# Planted Tanks > Plant Talk > Cryptocoryne Club >  Growing cryptocoryne emersed

## lorba

Let's talk about cryptocoryne  :Smile: 

These are some pictures that I took when I first potted my crypts. I used black potting soil which is soft and can retain moisture better. For fertilizers, I used jobe stick with some powdered mixture concocted from my storage of KNo3, K2So4, MgSo4, Po4, Iron tabs etc.

I have some others such as griffithi, willisi, parva, Wendtii 'tropica' etc

C. Nurii
C. Lingua
C. Becketii
C. Wendtii 'Green'

----------


## lorba

Becketti flowered after some time, I took the picture 5 days after.

Inflorescene 1

Inflorescene 2

----------


## geoffrey

Lorba, how did you do it? I tried with Wendtii and Parva but fail. I had them shaded and watered alot but their leaves dry up, withered and dehydrated...

Wanted emersed to see their inflorescence too. Shall try again....

----------


## lorba

> ----------------
> On 9/19/2003 9:24:38 AM 
> 
> Lorba, how did you do it? I tried with Wendtii and Parva but fail. I had them shaded and watered alot but their leaves dry up, withered and dehydrated...
> 
> Wanted emersed to see their inflorescence too. Shall try again....
> ----------------


What kind of soil did u use? Mine are in almost direct sunlight. Dry up? I've tried growing those bought from Teo(emerse form) and many others in submersed form as well. For submersed type, I cut all the leaves, plant them and leave the pot in a less windy, shady place. After 1-2 week, it should start to grow well.

I've tried with normal gardening soil, but they quickly hardened up (lots of watering and indirect light, heat makes it clay!) and the crypts couldnt put out their roots well, stay stunted.

After changing to potting soil (bagged in plastic bag before putting into the pot), the water poured is basically trapped and the plant grew well. Better after i've added the powder mixture and jobe sticks.

----------


## checkerboard

I managed to convert my balansae into emersed form also! but no pictures to show for it. will try the others when i have the time!

I also use potting soil and peat moss as base, but with a little gravel on it so that in the initial stage there will be no leaching. They are all in full sunlight.

for me, i tried 2 ways, 

1) plant the entire plant in
2) remove the leaves and just plant in the rhizome.

results are:
1) unpredictable, depending on the extend that crypt rot affects!
2) this method is more successful. The new leaves that grows out are almost immediately the emerse form, especially when the water level are real low!

I have other emersed plants, marselia crenata, MM, limnophila aromatic (very easy), echinodorus red flame (thanks Nicky, i converted them)and tonina fluvalitis (not easy), ludwigia arcuata, repens and alternanthera reineckii.

very interesting thing to try doing![ :Grin: ] [ :Grin: ]

----------


## hwchoy

is it possible to have about 5cm water rather than just moist soil? I would like to put some small guppies to make sure there are no mosquitoes, and also to prevent drying out.

----------


## Lawrence

Hi,

Some very nice pictures. And nice flowers too. So far the only flower I got was on C. lucens or willissii and it was tiny. Have to keep trying...

I'm quite interested to try growing C. griffithii too, as that is a native plant of Singapore I believe. But only if it's commercially available. Does it grow well for you?

Perhaps I can upload some pictures of small tissue cultured crypts produced by a department in the Thai government later on if anyone is interested. Now have to do some work I suppose. 

Bye for now...

----------


## checkerboard

I think 5cm of water is possible. I have about that in some of my other culture. but the poor guppies... 5cm very shallow leh, not careful later all the water dry up then they would be pan-fried![:0] 

the soil would not dry up so quickly and if it is just moist soil, dun think the mosquitos can breed there.

 :Wink:   :Wink:

----------


## hwchoy

> ----------------
> On 9/19/2003 12:13:23 PM 
> 
> I think 5cm of water is possible. I have about that in some of my other culture. but the poor guppies... 5cm very shallow leh, not careful later all the water dry up then they would be pan-fried![:0] 
> 
>   
> ----------------


just small ones  :Wink:

----------


## geoffrey

So it the soil! Exactly how you describe it! Thanks Lorba. When I get to Teo again, I will get a few more to try but this time, it'll be potting soil.

----------


## lorba

If you examine the crypts pools at Teo, those infront of the main door are more like normal lonestar gravel mix with chicken poo. There's another one with yellowish sand behind with lots of becketii.

They are much tougher than potting soil but i think better than hardened garden soil. Water can still flow through easily and i think the roots can make their way in there. You may want to give it try too.

----------


## wynx

After failing for quite a couple of time...I am pleased to share that my emersed crypts are growing now. No pictures to show yet, I can see young shoots of becketti. 

Thanks , lorba for that tip! Further to that, it is really important to use an enclosed pot so that water won't escape. Important to keep soil moist. 

Next in line, I am growing E.Tennellus emmersed. So far, seen young shoots liao..Working on it still..

----------


## hwchoy

> ----------------
> On 9/19/2003 3:13:50 PM 
> 
> So it the soil! Exactly how you describe it! Thanks Lorba. When I get to Teo again, I will get a few more to try but this time, it'll be potting soil.
> ----------------


perhaps ask to buy Teo's soil as well?

----------


## checkerboard

yes, it is important to use enclosed pots i agree. What i use actually to maximise area, is those styrofoam boxes you see at fish markets. Take from them, the fishmongers do not need that many.

I grow all my emerse plants in these boxes, and because they are tall also, can shade some of the plants if you dun fill the soil all the way to the top. Mine is always only halfway, so that even when the plants grow, they remain in the box and are partially shaded. :Wink:

----------

