growing hornwort: tips and best practices

[akirien]

I've got a single strand of hornwort growing outside in a container. I'm thinking of cutting it into sections to promote growth - or should I just leave it as is? I've also got some duckweed on the way to add to the mix.

[belleora]

Leave it as is, I'd say, but I'm pretty sure that's elodea you've got there. Can't quite tell from the pic, got a close-up? Either way, it'll grow like crazy, just like hornwort, so no need to stress about it.

[akirien]

Leave it as is, I'd say, but I'm pretty sure that's elodea you've got there. Can't quite tell from the pic, got a close-up? Either way, it'll grow like crazy, just like hornwort, so no need to stress about it.

It was actually listed as Egeria densa on the eBay listing, but the description did say hornwort. That might help clarify things.

[belleora]

I've got a single strand of hornwort growing outside in a container. I'm thinking of cutting it into sections to promote growth - or should I just leave it as is? I've also got some duckweed on the way to add to the mix.

So I was right, it's elodea, also known as anacharis in the US - we still call it elodea here in the UK, though. Apparently, it used to be called elodea densa, which explains the eBay listing. I've only recently learned to tell it apart from hornwort myself, lol. The leaves are the giveaway - elodea has more normal, leaf-like leaves, whereas hornwort has needle-like ones. I usually just lump them together as pond weed, to be honest. Anyway, here's a pic to show the difference. Doesn't make a difference in terms of care or propagation, though.

[belleora]

I've got a single strand of hornwort growing outside in a container. I'm thinking of cutting it into sections to promote growth - or should I just leave it as is? I've also got some duckweed on the way to add to the mix.

Definitely has the same benefits, and I think it's way prettier than hornwort, personally.

[akirien]

Definitely has the same benefits. I personally think it's prettier than hornwort.

[coltin]

You can boost growth by adding some soluble garden fertiliser to the water with your elodea. Just use half to one level tablespoon for every 20 litres of water, or follow the instructions on the packaging if it's a concentrated formula.

[akirien]

You can boost growth by adding some soluble garden fertiliser to the water with your elodea. Just use half to one level tablespoon for every 20 litres of water, or follow the instructions on the packaging if it's a concentrated formula.

Would aquarium fertiliser work the same way as garden fertiliser in this case? I was thinking of using something like this: Love Fish Plant Food from Pets at Home.