# How to Plant Downoi?



## Remdant (May 30, 2014)

I purchased some new plants yesterday for my 10 gallon, one of them being Pogostemon Helferi or Downoi. It came in one of those little emmersed baggies from Petsmart in two large clumps. I pushed them into my sand as well as I could but I can see this morning they are just sitting on the surface of the sand. Should I separate the clumps somehow or will they grow roots in the water column so I can plant them better?

Thank you!
Rem


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## tharsis (Oct 9, 2009)

You can definitely separate them alot more...as much as possible really. 

I bought the same gel pack a couple weeks ago from petsmart and I split them into individual stems and planted them like that. They quickly rooted and started sending out side shoots. You will want to separate them as much as possible but try to have each stem with some roots already on it. 

Here is a pic of them in my tank after a couple weeks.


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## cjstl (Mar 4, 2013)

Man, wish mine looked like that! My cories keep uprooting them. I have to replant several stems every day.


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## tharsis (Oct 9, 2009)

yeah I could see how corys would be a problem while they are trying to root. I think you can bury them pretty deep as well, try a couple where the crown is just poking out of the substrate. That may anchor them a little better, and the roots will be more developed by the time the crown comes further out of the substrate. 

I don't have any fish in the tank yet so there was nothing to disturb them.


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## andrewq (May 22, 2013)

*downoi*

I've had excellent luck with petsmart plants. I bought staurogyne repens, and downoi. I was skeptical on the downoi, but I just separated into individual stems. They grow rather quick, but started out tiny. I am dosing ferts, co2, and high light. These plants responded even better with root tabs. 

Cant wait till they are full grown, and then I can sell them for a arm and a leg, LOL. Just kidding......kinda.........maybe........idk......im keeping these for myself.


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## Dr Fishbait (Mar 16, 2013)

Hey Rem! Welcome to TPT. I bough Downoi at a LFS in Houston when visiting our son and it all melted. I don't have CO2 in that tank yet and I think that it just couldn't adapt. I'm about to get CO2 going so I want to try it again. Was it at the Petsmart in Lafayette?


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## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

As some have mentioned, cutting the main plant into individual stems is the best way. I got my original batch of Downoi from one of those packets and had no problems with them after cutting each to it's own stem and planting them in the substrate. You can plant a good portion of the plant in the substrate and it will grow out more full with a nice root system than just planting the tip of the stem in the substrate.



Dr Fishbait said:


> I bough Downoi at a LFS in Houston when visiting our son and it all melted. I don't have CO2 in that tank yet and I think that it just couldn't adapt. I'm about to get CO2 going so I want to try it again.


You don't need CO2 for this plant to grow. I have it in 3 setups right now. One with CO2 that actually caused the growth to be white/bright, one in a non injected CO2 setup that gets the occasional Excel shot, and in my emersed grow out that gets zero CO2 supplements. In all three tanks it flourishes, but it grows best in the emersed setup.


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## andrewq (May 22, 2013)

Presently I have my downoi in a 20long with co2 and high lighting. Im planning on growing these to there full size. Then moving to my 40b. My 40b is low tech with low to medium lighting. In your experience will the downoi be ok with this transition?



Archerofthemoon said:


> As some have mentioned, cutting the main plant into individual stems is the best way. I got my original batch of Downoi from one of those packets and had no problems with them after cutting each to it's own stem and planting them in the substrate. You can plant a good portion of the plant in the substrate and it will grow out more full with a nice root system than just planting the tip of the stem in the substrate.
> 
> 
> 
> You don't need CO2 for this plant to grow. I have it in 3 setups right now. One with CO2 that actually caused the growth to be white/bright, one in a non injected CO2 setup that gets the occasional Excel shot, and in my emersed grow out that gets zero CO2 supplements. In all three tanks it flourishes, but it grows best in the emersed setup.


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## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

I've never gone from high lighting with CO2 to low lighting without. The only transition I made was from high light with CO2 (injected) to high light with occasional CO2 supplement (Excel.) The plants in the emersed setup were left overs from the initial planting that I put in MGOPS and they have taken off. I don't want to derail the thread, but if the OP is okay with it I can post more info about emersed growth. If you want more info feel free to PM me.


