# Did I plant too deep?



## poissonkimbo (Dec 21, 2010)

I planted my first aquarium yesterday. It's a 20 gal long NPT. I'll start a thread later with pics and tell the saga of actually getting the plants. However, I am worried that I didn't plant the rooted plants correctly. A friend on facebook who is very good with terrestrial plants suggested that maybe I planted some too deep. I am attaching pics of the micro sword, sagittaria, and a full pic where you can see the java fern and amazon sword. I am hoping those of you with experience can tell me if A) I planted them too deep and B) if I did how to correct it without disturbing the soil substrate and cap too badly. Thanks.


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

I like to see the plant crown of bunch plants (swords et cetera) and java fern rhizomes, like anubias, should not be buried.

Personally, on most plants I transplant I will bury 95% of the roots and leave the rest exposed. I found that in new substrates this keeps my plants from taking a hit if there's some anaerbic pockets or a sudden spike in this or that. But that's just me, and when I do this there is so much root mass with the species I keep that they stay put.


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## poissonkimbo (Dec 21, 2010)

Mudboots,

Is the rhizome the weird stick out thing that grew away from the rest of the roots? Also, I think I am unsure what is meant by the root crown. I googled forever last night around midnight looking for a good picture. Geez, I feel bad. This is the one thing I never thought to research during the months I was waiting for plants.


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## aquabillpers (Apr 13, 2006)

Hi,

IMO some of the plants are planted a bit deep, but, IME, that doesn't bother them that much.

Rhizomes, etc, will die if they are planted.

Good luck.

Bill


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

I'll second Bill's opinion. Sometimes I have to plant things way too deep just so they will stay in the substrate, LOL. It doesn't seem to affect most of them at all. Aquatic plants are not nearly as sensitive in this regard as terrestrial species, with the exception of rhizome plants like Java fern, anubias, etc.

If you want, you can very slowly and gently pull the plants up out of the substrate until you can just begin to see the tops of roots where they join the leaves at the base of the rosette. This is the crown of the plant


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## poissonkimbo (Dec 21, 2010)

Thanks for the advice everyone. I ended up pulling the java fern up and found the rhizome so I carefully replanted it and left the rhizome sticking out of the substrate. I also carefully pulled the microsword up to what I think is the crown like you said Michael. The sagittaria is on its own because I thought it would make too big of a mess to try and pull it up.


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