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Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V2 #635



>Also in a more general vein, do certain conditions favour the use
>of the sexual vs. asexual means of propagation in this or other
>plant species? Seems to me that if conditions are favorable (and
>there *is* lots 
>of growth in this tank) that the plant need not invest in the
>sexual (i.e. flower) mode of repro.
>Any thoughts?
>
>Marshall Wilkinson
>Calgary Alberta

Well, from a terrestrial plant point of view, that's definately the case.
Some flowering plants will not flower and/or fruit well unless they are
subject to a stress.  For example, if you ever bought a "christmas cactus,"
you may have wondered how to get it to bloom again.  The answer is to stop
watering it for several weeks to induce a dry period; when you start
watering again, it should bud up nicely.

Further, many terrestrial flowering plants will not flower or set fruit at
all when they get too much nitrogen.  If you ever visit someone's garden,
and they complain that their tomatoes won't set fruit, and they have these
humongous, gangly, dark-green leafy beasts where their tomato plants ought
to be, tell them to lay off the nitrogen fertilizers.  
Many ornamental flowers will not produce many buds if the soil is too rich
for their taste, as well.

Can anyone with aquarial plant experience comment on this?  Does anyone know
of any "denial" techniques, such as cutting back the light, which may be
used to induce blooming in aquaculture?  Oddly, I'd never though much about
it from the aquarium perspective; I pretty much presumed things were
propagated vegetatively.

                        Edziu