Amazon sword plant in outdoor tub

[Nana Finopolis]

I have been wanting to remove the amazon sword from my 40 gal. breeder. It's got so big and is creating a little too much shade. Have any of you grown them in a tub outdoors? How cold can they go?

I've started saving some plants that I'd normally throw away when I do tank maintenance. I plan to use them in my tubs when the weather gets a little warmer.

[Jungle Fan]

Temperature range for the regular Amazon Sword (Echinodorus bleheri) is: 22–27 °C (72–82 °F).

If your Sword is getting too large, remember that you can prune it back to the rosette by cutting off the largest leaves right at the rosette it will grow new leaves in time and will take some time until it gets that large again. You can also propagate it by taking it out cleaving the rosette clean into halves, trimming back the roots, and replanting the two halves wherever you want them. The reason for trimming back the roots is to encourage new growth and better anchoring, it is something I do to all my plants when first planted as well.

[Lemon]

19 minutes ago, Jungle Fan said:

Temperature range for the regular Amazon Sword (Echinodorus bleheri) is: 22–27 °C (72–82 °F).

If your Sword is getting too large, remember that you can prune it back to the rosette by cutting off the largest leaves right at the rosette it will grow new leaves in time and will take some time until it gets that large again. You can also propagate it by taking it out cleaving the rosette clean into halves, trimming back the roots, and replanting the two halves wherever you want them. The reason for trimming back the roots is to encourage new growth and better anchoring, it is something I do to all my plants when first planted as well.

do you think trimming the roots would work for crypts and anubias(not planting in the gravel)

[Jungle Fan]

It's worked for me so far for all my plants, and I know you've seen the pictures of my 75 gallon with all my crypts and swords. When I say trim them back I mean just cut off the long fine growth not all the way back, it makes it easier to plant, and encourages new growth, and anchoring.

With crypts, if I know that they were raised emersed, which most growers these days tend to do, I also cut the leaves back to just above the rosette, the plant then grows back new submersed leaves immediately and does not go through the famous crypt melt first which is just another stressor on the plant. The trick is though not to move them while they establish themselves, crypts don't like being transplanted, it adds stress.

With Anubias you can trim back the roots a little, as long as you don't damage the rhizome. If an Anubias leaf has holes, algae, or any other deficiency I trim the leaf, they will usually grow new small leaves within the next month, if you want the rhizome to grow in another direction, I've been able to get them to do that by giving it a very small nick with a sharp knife just barely into the skin of the rhizome. Anubias are very forgiving as long as the rhizome stays intact and you don't plant it in the substrate. My Anubias keep on flowering every few months.

 

Edited February 22, 2021 by Jungle Fan

[Lemon]

28 minutes ago, Jungle Fan said:

It's worked for me so far for all my plants, and I know you've seen the pictures of my 75 gallon with all my crypts and swords. When I say trim them back I mean just cut off the long fine growth not all the way back, it makes it easier to plant, and encourages new growth, and anchoring.

what do you mean by "long fine growth?"

 

[Jungle Fan]

Once you get away from the main growth you've got the real fine ends of the roots. I just picked a YouTube video for illustration for you, at around 9:10 into the video he is preparing a crypt for planting that way:

Here is also an illutration from JurijsJutjajevs on the crypt method to avoid melting:

 

[Jungle Fan]

He also mentions that Cryrtocoryne parva doesn't like the leaf cutting method, that is true, and I noticed that Cryptocoryne willisii is similar in that respect.

[Andy's Fish Den]

@Jungle Fan has some good tips there. I do the same thing with crypts when I get them if I know they have been grown emersed, trim the leaves down. With all plants, when I go to plant, I trim the roots to where they are only a couple of inches long, it is easier to plant and encourages new root growth to help the plants take hold.