One of the most satisfying parts of keeping a planted aquarium is realizing you never have to buy stem plants again. Stem plants are incredibly eager to grow, and propagating them is the easiest way to fill out your tank for free.
The Cut-and-Replant Method Unlike terrestrial plants that might need rooting hormones or water-glass propagation, aquatic stem plants are ready to go immediately.
- Wait for Height: Let your Rotala, Ludwigia, or Bacopa grow until it reaches the water’s surface or your desired height.
- The Cut: Using a sharp pair of aquascaping scissors, cut the stem horizontally right above a “node” (the joint where leaves sprout from the main stem). Try to cut off the top 3 to 4 inches.
- Strip the Base: Gently pluck the bottom-most leaves off your new cutting to expose about half an inch of bare stem.
- Replant: Using tweezers, push that bare stem deep into the aqua soil. It will grow new roots within a matter of days.
The Bushy Effect The best part about this process isn’t just getting a new plant. When you cut the original “mother” stem, it will almost always sprout two new shoots from the cut node. Over time, repeated trimming turns a single, stringy stem into a dense, bushy thicket.
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