Distinctive features of the plant, tips for growing aponogeton in an aquarium and a pond, recommendations for breeding water hawthorn, possible difficulties in leaving, facts to note, species. Aponogeton (Aponogeton) belongs to the family of the same name Aponogetonaceae (Aponogetonaceae), which is part of the order Alismatales. This plant association includes representatives of the flora, which are distinguished by the presence of only one cotyledon in their embryo and are generally well known as plants of the Old World. This genus includes up to 57 different species. Its native area of distribution falls on the territory of the African continent, and the lands of natural growth are located south of the Sahara Desert, and regions of South Asia and northern Australia are also included here. That is, these are the areas of the planet where the tropical climate prevails. In nature, it can grow both in stagnant water and in river arteries with a slow current.
| Family name | Aponogetonic |
| Life cycle | Perennial |
| Growth features | Herbaceous |
| Reproduction | Seed and vegetative (cuttings or division of the rhizome) |
| Landing period in open ground | Rooted cuttings, planted in May |
| Substrate | Regular aquarium |
| Illumination | Shading, partial shade, sunny area |
| Content temperature | Optimal 17-27 degrees |
| Acidity of water (pH) | 5–6, 5 |
| Water hardness (KH) | 2–3° |
| Moisture indicators | Moisture-loving, does not tolerate drying out of the soil |
| Special Requirements | Quite moody |
| Plant height (leaf length) | 0.1-1.5 m |
| Color of flowers | Snow white, yellowish, pink |
| Type of flowers, inflorescences | Spicate |
| Flowering time | May-June or autumn-winter |
| Decorative time | Spring-summer or autumn-winter |
| Place of application | Artificial ponds or slow flow aquariums |
| USDA zone | 4, 5, 6 |
This representative of the flora received its scientific name thanks to another genus Potamogeton, which is carried by the plant Rdest - a perennial growing in water. At the same time, Aponogeton is an anagram (a literary device in which letters are rearranged). Also among aquarists, it may be called "aquatic hawthorn" because of the similarity of flowers floating on the surface of the water.
The rhizome of all aponogetons is tuberous, thickened, sympodial, that is, this is the type when the bud at the top dies off or comes to the surface of the soil, taking the form of an aerial shoot. In this case, all further development will be based on the kidneys located in the lateral part (axillary). From such a rhizome, numerous refined root processes depart.
The leafy plates of the aquatic hawthorn create a root rosette. They have a distinct division into a shortened sheath, a petiole, and the plate itself with a solid edge. The shape of the latter can vary from ovoid to linear, but often it takes lanceolate or oval outlines. There are species in which the foliage is linear-lanceolate and sessile, and some varieties differ in the leaf plate so reduced that only the central vein remains of it, which passes into the petiole.
Leaves can only be floating on the surface of the water or be under its surface, and some species have both. There are generally aponogetons with foliage more reminiscent of mesh or lace, since they lose tissue between the veins. It is this ability that protects against damage when water hawthorn grows in natural conditions in waterways that have a current carrying pebbles or other debris. The color of the leaves includes shades of green, but sometimes there is a mottled pattern of brown tones on the surface of the leaf.
From the axils of the leaves, leafless flowering stems are formed, which are crowned with spike-shaped inflorescences. The length of the peduncle is so great that the inflorescence just lies on the water. There are varieties of Aponogeton with inflorescences in the form of simple spikelets. In them, on a plump axis, flowers are arranged in a spiral order. And in some species, they differ from the base of the inflorescence by dividing into two, occasionally 3-10 branches. In the latter case, the buds will often be laid on only one side of each of these branches. At the base of the inflorescence, until it has risen above the water, there is a sheet-cover, which subsequently falls off.
Flowers are bisexual, occasionally they are of the same sex. They can take zygomorphic (with one axis of symmetry) or actinomorphic (with several axes of symmetry) contours. The flowers have no bracts. Perianth segments have petal-shaped outlines. They are painted in white, yellowish or pink colors with black dots. Often the petals are waxy. The stamens in the flowers are arranged in two circles, there are usually three pairs of them. Water hawthorn flowers have a scent that is somewhat similar to vanilla. Aponogeton blooms in spring and June. Then the plant falls into a state of sleep and a new wave of opening of the buds can occur in the autumn or winter, if the plant is kept indoors.
