Jan, Bend the flower spike so that it is submerged underwater, or wait until after it has flowered. I find that the plantlets grow much faster and produce beautiful white roots. I can usually get 4-5 plantlets per spike and severe them from the spike when 5 inches tall and then plant them in the substrate. However, I plant the mother plant in garden soil under 2 inches of water in a porcelain pot located behind my tank exposed under the tank MH lights.