Re:Emersed vs Submerged Growth

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: Re:Emersed vs Submerged Growth
From: mark.fisher at tpwd_state.tx.us
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 97 09:50:42 cst

     >Possibly, this was just the healthier of the two plants to begin 
     >with? Would this be a typical story for emersed vs submerged plants?
     
     I had some "extra" E. radicans, so I planted them in a container with 
     about 6" of backyard soil under about 1" water.  I put them on the 
     back porch and left them alone.  The old, submerged leaves quickly 
     died, but were soon replaced with new leaves.  Growth has been 
     phenomenal--2-3 new leaves per week, and lots of blooms with new baby 
     plants.  The radicans in my aquarium grows pretty fast (CO2 added, 
     PMDD, loamy substrate), but nothing like this.  I moved the emersed 
     plants into my greenhouse for the winter, and I plan on trying Crypts 
     and other Echinodorus.
     
     Remember, most aquarium plants are riverbank/marsh plants--submerged 
     during the wet season, and emersed during dry periods.  They even put 
     out different leaves for the different periods.
     
     E. radicans and E. tenellus are native to Texas, so they are 
     freeze-tolerant.  They may lose some leaves, but it doesn't get cold 
     enough here for the roots to freeze.