# Giant Hairgrass (Eleocharis montevidensis)



## neonfish3

I'm having a problem w/ my giant hair grass! Its turning brown, black from the tips, gradually the whole leaf rots away. It is a new plant and maybe its going from emerse culture to submerse form? I saw on another post that someone mentioned trimming the hair grass short and letting it grow back that way. Do you do this w/ tall hair grasses or just short varieties? It has put out a couple plant runners in just a week. (2-3) The main plant leaves are 15" tall. I want a large grouping of this plant and if I have to trim it down it will be awhile before I get the look I want. ( but it dosn't look very good now anyway) Any suggestions? I've attached the best pic of it I could get.

Steve <><


----------



## aquoi

Emmersed Eleocharis should be trimmed low once submersed to promote new shoots / runner. The old leaves will die slowly and replaced by new ones.


----------



## SCMurphy

E. montevidensis doesn't need to be trimmed like other hairgrasses, it needs a lot of light. It isn't a good plant to grow submuered in a tank that has less than 3 w/g, and even then it might be a little short on light. It also needs CO2. I know I sound pushy but forcing an emergent underwater sometimes takes a bit more work.


----------



## SCMurphy

My experiment to grow this plant in a 24 inch deep tank is over. I gave up when the plant insisted on growing to be 30 inches tall. I have a feeling if the tank was 30 inches tall the plant would have grown to 36 inches. :roll:


----------



## Sir_BlackhOle

I have some growing outside in my pond with aquatic plant soil as substrate. Just water and sun, nothing else, and its doing well.


----------

