How to grow Mangroves

[D`Saint]

[waterlou]

[D`Saint]

Remember to prune it regularly when it grows. It will damage your glass

Am doing some experiment bout mangroves, will try another method on how it will grow. I'll post pics soon as I accomplish it

[obet_carlos]

yung roots? eh paano kung nakabaon yung roots?

[waterlou]

how about the nutrient export? may significant change/effect ba sa water?

[D`Saint]

[obet_carlos]

[D`Saint]

[D`Saint]

[waterlou]

thanks bro.

[D`Saint]

No prob

[Maestro08]

ayos toh, pics on your every mangrove experiment will help a lot bro

[D`Saint]

Hehehe documentary experiment! Am no scientist bro, just a simple hobbyist trying to learn

[silver gabarda]

Up! ko lang , kung pwede sana makahingi.



thank RP

[Halimeda]

Hi,

Just want to add to what's listed. The best depth to plant mangroves is make sure that 1/3 to 1/2 of the propagule 'stem' is buried in the substrate. The fibrous roots will emerge faster, better, and in larger quantities on surfaces in direct contact with the substrate. Thus, the larger the portion of the propagule 'stem' that is buried, the larger the area that is offered for root growth. If you plant only one or two inches of the tip, the roots will only grow on the tips. Deeper planting = More roots = better uptake of organics. I'm referring to the substrate here. For the water, what is listed above is correct, just make sure that the growing tip (the part that emerges above the propagule) is not submerged continuously. If your substrate is shallow, you can plant the propagules at an angle up to 60 degrees to ensure that a large percentage of the propagule in submerged in the substrate, but again, just make sure that the growing tip is not fully submerged. Don't worry about the tilt, the new growth will know where to go....

One more tip: if you want your mangroves to grow into miniature trees complete with prop roots, make sure to cut off the growing tip after the 3rd pair of leaves have grown. This will cause the trees to branch. Do the same for each branch that emerges, trim after every 3rd pair. For maximum prop root growth, make sure that the water level in the sump or refugium fluctuates by several inches every few days. Shifting water levels will trick the plant into 'thinking' that it is living in a high energy environment, and force it to produce the prop roots to well, 'prop' itself on the substrate. If you cannot do this (if you have a fixed water level in your sump), once the propagule has produced 2 pairs of leaves, push it to one side until it leans 45 degrees in relation to vertical. Do it slowly so as not to damage the roots. After two weeks of this move it back to vertical, and after another two weeks, push it until it leans 45 degrees into the opposite direction. This tricks the plant into 'thinking' that it is not well anchored in the substrate and it will produce prop roots in an effort to stabilize itself. Once the prop roots can be observed (as small nubs) and one you think you have enough nubs, return the plant to vertical position and cease tilting it. Spray the nubs with NSW or aged synthetic seawater to keep them moist (maybe once a day) to prevent them from drying up and dying. Prop roots will only form on the stem of the plant above the propagule, and only on old woody growth, so don't expect them to appear on newly sprouted propagules for the next few months or so.

One more thing, not all mangrove species will produce prop roots. Make sure you get the right one if you want the prop roots.

Contact me if you want pics of mature mangroves in a refugium, and for a WORD doc of the procedure i listed above.

Hope this helps....

eric