Dying Amazon Sword

Morning all,

Does anyone have any idea what's going on with the sword plant in the attached picture? It's from a newly established soil/walstad/dirt tank. Plants in my other tank (setup in the same way with the same soil, water, gravel) all grow beautifully, so this one is a mystery.

 

If I look at the leaves I would say some form a nutriant dificiancy but then again I have noticed that swords don't like being desturbed eg. replanted. Might also be that though the conditions might be close to the same the plant is adapting to its new spot and loses the older leaves in the proses.

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Can it be that the older substrate had more nutritions (fish waste and decomposing matter)?

 

It's possible

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Thanks folks.
So sounds like I should leave it for a couple of weeks to see if it beds down and if not then some fertiliser of some sort.

 

Root tabs

 

Agree with Christiaan. Let it be for now. I recently move a sword and all leaves started to melt away untill it only had 2 left but new leave have started sprouting a while ago

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Agree on the root tabs.
It looks like a mineral defficiency, as Echinodorus have high nutrient requirements.
PM me if you need Osmocote gel capsules.

 

checked nitrates / phosfates?

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Nitrates are good @ 10
I don't have a phosphate test kit ... suppose it's time to go shopping

 

Noticed mine went this way cause of lack of macros.

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Noticed you have them in silica gravel, that is inert and has zero ability to retain any nutrients .. so all of it needs to come via the water column, problem is that plant is a root feeder. I have grown them well in PFS but had all sorts added to support the root growth (potters clay balls, nails ) Easiest is plant them in a nice size terracotta unglazed flower pot that has lekker clay soil in it. Then just stack that in the corner and cover with your silica sand.

Root tabs will help but will also not be a long term solution for the root feeder since the silica has no cation exchange capacity (CEC) i.e the ability of the soil to hold positively charged ions.

Now here is a thought (use at own risk) .. those checkers plant things that everybody is collecting.


The Soil Pod ... that could be a ( and if you do try give us some feedback) an easy way to quickly add some PFP under the sword ... it might even have some initials fertz in it who knows. You will need to be quick to insert it I think but could be a rather easy solution.


Later Ferdie

BTW if you are going to try this put a steel nail under the plant first then the pod ... I suspect is should expand a few times it size ( the pod not the nail ) but might not cause a total mess in the tank .

 

The gravel is just a cap. Below that is organic potting soil - as per Walstad method. But you may be right, I don't think the roots are planted right through the gravel cap and into the soil below.

Also, I was curious about your comment on "clay' soil. What is special about clay?

 

Ah .. so this changes things ...

Potting soil - depending on how well it has broken down should really give you all that is needed. If not .. clay typically has more iron and a better CEC than most sand.

Maybe instead of messing with the substrate - trim the dead leaves - leave those that look the strongest ... see if the plant recovers. It might be having a hard time adjusting.

Later Ferdie

PS yes you can still add a nail into your potting soil .. - use a thick one less chance of it jumping out and stabbing you.