After the fruit is formed, which is a multileaf in aponogeton, it is immersed in water, where the pericarp is gradually destroyed. After that, seeds are released that are devoid of endosperm and they can either float for some time on the surface of the water (sometimes for several hours) or immediately fall to the bottom of the reservoir. There, the seed material begins to germinate, and nature is allotted for this process for a rather short time - a day or several weeks.
Tips for keeping aponogeton in your home aquarium and artificial reservoir
- Site selection and lighting. The plant will perfectly survive the location, both in the shade and in the sun. But in shading, its growth becomes weak, and direct sunlight can cause trouble for foliage. When growing in an aquarium, incandescent or fluorescent lighting is recommended. The capacity is selected with a volume of about 150 liters so that there is room when the Aponogeton grows. If you decide to grow a plant in a pond, then it should be remembered that it does not like currents. In bright light, the foliage color is more saturated.
- Content temperature. Aponogeton is thermophilic and for its comfortable growth the heat indices in summer should be in the range of 22-25 degrees, and in winter, a temperature of 17-18 units is required. If these numbers decrease, then the plant stops growing. Therefore, when growing in a pond, it is recommended to plant in containers and transfer the water hawthorn indoors for the winter.
- Landing rules. When placing plants in a pond, it is better if they are contained in a container. Then the container is buried under the water so that the minimum depth is 5 cm.
- Wintering of aponogeton growing in a reservoir. When cold weather comes, the tubers of the plant are recommended to be removed from the soil and placed in boxes filled with damp sand. Such containers are transferred to a cold room, with temperature indicators of 5 degrees and not lower. You can put the tubers in a glass container and place them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. However, if in your area the reservoir will not freeze to the bottom or the plant is planted in a substrate, then you can leave it at the place of growth for the winter.
- Watering. It is clear that with aquarium cultivation, this aspect of care disappears, but when cultivating in open ground for water hawthorn, constant and abundant soil moisture will be needed.
- Humidity When growing aponogeton, it should be high, but the main thing here is not to overdo it, since due to increased indicators, pollen begins to stick together.
- Fertilizers Aponogeton. Top dressing due to the low growth rate is necessary in minimal doses, mineral preparations are used. Fertilizers are applied in the autumn and summer periods, when vegetation processes are activated.
- Transfer. Water hawthorn thrives best in fresh water, therefore, when growing in an aquarium, it is recommended to change 1/4 of its total volume every 7 days. A well-silted and nutritious soil is suitable for aponogeton. If the transplant is carried out into a new substrate, then a mixture of clay with peat or just clay must be added under the roots. Since the root system has good branching and development, and all nutrients enter the plant through the roots, any aquarium soil with the addition of medium to large pebbles or coarse sand will be a suitable substrate. The substrate layer required for the growth of Aponogeton should be 5 cm. Each of the plants should be planted separately.
- Growing water in the aquarium, it should have a hardness in the range of 2-3 ° dKH, and its acidity is maintained neutral or alkaline - 5-6, 5 pH. Only for the variety of aponogeton hard-leaved water can be used harder. The liquid is used not only soft, but also slightly acidified. Therefore, experienced aquarists recommend using peat extract. This drug is available in both liquid and granular form. The water must be changed often, otherwise the plant will quickly die.
Recommendations for breeding water hawthorn
Different types of water hawthorn can be propagated both by seeds and vegetatively (by dividing the rhizome or tuber, jigging daughter plants).
Children, as a rule, at aponogeton are formed on the rhizome or flower arrow. Such a daughter formation crowns the top in the form of a medium-sized node. This place is the basis for the appearance of the leaves first, and then the root processes. If the conditions are kept comfortable, then a second arrow immediately forms, and subsequently a third one. Over time, the stem loses its strength and breaks, while freeing the baby. It can be used for reproduction by planting it in the ground.
If rhizome separation is carried out, a healthy mother plant is selected. Then, using a blade, the rhizome is cut into 3-4 parts, so that each of the divisions has a growth point. It is recommended to carefully sprinkle all sections with activated charcoal or charcoal powder for disinfection. When such parts of tubers are planted in the soil of the aquarium, they begin to hurt, but after the illness, dormant buds wake up in them, which become the basis of young aponogetones.
