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Emerse grown Echinodorus
>In response to list members who pointed out the ease at which they get
>their Echinodorus sp. to emerge by lowering water level, I need to respond:
>I have no trouble with E. colifolius (green wildtype) it is the
>fancy-shmancy "tropicaesque" hybrids that are a source of frustration. E.
>rubia, E. ozelot, E. oriental and another (name unknown) that is so red it
>looks like cadaver's blood. My LFS gets them from god-knows-where after
>they have been sitting in a tank long enough to produce new shoot submersed
>leaves. I like David Wilson's 70% sun / misting method. I have had limited
>(open air) success with E. colifolius (MarbleQueen) producing emergent
>leaves, but they seem to remain tiny plants in their emergent form compared
>to the monsters they were submersed. I suspect that since "marble" is a
>natural mutation it may still possess a few rudimentary emergent growth
>survival genes. The "factory #3" Tropicaesque hybrids may have far less of
>these genes.
All of the Tropica Echinodorus, whether species or cultivars are grown
emersed. Most other commercial growers grow them the same way. The fact
that most cannot stand up to the lack of humicity in the average home is
not surprising. Many terrestrial plants need regular misting too in order
to do well. The reason Swords don't like dry air is that in nature, they
grow in bogs, swamps, and at the edge of bodies of water. They grow where
the air is DAMP. If they were desert plants, it would be realistic to
expect them to do great in dry air. As it is, they are beahving perfectly
naturally for what they are, regardless of whether they are wild species or
cultivars.
Incidentally, I've seen 'Ozelot' and 'Marble Queen' growing emersed in a
local greenhouse without any trouble at all. The plants were huge, and
covered with inflorences.
Karen Randall
Aquatic Gardeners Association