# DIY: Growing Out Emersed Plants in Trays?



## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

What kind of setup do people recommed for Emersed Plants? I'm thinking I could use kitty-litter trays, 1-2" water, some aquatic substrate, and the bucket of filter mulm, with high light, to give me a nutrient rich emersed grow-out aquatic plant grow-out tray thing. Anyone done something like this? Do the plants get enough CO2 from their air-exposed area to not worry about the CO2 this way?
What plants are the best for doing this?


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

Easiest is to grow the plants in pots and set them in your water-filled tray. You can adapt them by starting with the plants underwater and gradually lower the water level. You may lose all the underwater leaves and the new leaves will be the emersed form.

Note that you need very high humidity, ideally 100%, while you are adapting the plants, and for most of them, afterwards, too. Rigging a cover or plastic tent should work.

Many plants that are normally immersed only part of the year in nature should work, e.g. Echinodorus, Anubias, and a fair assortment of stem plants. Most mosses will happily grow up out of the water onto wood or other substrate.

There's gobs of CO2 in the air, compared to water, so you don't need to do anything about that.


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## DaFishMan (Dec 19, 2006)

Any plant that is classified as semi-aquatic, plus some marginal and bog plants. True aquatics need to be submersed.

Emmersed crypts are especially nice. I've been fighting mts or I'd cave to an emmersed in a heartbeat.


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## Byronicle (Apr 18, 2009)

most foreground plants do a lot better in immersed setup, i am doing glosso and hairgrass and verticulata? right now. Good thing is buy potting soil, then plant it individually, put saran wrap with a light, and just try and keep it nice and humid by spraying it twice a day. any container is fine, just make sure the soil is nice and saturated


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## DaFishMan (Dec 19, 2006)

How's your emmersed dwarf hairgrass coming along ? I'd love to see pics of this. Have you ever grown it emmersed then submersed it ?


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## Byronicle (Apr 18, 2009)

DaFishMan said:


> How's your emmersed dwarf hairgrass coming along ? I'd love to see pics of this. Have you ever grown it emmersed then submersed it ?


soon, just need to find the cord! along with my tv remote and driver's licence


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## DaFishMan (Dec 19, 2006)

My favorite thing to misplace is BILLS


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