DFW emersed plant collection started
By: kimcadmus
January 20th, 2012
7:54 am
Thanks to this forum and Zapins’ sticky/article, “Beginner's Guide to starting your first Emersed setup!!,” I now have my first true emersed experiment started.
I have had windowsill dishes and floating riccia islands of emersed plants going for several years but never anything soil or substrate based so I decided it was time. A local DFWAPC club member and friend Michael Parkey has inspired me as well with his dish gardens and discussions of venturing further into emersed arrangements. A couple of years ago our club president took a pole and found that we had over 120 varieties of plants within the club. Combine that with the collectoritis syndrome of my 90p rimless has led me to cultivate these plants outside of my aquaria.
So I scavenged the garage and found most of the things I needed then hurried off to pickup soil and fresh light bulbs. I have plenty of room for expansion as well.
Wish me luck!
Material list:
Free 4” pots from local nursery
Miscellaneous glass bowls and plastic containers
60qt Rubbermaid Snaptoppers clear container and lid (stained by having stored used aquasoil)
4’ plant stand fluorescent fixture
2 Phillips 45w 6500k fluorescent bulbs
Vital Earth topsoil
Plant list:
Anubias nana petite ‘gold’
Bacopa monnieri
Clinopodium brownoi
Cryptocoryne parvula
Cryptocoryne ???
Cryptocoryne cordata "Rosanervig"
Cryptocoryne wendtii ‘Tropica’
Eleocharis acicularis
Eleocharis vivipara
Glossostigma elatinoids
Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides???
Hydrocotyle verticulata
Hygrophila corymbosa compact
Hygrophila pinnatifida
Limnophila aromatica
Limnophila guinea sp. ‘broad leaf’
Lindernia Rotundifolia ‘varigated’
Ludwigia arcuata s. repens
Nesaea pedicellata
Poaceae sp. ‘purple bamboo’
Pogostemon stelata ‘broad leaf’
Ranunculus inundatus
Riccia fluitans
Staurogyne Repens
Taxiphyllum alternans (Taiwan moss)
Vesicularia montagnei (Christmas moss)
emersed setup 1_15_12start by kimcadmus, on Flickr
emersed setup 1_15_12standlight by kimcadmus, on Flickr
emersed setup 1_15_12planted by kimcadmus, on Flickr
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19 comments on "DFW emersed plant collection started"
January 20, 2012 at 9:24 am
Muy interesante!
Here's an idea... you'll want to be able to flush out the water periodically to avoid it going bad. You could drill a hole on the bottom/side of the container of a size that you can insert a cork.
but caution, I am using these same things as a sort of cold frame for another purpose and have found that this plastic is uber brittle. You'll need to proceed very slowly.
January 20, 2012 at 10:28 am
I agree a small drain would be convenient but you are right about the brittle plastic. The pots are all seated in a 'flat' container so the black subframe can be lifted and the water just dumped in the lawn.
January 21, 2012 at 4:57 pm
This is a very interesting idea. Keep us updated on your progress.
January 22, 2012 at 6:02 am
Update - It has been one week today. Plants are hanging on and some are sprouting new growth. I don't expect anything photo-worth for at least several more weeks. Stay tuned.
January 30, 2012 at 7:43 pm
Where did you get and how much does the Cryptocoryne cordata "Rosanervig" cost?
February 6, 2012 at 8:21 am
Where did you get and how much does the Cryptocoryne cordata "Rosanervig" cost?
February 12, 2012 at 1:11 pm
Thought it was time for an update and pictures. I was able to add 17 new plants to the experiment thanks to members of our local club.
The new setups combine plastic and terra cotta pots. Many are set up with used aquasoil and others with topsoil for comparison.
Photo Jan 22, 8 23 14 PM by kimcadmus, on Flickr
January 22 plants added to collection
Hygrophila sp. Bold
Bacopa caroliniana
Rotala macranda ‘Japan”
Hottonia palustrus
Rotala macranda ‘green narrow leaf’
Ludwigia inclinata sp ‘Cuba’
Shinnersia Rivularis
Hygrophila polysperma ‘sunset’
Hemianthus glomeratus
Lindernia sp. ‘india’
Ludwigia inclinata ‘curly’
Ludwigia inclinata ‘pantanal’
Lilaeopsis chinensis
Hygrophila sp. ‘Araguaia’
Polygonum kawagonium
Sagittaria subulata
Eleocharis belem? or parvula or japan?
Most plants have done well in the transition but a few just didn’t make it like L. guinea, crypt wendtii ‘tropica’, crypt cordata rosanervig, nesaea pedicellata, and surprisingly L. arcuata s. repens. I will try them again.
Here are pics from today 2-12-12.
1st setup (started 1-15-12)
Photo Feb 12, 1 07 39 PM by kimcadmus, on Flickr
2nd setup (started 1-22-12)
I have maintained very high humidity and plan on adding a little wisteria to watch when I begin reducing.
Photo Feb 12, 1 02 16 PM by kimcadmus, on Flickr
3rd setup (started 1-22-12)
Photo Feb 12, 11 54 14 AM by kimcadmus, on Flickr
Had some fungus knats show up so added a venus flytrap to one container for kicks which seemed effective. The other container I placed a pitcher plant which has had less impact. I decided today to treat the cause rather than the symptom so I hope that my cinnamon/DE treatment in the water change will reduce the presumed fungus.
Overall I am happy with the progress. I really look forward to peeking into the containers every couple of days.
February 12, 2012 at 2:14 pm
Very nice. It's a great idea to have a bank of species or at least know who is growing what.
If you ever get anything on the Sagittaria, please let me know; it's all but certain it's something other than subulata, but I need specimens.
February 12, 2012 at 2:22 pm
Some Ludwigia species are oddly finicky about converting. Once you get them going, they do well, but somewhere in the middle I tend to lose them a lot.
You might want to leave the crypt pots alone for awhile - sometimes they bounce back when you think they have to be dead. I had that experience with a Lagenandra meeboldii recently, too - within days of placing it in an emersed setup, its leaves withered up and the whole thing turned brown. I didn't need the space for anything else, though, so I left the pot where it was... like a month later, it's just started putting out a new leaf. The same happened last time I tried to convert a Crypt spiralis - I had all but given it up and then it starts regrowing out of the blue. I think the delicate-leaved aroids are just exceptionally prone to going into shock under changes in conditions - certainly Anubias never give me that kind of trouble!
February 12, 2012 at 11:08 pm
I'm planning to start my emerse set up soon and I'm debating which soil to use.
Do you notice growth difference in top soil vs. Aquasoil?