# Is there a way to encourage root growth?



## fishscale (May 29, 2007)

Supposedly, in terrestrial plants, you can buy certain potting mixes or chemicals that will encourage root growth. I am wondering if there is a way to do this for our aquarium plants. Is there a certain way of trimming that will make the roots grow more? I ask this because I have SMS, which makes it very difficult to keep any plants rooted.


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## FrostyNYC (Nov 5, 2007)

I've had a lot of success with powdered rooting enzymes for terrestrial plants. You can buy it in most garden centers, including Home Depot. You basically cut the stem off the mother plant, dip the cut stem in rooting enzyme, and plant in topsoil. Alternately, you can make an incision in the stem of a woody plant, insert the powdered enzyme, and cover the wound with a ball of soil held with a burlap sack or some such thing... roots will thus develop mid-stem.

Those enzymes require that the powder stay in contact with the stem. In the case of aquatics, water would simply wash the enzyme away. You could attempt a little project, by buying the rooting enzyme and dosing a small container with it containing a few plant clippings, but I'm not sure how much you'd need to dose or if it'd work at all.


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## fishscale (May 29, 2007)

Think this will work with emersed growth? I'm trying to figure out a way to fix HC down. I got this nice carpet last time around that just floated up.


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

in emersed you could put in some rooting hormones (with a spray bottle so it distributes evenly), and it should stay long enough. since it cant leave the tank. it wont be as concentrated; but it should work. you could also add more nutrients and make sure all (or as close as possible) of the leaves are touching the water. the plant would then try to take in the nutrients as fast as possible and grow more roots to do it.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

I believe potassium is responsible for good roots.


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