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Do plants like java ferns and amazon swords need special "fertilizer" to grow in or will gravel do fine?

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Hi,
With the Java Ferns, you should bind them, some way,
to a piece of driftwood. Either with fishing line,
rubber bands, staples etc. The roots will attach
the plant to the wood and it will thrive.

The swords, are known as heavy root feeders.
They draw their nutrients primarely through the
elaborate root system that they develop.

A healthy substrate, well established, will support
the swords just fine - for a while. Eventually
the plant will develop a "zone of depletion" around
itself as it draws the nutrients faster than they
can be replaced. Then the leaves will yellow and/or
develop holes. You will need to use ferts in the
form of plant tablets, plant balls, or plant sticks
which you push into the gravel near the root system.

A liquid fert should take care of the fern.

Frank



[span class="edited"][Edited by FRANK 2004-07-26 21:50][/span]

[span class="edited"][Edited by FRANK 2004-07-26 21:51][/span]

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