Saturday, June 30, 2012

Tweaking cultivation method again

After experimenting with growing cryptocorynes in plastic containers with the water above substrate level, I decided to use the same method to re-pot some of my cryptocorynes.

See below for the re-potting process. First I filled the base of the container with some coconut husk (I thought that this will ensure that the substrate will not be overly compacted at the base and will allow space for the roots to grow better).
 
Next since most of the cryptocorynes I re-potted are from peat rich area, I added some peat moss to the base.
 
 
Next I topped up the substrate with some ADA soil to weight down the lighter coconut husk and peat moss and added some granular fertiliser. 
 
As usual, distilled water is used.
 
 
The final layer above is filled with fine sand which I bought from the nursery.
The cryptocorynes are then planted and distilled water is added to flood the substrate (i.e. water level slightly above top of substrate).
 
The containers are left open and placed in an enclosed tank.
Hopefully the cryptocorynes will like the new cultivation environment...

7 comments:

Unknown said...

I like the method, not sure about the sand, how it help the sand??

illumbomb said...

Not sure myself too... Haha. I used it because it is a pH neutral substrate and some of the cryptocoryne seemed to grow their roots better in the sand compared to the ADA soil. Hopefully this batch of cryptocoryne will like it too.

Unknown said...

How the cultivation is doing?

illumbomb said...

Hi, no major improvement in growth obtained using this cultivation method, I will need to continue to monitor.

noah said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
situkwokhan said...

How is this method. I would like to try to plant some cryptocoryne emersed. Hope, you can share some of your data. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Hi I think this method is ok, but I frequently had to battle algae issue with this method so I dump the container into water with shrimps occasionally to let the shrimps help to remove the algae. They are more stable when submersed but will not flower for me in water.