# Emersed HC help



## Franzi (Dec 7, 2009)

Setup: a few clumps of HC planted in regular top soil (about an inch deep), kept in a little tupperware container that you get when you order Chinese takeout.

It sits a foot or so under regular fluorescent lights at my work desk and I keep the plastic lid on it to keep humidity in. Lights are on 9am to 5pm. During lights-out, I slide the lid a bit to allow some fresh air in. I water it regularly (with tank NPK-CSMB water) as the soil starts to dry.

Although I'm noticing new growth, some of the leaves are yellowing. 

I guess the question is, why are the leaves turning yellow? Is top soil no good? Is it covered too much? Not enough nutrients/which ones? Plain fluorescent lights no good? Something else?

Thanks in advance for any tips/insight!!!!


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## asukawashere (Mar 11, 2009)

Yellowing leaves are often a sign of nitrate deficiency (especially if the new growth looks stunted, which may be hard to determine with such a small plant) - maybe up their nitrate dose a bit and see if that helps. But, HC is also a very light-needy plant, so there's always a possibility it isn't getting enough light, or, if it is, that the light isn't the right spectrum/color temp. Is the flourescent bulb one intended to promote plant growth?

That said, without a photo it's tough to diagnose a problem like this.


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## LiveHumanSkeleton (Jun 25, 2010)

It's not mentioned in your original post, but have you used any Excel? HC tends be quite sensitive to it, as a result, some yellowing of leaves can occur.


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## CptanPanic (Oct 18, 2010)

This is in am emerssed setup so I don't think excel is useful. Regarding nitrates, how do you recommend dosing emersed?


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

I don't think you can grow HC emersed like that. I tried it and until I started using AquaSoil the results were pathetic.

Fungus will eventually develop on the HC roots. You will not see it but it will make the plant look bad. It takes a long time for the HC to die but meanwhile you are questioning fertilizer, light and what not. And it's just fungus.

Best setup is AquaSoil + ebb&flow every day (ebb for 1 hour a day). Google what's ebb&flow hydroponics - it's damn simple.

No need to fertilize with anything - I never saw increase of growth adding dirty aquarim water or commercial hydroponic fertilizers.

BGA will run the HC over every so often. Use EM to treat them.

Fungus and BGA are the only problems with that hydroponic setup. If you don't use AquaSoil you are wasting your time. Don't ask me if HC grows in AquaSoil in the wild in Cuba. What I describe is the best way to do it at home and it is EASY.

And yes, HC loves as much light as you can give it. My fluorescents were about 1-1/2" to 2" above the HC.

http://picasaweb.google.com/ddasega/HCMarch2008#
http://picasaweb.google.com/ddasega/HCJuly312006#
http://picasaweb.google.com/ddasega/HCMay2006#

Another plant grown in the same conditions as I describe:
http://picasaweb.google.com/ddasega/CrassulaHelmsii#

If you get everything right a 2"x2" portion of HC grows to be 2'x1' in one month. And no, you can't make good money selling it. By the time you factor the time, e-mailing "negotiating" with people that want to give you $1 less a portion, packaging and shipping you will see that it quickly gets tiresome.

But it's fun! 

--Nikolay


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## foofooree (Mar 11, 2007)

Niko, where did you get the c. helmsii?


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

The C. helmsii just appeared among the HC by itself. Few weeks after that apearance Robert AquaBotanic Extraordinaire attempted to sell C. helmsii as the best-new-amazing-itty-pretty foreground plant. I don't think the idea blossomed into anything.

It is a beautiful plant when grown emersed. Never tried it submersed. How does it look submersed?

If you are interested in very short hairgrass like plant we have one here in Texas. I got if from a local private lake growing in the mud by the shore in 1 inch of water. Imagine hairgrass, but only 1/2" tall. I let it float in my tank and accidentally scooped it all out when discarding some floating plant.

Mudboots has got to know what that plant is. I have no clue what the name is.

--Nikolay


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## TLe041 (Mar 20, 2010)

I'm in week two of my HC dry start and mine had yellow leaves similar to yours. All of the existing leaves just melted within a week and new smaller, brighter green leaves took its place. From what I've read, this is just the plant transitioning from immersed to emersed conditions. The growth after this phase will be much faster.


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## EDGE (Feb 28, 2004)

I don't have HC anymore, but the cleaner way to grow emersed foreground plant is with plain gravel. Soil as a growing media or substrate with a lot of organic nutrients is bound for a messy ending.

This is a photo of my emersed setup from 5 years ago. I used flourite/onyx mixed and added a formula Edward made me back in the days for herbs. I would filled the tray with nutrient solution at around 600 uS (electrical conductivity) 2mm above the gravel and let the water slowly dry out from the trays. The trays were left open top as the HC were beneath the water level, so it wouldn't suffer from lack of humidity. I used the standard non perforated propagation trays you can get at any nursery.



















Lighting was 2x HO T5.

yellowing of old growth is usually a sign of nitrogen deficiency. You can run the nutrient concentration a lot higher than in fish tank with no ill effect. We tend to run the nutrient leaner because there is fish in the tank. Yellowing of new growth is signs of Iron deficiency. If your plant is shrinking but there is sign of new growing tips at certain spot, could be lack of oxygen.. soil is suffocating the plant, anaerobic environment.


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## 954baby (Feb 8, 2008)

I'd say ditch the top soil for something more gravel like. I use a mix of aquasoil and sand or eco-complete with overwhelming success. Also, I spray dilute fertilizer once or twice a week.


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## m3177o (Jan 16, 2009)

954baby said:


> I'd say ditch the top soil for something more gravel like. I use a mix of aquasoil and sand or eco-complete with overwhelming success. Also, I spray dilute fertilizer once or twice a week.


what kind of fertilizer do you use? im currently growing several anubias diamond emmersed. and im loving the growth. but i want to switch to other aquatic plants.


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## hydrozam (Jan 19, 2011)

Franzi said:


> Although I'm noticing new growth, some of the leaves are yellowing.



with regards to yellowing, its normal because as time past HC will become bushy, just trim the HC....
and new growth will come out.... HC loves to be trim from time to time....


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