How to plant

[Kasakato]

I have just got these plants from my LFS. How do I plant them in my Eco-complete gravel bed?

Anubias hastifolia
Anubias barteri 'marble'
Java fern
Anubias nana
Cryptocoryne x willisii
Cryptocoryne wenditt "green"
Hornwort

 

[djlen]

All Anubia can be either attached to a porous object(wood or rock) or pinned to the substrate so that the rhizome is not buried, but the roots can dig in. Pretty much the same with Java Fern.
Crypts are in-substrate plants. Bury the roots up to the crown of the plant. With Crypts, you want to plant them in a spot where they won't be disturbed too much and left alone. They are not as amenable to being shifted around as most other plants are. So find a spot in the mid-ground part of the tank and don't move them around if possible.
With most plants, the area in which they are planted depends on size of tank and expected size of plant. You want the larger plants in back or middle and the smaller ones in front.
Hornwort is a stem plant and in a smaller tank will work better in the back.

Len

 

[Kasakato]

The Java Furn is just some leaves tided together with a sponge and metal clip. How does this work? The other plants with roots are in a plastic basket with the roots in some kind of floss? Do I take the plants out and get rid of the floss?

 

[djlen]

Yes, take a heavy scissors or wire clipper and cut the basket into a bunch of little pieces and gently remove all the plastic pieces and cotton-like material. Rinse the roots gently under the tap and plant.
The Fern should have a rhizome(stem-looking tuber) that the leaves grow from. If you just have leaves, I would take that plant back to the LFS and exchange it for one with a rhizome. If it is just leaves, and you don't want to take it back all is not lost. You can stick the leaves into the substrate or just float them and baby Ferns will, in time grow from the ends of the leaves. These babies will have hairy roots and tiny tubers. Java Fern is a very prolific plant and old, single, distressed leaves propagate themselves by throwing little plants.

Len

 

[Kasakato]

I have tried to take off the cotten stuff but the roots are stuck in it. Now what? The Java Fern is really only a leaf and I can not take it back to the store. If I just stick it into the gravel will it be fine?

 

[djlen]

Get as much of the cotton of as you can and rinse well under the tap. This will remove most of the excess nutrients.
If all you've got are leaves, they will throw plantlets over time. You an stick them into the substrate or what I would do is lay them on it, bottom-side down and put something on part of the leaf to weight it down onto the substrate.
I'll never be able to figure out how/why LFSs can sell plants in that condition, but as I said, they should develop young ones off the leaves.

Len