Since I am new to planted tanks and this is my first, I wanted to ask about my Java Fern. It appears I have another one growing off the original. Am I suppose to trim it off and then plant it?
Java Fern assistance.
- Thread starter jasonG75
- Start date
So maybe with a razor kinda slice it off carefully or just plain ole clippers? Because it appears to be attached to the leaf from the original plant.
but yeah just cut it off the end of the leaf. Try to avoid cutting roots or leafs of the new fern
That is just normal reproduction for the plant. You can slice it off and tie it to something or just let it alone. Sometimes they seperate themselves from the plant and float around until they get snagged on something and sometimes they just keep multiplying until you get a thick plant going.
I agree attaching the new leaf with its rhizome should help you grow another plant under good conditions. I attached my last one to a new rock. With Java Fern the rule of thumb should be don't push the rhizome completely under your substrate after you figure out where to plant it seperated from the mother plant.
Java ferns reproduce in two ways, by producing additional plants from the original rhizome and by producing plantlets at the ends of the leaves. I've read that a plant under stress will produce more babies on the leaves than on the rhizome as a way to ensure reproduction but I don't know if that's really accurate. The plantlets do seem to grow faster than the mother plant, IME.
I've got so many plantlets on mine I'm planning a java fern forest for a new 6.6g bookshelf aquarium that I'll set up soon.
I've got so many plantlets on mine I'm planning a java fern forest for a new 6.6g bookshelf aquarium that I'll set up soon.