- Set maximum growth size
- Remove, thin out and shorten
- Use sharp pruning shears
- Animal and plant support
Under ideal living conditions, waterweed grows so profusely that it is essential to use scissors. Otherwise, the disadvantages resulting from the spread may outweigh the undoubted advantages of this plant. This is how cutting is done right!
If the waterweed is not cut back regularly, it spreads enormously
Set maximum growth size
When cultivating waterweed, whether in an aquarium or a pond, there must be a growth limit that this plant should not exceed. Then other plants are shaded by him and pushed out of place.
You can individually determine how far your waterweed is allowed to spread. For example, it depends on the size of the pond or aquarium and what other plants grow in it.
In any case, do not fail to cut the waterweed in good time. If the plant has already spread widely in a large pond, it is no longer so easy to fight.
Remove, thin out and shorten
Whenever waterweed has grown more profusely than you would like, its volume needs to be reduced. There are several possibilities and they can be carried out individually or in combination.
- remove complete plants including their roots from the water
- Thin out excess shoots
- Shorten remaining shoots if necessary
In the aquarium, these measures can be carried out regardless of the season, while outside the growing season is ideal. Proceed carefully so that parts of the plant do not break off and fall into the water. New plants will develop from this after a short time, which is counterproductive.
Use sharp pruning shears
Use only sharp scissors for any trimmings, as they leave clean, smooth cuts that heal well. If, on the other hand, a shoot is snapped off by hand, it often does not sprout as desired.
Animal and plant support
Herbivorous fish such as the rudd like waterweed as food and thus slow down their spread. Planting the waterweed together with the aquatic plant hornwort also slows down their urge to grow because both are nutrient competitors. With these two measures, you can make maintenance easier because they reduce the number and scope of necessary pruning.