# Trimming Rotala sp "Vietnam"



## dennis (Mar 1, 2004)

What is the best way to trim this plant? Something tells me that topping may not be the best bet....I the bast I have not had good luck toping brushy plant like Mayaca fluviatalis, etc.

Thanks!


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## Gomer (Feb 2, 2004)

I topped it and it yelled at me for doing so. The best option is to replant the tops. It grew so fast for me that I didn't really "plant" the plant, but rather use the led rope weights to bunch a few stems together and sink them in group of groups.


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## banderbe (Nov 17, 2005)

dennis said:


> What is the best way to trim this plant? Something tells me that topping may not be the best bet....I the bast I have not had good luck toping brushy plant like Mayaca fluviatalis, etc.
> 
> Thanks!


What happens when you top mayaca? I top my mayaca and replant the tops, and keep what I topped.. no problems I can see.


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## John P. (Nov 24, 2004)

Is R. Vietnam a good "pearler?"


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## Mnemia (Nov 23, 2004)

John P. said:


> Is R. Vietnam a good "pearler?"


Seems to be for me.


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## Gomer (Feb 2, 2004)

I think dennis means topping as in how we treat rotalla....also how we treat hedges in your yard.


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## fishfry (Apr 15, 2004)

Definitely gotta top it and replant the tops.


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

Hmmm...I'm going against the grain here. I top and let it grow back. It gets bushier.


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## dennis (Mar 1, 2004)

I have found that removing the tops of plants like Mayaca, and not replanting but keeping only the rooted portions, that they grow back very slowly, weakly and often stunted. A recient post by Gomer made me realize he had observed the same thing (right gomer?)

Aaron, does topping make the plants branch or is there already much branching below the trim line?


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## Gomer (Feb 2, 2004)

Not sure if I posted that recently, but that is my observation. Much much much healthier to replant the tops then let the bottoms regrow tops.


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## banderbe (Nov 17, 2005)

Gomer said:


> Not sure if I posted that recently, but that is my observation. Much much much healthier to replant the tops then let the bottoms regrow tops.


Yeah I see the same, when I root the tops they grow back to the surface in a couple weeks while the old bottom parts are pretty much the same.


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

This is after topping it a couple times already. I'd say this is 7 days or so after the fact. It got twice as bushy the time after this and is always healthy. Granted, the bottoms look terrible, but it shouldn't matter so long as you are using it properly as a backround plant. In my case it is a farm tank so it doesn't matter. I've found almost any Rotala can be topped several times before it ever needs replanting.


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