If the variety is the owner of an elongated creeping rhizome, then they try to divide it in such a way that each of the parts has dormant buds. Then, after planting, everything happens, as in the case of tubers. But the only difference is that from such a dormant renewal point on the rhizome, even under natural conditions, a young water hawthorn can appear. After he gains strength and gets stronger, and several leaf plates unfold on him, then with the help of a knife, a separation with a part of the rhizome is carried out. Then you can plant the cut in the ground.
If there are two aponogeton plants in the aquarium, then they are successfully pollinated, otherwise you will have to pollinate yourself. When the process was successful, the flowering stem will immerse the inflorescence in the water and the formation of multileafs will begin. They will ripen in 20 days, having opened, they will release seeds that will fall to the bottom. The seeds resemble grains of rice, but only of green color. Rooting occurs through thin roots with strong pubescence. When two leaves appear on such seedlings, the development of the nodule will begin. When growing seeds, the water in the aquarium should be changed every 3-6 days.
Possible difficulties in caring for aponogeton
You can delight lovers of aquatic flora with the fact that the plant is quite resistant to diseases or pests, but everything covers its capriciousness.
Facts to note about aponogeton and plant photos
In regions with a tropical climate, where aponogeton grows in water bodies, the local population customarily uses its rhizomes for food. This is due to the fact that the tubers of water hawthorn contain a large amount of starch. These rhizomes are usually eaten both boiled and baked.
Due to the beauty of the leaf blades, the plant is often used as an aquarium culture. So the variety of Aponogetone two-haired has been cultivated by people since the 80s of the 18th century. Also, this species was naturalized in many reservoirs of Western European territories, on the Australian and South American continents. If we talk about the Madagascar aponogeton, then because of its reticulated foliage it has been grown by lovers of aquatic flora for more than a century. However, capriciousness and exactingness to the conditions of detention leads to the fact that he does not live in aquarium conditions for long.
Types of aponogeton
- Aponogeton curly (Aponogeton crispus). The native habitat is in the lands of Sri Lanka, where you can see this plant in stagnant waters or those where there is a slow current. Foliage is found below the surface of the water. The tuber reaches 5 cm. The leaf blade is located above the water with a petiole up to 10 cm. Its shape is ribbon-like, the edge is wavy or corrugated, only occasionally flat. The length of the leaf is 50 cm with a width of 4.5 cm. The color varies from light to dark green or sometimes with a reddish tone. The leaf growing under water reaches 20 cm in length and up to 5 cm in width. The flower-bearing stem extends 75 cm. It has a thickening under the inflorescence. The length of the covering leaf, which subsequently falls off, is 2.5 cm. The inflorescence consists of one spikelet, which can be 13 cm. The flowers in it are arranged in a circle. There are only a couple of tepals in the flower, which have a whitish, pinkish or pale purple color scheme. Inside there are three pairs of stamens, three carpels, with six ovules. The size of the fruit is 18x7 mm, the seeds are 12 mm long and 5 mm wide. The peel is normal.
- Aponogeton madagascar (Aponogeton madagascariensis) or as it is also called Aponogeton mesh (Aponogeton fenestralis). He prefers to settle in the waters of Madagascar or Mauritania, where the current is very slow. The plant bears its second name due to the structure of leaf plates. They are usually devoid of tissue between the veins. Not recommended due to the capriciousness of growing by novice aquarists. The size of the leaves is medium, the color can be either dark green or brownish green. Although they seem to be composed of thin veins and are very fragile, they actually have strength. The length of the leaf can vary in the range of 15–55 cm, with a width of almost 5–16 cm. With a petiole together with a leaf, it can be equal to 65 cm. Tuberous rhizome reaches 3 cm in diameter. The foliage is located in the water column. The flowering stem grows up to a meter and at the same time begins to rise above the surface of the water surface by 20 cm.
- Aponogeton two-headed (Aponogeton distachyos). It is this species that bears the name Water hawthorn. Grows in the Cape province. From the tuberous rhizome, oblong leaves with a leathery and shiny surface originate. The petioles are not long. The flowers exude a vanilla aroma. The color of the flowers is snow-white or white with a delicate pinkish tint. It can bloom from spring to the very frost.
