killifan Posted October 3, 2003 Report Share Posted October 3, 2003 been spending some time in Pauls website, thanks for the link. I thought the lead weights were to keep the plants anchored down! Does it restritct their growth too much if you leave them on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted October 5, 2003 Report Share Posted October 5, 2003 There seems to be differing opinions as to whether to keep the lead on the plants or not. Personally I remove it when possible.It can restirct some plants, depending on how they grow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted October 7, 2003 Report Share Posted October 7, 2003 Hi killifan, Lead is used to keep bunches together and so shops don't have to plant the plants at all and can just drop them into the plant sale tanks ready to go as is.(cant have shops doing work with bunch plant's to justify the 300%+ mark up on them now can we ) This is just fine for short term but the problem is when the base of stems get crushed with the lead around them, this happens all the time. Most stem type plants are in bunches from 3-5 stems per bunch with the lead wrapped around them all to hold them together now if even one stem is crushed in that bunch and you just pushed the whole lot including lead into your substrate, This stem will rot. The other stems around this rotting one will more than likely also rot at the same point. Then the whole lot floats up and you end up planting each stem on its own anyway (the correct way to plant). And you now have a lump of lead in your substrate, This may not cause you any problems for now so instead of digging around in the substrate to find the lead again it tends to be left in the tank. Most plant tanks end up having quite a few bunch type plants being added over a few years and you guessed it the substrate becomes littered with little bits of lead all through it and in the end you strip the tank and set up again with new substrate. Stem plants do 'sometimes' grow just fine wrapped in lead, The roots coming out of nodes above the lead and reaching down into the substrate. So while some people may just drop bunch plants with lead still wrapped around them into the tank the number of these people that have success with these bunch plants will be below the average when compared to those that remove the lead and plant the stems correctly. I highly recommend people to take the time in the first place and plant plant's correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killifan Posted November 18, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 have been following advice given and removed he lead weights. Can you tell me now how I keep the plants anchored aso they don't all come tothetop with the slightest disturbance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted November 18, 2003 Report Share Posted November 18, 2003 The part of the stem plant that goes into the gravel needs the leaves removed or they will rot too. You don't want to remove all the leaf however. If you allow about 50mm of stem to hold the plant in the gravel it is about right. Get some scissors and cut the leaves off close to the stem but leave short stubs behind. This helps anchor the plant and stop it pulling out. 50mm like this is usually enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killifan Posted November 19, 2003 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2003 thanks, makes sense. Will try it now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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