# Growing aquatic plant outside of the aquarium



## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

Would it be doable if I planted some Marsilea minuta in a small flower pot with some florabase substrate in it next to my window? and should I fertilize with aquatic ferts or normal plant ferts?


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## MiamiAG (Jan 13, 2004)

It may be doable depending on the humidity levels inside your house. You can use normal ferts but on a diluted bases. Give it a try and let us know how it goes.


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## Happy Camper (Jul 22, 2004)

*Go for it*



turtlehead said:


> Would it be doable if I planted some Marsilea minuta in a small flower pot with some florabase substrate in it next to my window? and should I fertilize with aquatic ferts or normal plant ferts?


I would say go for it, it will probably do extremely well for you, just give it some time to adjust to terrestrial conditions and it should go well. Remember to keep out of direct sunlight for extended periods. Terrestrial ferts will do just fine aswell.

Regards
Cameron James


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## dennis (Mar 1, 2004)

YOu might want to consider giving it a head start by letting some float for a week or 2 till you see emersed elavs forming, then plant those. A humidity dome might also help get them started when you initially plant them. You can slowly open the dome as time goes by.


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

They've been floating for months, would I still need a dome? And how would lighting go?


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## Trebol-a (Dec 6, 2004)

Hi *turtlehead*
is more hard move a plant from sumersed > emersed what inverse, but is easy. Only you need a very high humidity, that you can make with plastic bag over the pot. I was used former drum with a little holes in the base from drain. In the first moth after go out of tanks I keep the plants with a 1-2 centimeter of water and plastic over the pot, later i make the holes and remove the plastic.
look at bottom left (is a Scheflera, not aquatic  )








Left *Marsilea hirsuta* and Glossostigma








*hydrocotyle verticillata* and *Althernanthera*


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## turtlehead (Nov 27, 2004)

wow, very nice, thanks for the good info.


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## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

Turtlehead,

I've had a lot of success using 2L soda bottles over a plant as well. They make great little humidor/greenhouses and you don't feel bad about putting holes in them to decrease the humidity. 

I've had the most success by putting soil in the bottom of the pot, laying the submersed plant down horizonally, pushing it down just slightly enough to keep it from floating, and then just barely covering it with water and capping with a 2L bottle. Evaporation works well to naturally and slowly reduce the water level, giving the plant enough time to adapt to emersed conditions while keeping humidity up in the container. It has yet to fail me.

When using normal fertilizers like Miracle Gro go REALLY easy on it. More plants die from over fertilization than just about anything except over watering. 

Best,
Phil


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## ogerike (Mar 4, 2005)

Hi!
I'm new in the forum, so please excuse me for my ignorance. Where can I find answers for these questions:
1. *WHY* to grow aquarium plants emersed?
2. What *equipments* need to grow plants emersed?
3. How it could be: water plants *stay alive* in the air?
4. Would it be practicable to bring my plants from the aquarium to the air???

(And excuse me for my English too)

Geri


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## Simpte 27 (Jul 16, 2004)

I think I can answer some of those questions for you.
1. A lot of aquatic plants flower. For some it is the only means of propogation. 
Most plants also ship better when grown emmersed. You have more room to grow them also (a whole room vs an aquarium).

3. Plants wheter aquatic or terrestial need the same things to live. Aquatic plants have developed different ways to get these nutrients. Some can still get them (ei CO2) fromthe atmosphere vs. the water.


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## SugarLEVI (Aug 15, 2004)

ogerike said:


> Hi!
> I'm new in the forum, so please excuse me for my ignorance. Where can I find answers for these questions:
> 1. *WHY* to grow aquarium plants emersed?


A lot of plants grow way faster emersed, you won't have any algae problems, and the chance that something goes wrong is smaller, I always keep some plants growing emerse to pass around to other people and to replace weak plants in my tank.



> 2. What *equipments* need to grow plants emersed?


That is one of the good parts, as you can see you need very little!
I use old aquaria and rubbermaids with a layer of a soil-sand mix,
sometimes I spray them with water in which I put some ordinary homeplant fertilizer or special aquarium ferts, but that isn't necessary.

You won't need any fancy lightening, Co2 and other ferts!



> 3. How it could be: water plants *stay alive* in the air?


Well, real waterplants won't, but most plants used in our aquaria aren't real waterplants it are swamp plants, that is why some of those plants need some ferts in their substrate they get their nutrients with their roots, in the wild they are only under water for a view months a year. As long as you keep them humid enough they will do excellent emersed.



> 4. Would it be practicable to bring my plants from the aquarium to the air???


Very! Just give it a try! As long as you keep them humid enough, and make the transition not to abrupt (fast) it is very very advisable!

For more information just check some of the topics discussing 'emerse growing'.


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## ogerike (Mar 4, 2005)

Thank you very much SugarLEVI, Simpte27! You help me a lot.
I have still a lot of questions about this thread because I didn't find a well-editted description about this plant-growing, but I think will try it.


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## SugarLEVI (Aug 15, 2004)

You really shouldn't worry to much about it, I know there are alot of different methods going around, some people use foggers or hydronic growing, but you can make it as 'difficult' as you want to.

Maybe they will not grow as fast as they could, but the growth is still spectacular, that is after the plant is used to emerse growing, you shouldn't expect to much of it the first view weeks.

You can do it on loads of ways, but the idea always stays the same, you will need humid conditions and sufficient nutrients for their roots to take up.

Here in the Netherlands some people left their emersed cultures outside this winter, and we have had -20 degrees celsius the first days of this month (though the snow which fell in those days is of course an excellent isolation), but most plants have started to reappear anyway!


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## ogerike (Mar 4, 2005)

This is very interesting what you wrote. It means that i can grow plants outside the garden (at a higher temperature than -20 °C  ). 
I have to ask some more: what's the method to bring plants to the air from underwater? How long should it take? 
What's the higher temperature that plants can endure in the air (think for the green-house)?


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## SugarLEVI (Aug 15, 2004)

Well, I don't really know the answers to these last questions.

The first depends on the plant I think, and the humidity. I tend to just throw them in one of my rubbermaids, and sometimes they die, but reappear after a while, and othertimes they do excellent from the start.


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## ogerike (Mar 4, 2005)

Sorry.
I asked, what's the optimal temperature for the emerse-growing plants (in a greenhouse, temperature can reach 40°C)
I put a didiplis in a glass bottle at a hot, light place of my house. I hope it to stay alive.
Thanks.
Geri


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