How each plant spreads
- Cuttings: stem plants such as ludwigia and water wisteria. Plant the cut top; roots grow from the nodes.
- Runners: Vallisneria, dwarf sagittaria, crypts and carpet plants send out runners with new plants along them.
- Plantlets: Java fern grows small plants on its leaves; water sprite too. Amazon swords grow them on flower stalks.
- Rhizome division: cut a long anubias or bucephalandra rhizome into pieces with at least three leaves each.
When to cut
Leave a plantlet or runner attached until it has its own roots, usually an inch or more, and a few leaves. Then cut the runner halfway between plants, or pull the plantlet off gently. Floating plantlets can drift until you are ready to place them.