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View Full Version : ID on flower/seeds on my Melon Sword?


MangoR34
Sat Oct 09, 2004, 09:53 AM
There is this thing that is growing out of my melon sword. it looks like some type of flower or seed. Can anyone please ID this?

http://www.ausfishforum.com/forum/files/dsc04101.jpg
http://www.ausfishforum.com/forum/files/dsc04100.jpg
http://www.ausfishforum.com/forum/files/dsc04099.jpg


Regards
-Mango[/img]
kalebjarrod
Sat Oct 09, 2004, 10:02 AM
where is the photo?
MangoR34
Sat Oct 09, 2004, 10:03 AM
There they are...sorry about that.
mtchye
Sat Oct 09, 2004, 10:18 AM
Hi Mango,

That is a flower stalk growing out of your sword. You can leave it to grow out of the water and it will eventually bloom. If you fertilise the flowers with pollen (you can use pollen from the same plant) you will get seeds. However the easiest way to propagate them is once the stalk is fully grown, take the tip of the stalk and tie the whole stalk down under water, then one or two plants will grow out of each node of the stalk. :)
MangoR34
Sat Oct 09, 2004, 10:54 AM
How do I fertilise the flower?
mtchye
Sun Oct 10, 2004, 01:48 AM
Once the flowers bloom, you'll see little stalks of dusty pollen. Take a cotton but and swab as many of those bits of pollen as you can. Then go to another flower and you'll see a furry bit, a bit like a stick of velcro, place the pollen on that bit, and later on you'll get a seed pod with seeds.

Raising the seeds is not that easy tho. Easiest way is a emersed style setup with soil substrate and small amt of water, placed in the sun.

I recommend just pulling the stalk under water and letting the baby plants develop that way - MUCH easier and the plants come out with roots and all ready to be planted and ready to grow submersed.
xen
Mon Oct 25, 2004, 09:17 AM
Heya Mango,

My melon sword did the same thing a few months ago. Mine didn't even make it to the surface - ended up growing at a fair angle, with ~ 15 baby plants growing off it.

One warning though - the flower and babies will drain nutrients from the parent until they're cut off. If you by the time those 15 babies were ready for planting on their own, the parent plant was looking the worse for wear. Recovered fine though ;-)

Good luck!

Cheers,
John