing plants in windowsills for a while and want to take it to another level. It will also eliminate the need to keep all the plants I like in an aquarium. My 90p has had too many plants in it for too long and I am ready to scape it.

I also thought it would be an interesting addition to club in terms of developing a knowledge base of emersed plant characteristics.


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## Vivarium Concepts

*It certainly sounds like fun Kim! We'll have to swap ideas next time we get together.
I grow mine in the frog vivariums, which isn't exactly the same as how you're growing yours.

Are you working with any carnivorous plants? *


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## kimcadmus

Vivarium Concepts said:


> *It certainly sounds like fun Kim! We'll have to swap ideas next time we get together.
> I grow mine in the frog vivariums, which isn't exactly the same as how you're growing yours.
> 
> Are you working with any carnivorous plants? *


@cindy - yes let's talk. no carnivorous ones but have always fancied pitcher plants! Stop giving me ideas!


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## Seattle_Aquarist

Hi Kim,

As the GSAS HAP Chairperson I want to preserve and make available to our club members as many species as possible. (Also, I have a ready source of "starters" if I want to change my aquascape - lol) Here are some of the species I am growing if you are interested maybe we can do some "swaps".

Ranunculus inundatus
Marselea minuta
Eriocaulon parkeri
Eriocaulon sp. 'mini'(?)
Syngonathus belem
Pogostemon erectus
Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Cuba'
Eleocharis Sp (tall; soft hairgrass)
Hygrophila pinnatifida
Hydrocotyle sp. 'Japan'
Helanthium tenellum
Hygrophila polysperma 'Tiger'
Lindernia rotundifolia 'Varigated'
Staurogyne sp. repens
Cryptocoryne parva
Riccia fluitans
C. usteriana x walkeri
C. wendtii 'Florida Sunset'
C. nurii
Echinodorus vesuvius


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## kimcadmus

Seattle_Aquarist said:


> Hi Kim,
> 
> As the GSAS HAP Chairperson I want to preserve and make available to our club members as many species as possible. (Also, I have a ready source of "starters" if I want to change my aquascape - lol) Here are some of the species I am growing if you are interested maybe we can do some "swaps".


Roy- That is an inspiring and encouraging collection! I hope to create a living catalog of plants within our club. I would definitely be interested in swapping-just let me know what you are interested in. It will take some time for me to develop emersed clippings - would you be interested in un-transitioned clippings as well? I hope to add a few more plants following our area meeting today.

I like the variety of humi-dome materials you and others are using. Now that I have started a few my eye is always on other materials to use.  How are the coco fiber pots to work with? You look like you are getting beautiful results.


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## Vivarium Concepts

*Roy, your collection is very nice, I'm getting all sorts of ideas!

Kim, I can't make the meeting today, we will have to try to get together 
at the next one. I have a couple of those coco fiber pots if you want to try them.
*


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## Seattle_Aquarist

kimcadmus said:


> Roy- That is an inspiring and encouraging collection! I hope to create a living catalog of plants within our club. I would definitely be interested in swapping-just let me know what you are interested in. It will take some time for me to develop emersed clippings - would you be interested in un-transitioned clippings as well? I hope to add a few more plants following our area meeting today.
> 
> I like the variety of humi-dome materials you and others are using. Now that I have started a few my eye is always on other materials to use. How are the coco fiber pots to work with? You look like you are getting beautiful results.


Hi Kim,

Thank you for the kind words; I'm just learning how to do this myself. I like emersed grown plants because they are snail-free and algae-free. I find that many of them make the transition from submerged growth to emersed growth and back again without any leaf loss or visible change in leaf shape or thickness especially if I keep my humidity high; however some species show remarkable change in leaf structure.

I like the coir pots better than peat pots; they seem to hold up better for me (especially when I keep them partially submerged) and they are inexpensive. At first I tried ADA Amazonia I in the pots, then Turface Pro League Grey, now I am using standard Miracle Grow Potting Mix topped with about 1/2" of Oil-Dri that I soak in water dosed with ferts (at EI concentration). My next experiment will be to try adding iron-rich red lava with the Miracle Grow/Oil Dri mix in the pots.

I am learning that some of the plants I keep grow much better (faster) emersed while others grow much faster in an aquarium environment. I grow plants that like lower humidity in Sterilite 16 quart containers in which I use a Hagen Elite Underwater Mini Filter for circulation/filtration; that way I only have to change the water every couple of months. I use the 'Pep Tents' (humi-domes made from Pepsi containers) if I am trying to keep species that like very high humidity or to prevent spread of fungus or insect outbreaks. Since these plants will be going in aquariums I avoid standard insecticides and fungicides and I'm learning some of the methods my grandparents and today's organic gardeners use to deal with these issues. I have found if I promptly remove the occasional dead leaf and/or stem minimizes disease issues and that my emersed growth project to be relatively low maintenance.

I wish you all success, if I can assist just let me know.


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## marcio

This is a great discussin folks. Keep it coming!
Just a question: you have to grow the emersed tropical plants in a "greenhouse" environment or just controlled temperature and lighting is enough?

Thanks!


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## kimcadmus

@ marcio- I think the trick is to transition immersed to emersed growth hence the need for the greenhouse/high humidity setup. My plan is to eventually transition some plants out of the high humidity setup by gradually hardening them with less humidity as you would do with other seedlings following germination and headed toward transplanting into a different environment. The hardened plants could be used for dish gardens or what Amano calls emersed wabi-kusa. I think Roy's pep-domes would be very useful in hardening individual plants in that you could manage the humidity specifically.

I am running 12 hour light cycles per day. Temp is 62 or 70 degrees depending on setup and the room I have them in.


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## kimcadmus

Thanks to everyone who gave me clippings last meeting for this project. I have updated my journal thread and thought I would share the link here to keep you updated.

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plant-physiology-emersed-culture/82597-dfw-emersed-plant-collection-started.html#post622873


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