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Encouraging amazon sword plants to produce runners
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2022 12:07 pm
by florapix
I've had my Zorchzon Sword plant for over a year now, and it's been doing well in my 29-gallon tank with sand and a bit of gravel. I've been using Seachem root tabs for fertilizer. I've also got a Nicrew Classic LED G2 Aquarium Light. What I'm wondering is - how can I get this plant to send out runners?
Re: Encouraging amazon sword plants to produce runners
Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2022 2:11 pm
by coltin
Zorchzon sword plants typically send up a flower spike once they're mature, around a year old, and after a period of cooling off. In their natural habitat, they tend to flower in spring and summer following a colder winter. This process can also occur in aquariums, albeit less frequently. To encourage your plant to send up a flower stalk, you could try letting the aquarium temperature drop to around 20-22C for a few months during the winter months. Then, when the water temperature increases to 26C, it may produce a flower spike.
Ensure your plant is receiving plenty of light and fertilizer, and then it's just a matter of hoping for the best. However, it's worth noting that many sword plants don't produce a flower stalk when kept underwater. If you're determined to propagate the plant, consider growing it in a pot outdoors. In the spring and early summer, it should send up a flower spike, around 4-6 feet long, with white flowers that will be pollinated by bees. These flowers will then produce seeds that can be planted in damp gravel, allowing you to grow new plants.