planting buces

Well yesterday was a planting day, as well as some emergency prep (groceries, woodpile, stocking up on water, weatherproofing a few drafty doors/windows and the like). Here's what went into the thirty-eight. The largest buce 'midnight blue' I fastened to a stone and put in the corner next to 'godzilla'. Wow, does it ever have blue color!

I am sad to report however, that 'godzilla' herself isn't looking so great- brown algae on the leaves, but hoping to correct that soon (more on that later). I do see tiny root hairs coming out to cling on the stone, so that's a good sign.

The rest of the buces I tied onto the driftwood log. This is painstaking work. Before I have always used tiny rubber bands (the kind for hair braids) and eventually they disintegrate enough to break and I pull them out of the tank. I had to stop using the pale/white ones that fish bags are tied with, because my cherry barbs try to eat them- I guess they thought it looked like a worm. Several times I saw barbs pooping thick white segments with flat edges I'm pretty sure were rubber bands. They survived that, but I want to avoid it again (they don't try to eat the dark colored ones). Also it's tricky to get a rubber band over the plant leaves to sit where I want it on the rhizome.

Using thread has it difficulties, too. Manipulating wet thread is frustrating. It clings to everything. I take the log out of the tank and set it on a tray to work, tie it on before placing the plant, use the longest needle I have, keep drying my hands continually and still it's a pain. It is easier to get between bits of foliage to the exact spot I want, and I finally found some 100% cotton thread in my sewing stuff, so this will rot away after about a month and by then the roots should have taken hold. I have to be careful not to tie it too tightly and cut the rhizome tissue. It looks like a lot wrapped on here because I shifted the phoenix moss to the front side of the wood and criss-crossed to hold that down again, too.

The plant go from left to right: buce 'emerald green' (was already in place), 'isabelle', 'selena' (largest one in center/top) and a few clusters of 'blue bell'. Here's a closer look at the 'selena' and 'blue bell' in the tank-

ambient lighting shows the hues differently:

Once in place I find that 'isabelle' is actually my favorite to look at- so sprightly.

ambient light: