# Downoi (Pogostemon helferi) - how to successfully emerse this plant?



## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

On all of you that have grown downoi emersed for more than a minute, do you care to share every single part of your setup? I keep trying and it's not working. My goal is to remove it from my tank and grow it emersed for a while. But every single time I've tried, it mushes right up or grows for a day and dies. I've not had an issue emersing any other plant. Silly downoi. :tongue:


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## jcgd (Feb 18, 2004)

I have cheap potting soil covered by Shultz aquatic plant soil as a cap. I just push the stem in and cross my fingers. It helps if I keep them moist for the first couple weeks. Some wither a bit before taking hold and growing again.


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## BIG_Z (Dec 7, 2011)

My best luck with getting plants that were grown emerged and now are going to be submerged is cutting the light way back for a few days (with some of the more finicky ones I have went as far as to do ambient light only for a few days) The joy of having a refugium under the tank, they can get the exact condition of the tank (temp, fert wise) without the light schedule for that needing to be the same as the main tank involved.


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## speedie408 (Jan 15, 2009)

Hello Sara, 

Been a while since we chatted . I think I've explained my method before to someone but I don't recall who or where so I'll post it here.

I used a regular 10g tank with ADA ASII. All I did was plant the young plant as you would plant any other plant, roots into the substrate. The key to keep it from not melting is to mist it with hard water daily. If you can keep the humidity rather high in your setup (covered), you don't have to mist as often and you'll get away with it not melting. Lights should be full spectrum (4500-4700K) moderate to high intensity. That's pretty much it. Nothing special right? 

Hope that helped and good luck!

Best,

Nick

PS. Here's an old pic for those who haven't seen this plant emersed. Very beautiful!


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## BIG_Z (Dec 7, 2011)

I misunderstood the question..I thought you were going submerged > emerged. For me close to the same rule applies going the other way. Keep the humidity up (way up) at first and cut down the light a bit (at first..honestly I normally do a 2 day stretch with no supplementary light) but then slowly crank it up.

and Speedie it is more sexy than beautiful


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

i have a critter keeper with cling wrap instead of the lid, and thats my emersed setup. just a week ago i stuck a stem of downoi in there, and i havent seen any withering so far.

i have each plant in a plastic square pot (2"x2") to prevent the carpet plants from mixing, and water up to just under the level of the miracle grow in the pots. never misted. so far nothing has died.
however, i tried to speed up growth (before i put the downoi in) and move the setup from shade to partial sun, and everything above the substrate turned yellow and died. fortunately its now growing back from the roots. lesson: do not irradiate your emersed plants.


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## sewingalot (Oct 12, 2008)

Great information everyone!

Nick, I'm glad you posted. It should have occurred to me that you'd know the key.  Every single plant I've tried (with the exception of those fully aquatic, lol) converts both ways, no problem. Downoi however, ticks me off. I can grow the plant to no end underwater, but emersed, it just looks all whimpy and dies off. I totally wasn't misting even though the humidity is super high and lighting isn't an issue (outdoors at the moment.) I'll try the misting and report back. Thanks everyone for your input.


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