Did you know that your Echinodorus are surprisingly cut-tolerant? Read here when and how to cut the decorative aquarium plants. The best tips about tools, pruning and all important reasons for pruning sword plants.
How do I cut an Echinodorus correctly?
Prune Echinodorus correctly by cutting back dead or too large leaves of a rosette from the outside to the inside. Do not leave anystubs of the stem. Use special aquarium scissors or pull off the leaf with two fingers.
Can you simply cut back echinodors?
Echinodores arecut-tolerant perennial, herbaceous swamp and aquatic plants from the family of frog-spoon plants (Alismataceae), which you can cut back if necessary. The perennials are rosette plants and form a distinctive rootstock as a rhizome. Leaves with a long stem grow upwards from this rhizome and numerous roots grow downwards. The leaves gather in a dense rosette that can reach a height of up to 60 cm, like the easy-care large Amazon heavy plant (Echinodorus grisebachii 'Bleherae').
Which tool is best for cutting Echinodorus?
Best cutting tool for Echinodorus is a specialAquaristic scissorsIn contrast to conventional household scissors, aquarium scissors are specially shaped. There are numerous models available in stores to suit every need and budget, as this overview shows:
- Entry-level scissors with curved blades, 24.5 cm long, priced from 12.90 euros.
- S-shaped wave scissors for the fatigue-free cutting back of ground-covering aquatic plants, such as the grass-like sword plant (Echinodorus tenellus), priced from 39.90 euros.
- Professional scissors with 75 mm long, extra sharp and straight cutting edges priced from 129 euros.
When should you prune Echinodorus?
At leastonce a year you should prune an Echinodorus by thinning out dead leaves and old flower stems. You can use this opportunity to cut back foliage that is too large and shorten excessively long runners. Pruning is possible at any time of the year without any problems.
If Echinodorus flowers are not desired in the aquarium, cut off the inconspicuous inflorescences.
What should you pay attention to when cutting Echinodorus?
Cut Echinodorusfrom outside to inside when thinning out the rosette of leaves. These are further important criteria for the correct cut of echinodores:
- When cutting, do not leave stubs that will cause rot.
- Ideally, pull Echinodorus leaves off the rootstock with two fingers, while a third finger stabilizes the plant in the substrate.
- Check the inflorescences of an Amazon sword plant (Echinodorus grisebachii) before pruning for daughter plants that are suitable for propagation.
Tip
Cutting and propagating Echinodorus
Pruning is the ideal opportunity to propagate Echinodorus. The first step is to cut off dead leaves. A well-branched rootstock can now be easily cut with scissors. You can plant the sections immediately in the substrate. Ground-covering Echinodorus species are easiest to propagate by cutting off a runner and planting it in the new location in the aquarium.