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## andrewq (May 22, 2013)

My bad, and no disrespect to remdant



Archerofthemoon said:


> I've never gone from high lighting with CO2 to low lighting without. The only transition I made was from high light with CO2 (injected) to high light with occasional CO2 supplement (Excel.) The plants in the emersed setup were left overs from the initial planting that I put in MGOPS and they have taken off. I don't want to derail the thread, but if the OP is okay with it I can post more info about emersed growth. If you want more info feel free to PM me.


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## Remdant (May 30, 2014)

I don't mind you hijacking the thread at all! We are all here to learn and the more information the better!!

Yes, I got it in the Petsmart in Lafayette on Johnston and Amb Caffrey. Where in LA are you? I have no fish friends here, lol. 

I'm going to separate it and plant it tomorrow. My girls are still fighting over territory now that the tank has been moved around. Will these ever grow into those GORGEOUS big crowns everyone else has or will they stay lanky?


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## Remdant (May 30, 2014)

Oh and I'm running two 10w fluorescents on this 10 gal. Flourish every 3-4 days. Other flora is crypt Wendtti (I bought it as green at Petsmart but it looks very bronze....), water wisteria, Java moss (tag a long from my new plants), rotala indica and some other tag a long I'm not sure what it is. The Java Fern from this tank is outside right now. It's been frustrating lately. Lol


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## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

You can get large crowns with time. What substrate are you using?


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## Remdant (May 30, 2014)

Petco sand with gravel mixed in.


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## Dr Fishbait (Mar 16, 2013)

Went ot Petsmart yesterday and the only Downoi they had looked sad. So I'll try again later. I'm in St. Martin Parish by the way.


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## Remdant (May 30, 2014)

I'm in vermillion. They only had two packs when I was there and I bought one but mine is nice and green. No brown stems just a few brown leaves at the base. I bought wisteria while I was there too. I want to go back and get some more plants.


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## Dr Fishbait (Mar 16, 2013)

Go check out Tropical Fish Bowl, I just brought them some of my extra plants yesterday. Store credit always helps!


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## Remdant (May 30, 2014)

I got my rotala indica there! (; I just traded in the fish from my 10 gallon lol. I really wanted their microsword but I didn't have enough. Boo!


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## ForensicFish (May 19, 2013)

I also got some from pet smart. One of the packs looked horrible but the manager gave me 50 percent off so I bought them anyway. But don't waste your time on the bad packs. They fall apart and just melt away. I planted them in my sump under a standard 60 watt light bulb for any home lamp and they are growing very nicely. I have a dirted substrate capped with play sand. No co2 yet.


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## Method (Feb 13, 2011)

Archerofthemoon said:


> I've never gone from high lighting with CO2 to low lighting without. The only transition I made was from high light with CO2 (injected) to high light with occasional CO2 supplement (Excel.) The plants in the emersed setup were left overs from the initial planting that I put in MGOPS and they have taken off. I don't want to derail the thread, but if the OP is okay with it I can post more info about emersed growth. If you want more info feel free to PM me.


I got my downoi from Archerofthemoon. I don't recall if it was from a CO2 tank, but it's doing great (both emersed and submerged) in my low/medium light no-CO2 paludarium.


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## Tihsho (Oct 10, 2007)

Remdant said:


> Petco sand with gravel mixed in.


You might want to get some root tabs in. I've not had a chance to experiment with Downoi in non nutrient substrate, but would think they'd need some form of nutrients to grow, especially like you want them to.

That said are you using any supplements? If not, start out with some Flourish Root tabs, or go the DIY method like I did and get Osmocote (for veggies) and Osmocote Plus and start making some tabs. A lot of people swear by the old style Osmocote Plus that contains calcium, but the new stuff is working just fine with me once mixed with the Veggie supplement.


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## Remdant (May 30, 2014)

I don't use tabs. I was told time and time again I'd need tabs for my crypts and they are thick and lush dosing only the Flourish. One of my trimmings of the downoi already has a runner so I'll see how it does before going with tabs. We don't exactly have a lot of money right now.


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## Chris_Produces (Feb 19, 2014)

I don't use root tabs. Just gravel as far as the substrate goes. I do run Co2 and dry ferts though.


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