While not a genuine aquatic plant, Utricularia graminifolia has become a favorite choice for planted aquariums and ponds.
Since it grows both terrestrially and underwater, it can be grown in aquariums and ponds to create a very dramatic look.
If you would like to create an underwater “field” of these fascinating plants, this grower’s guide to Utricularia graminifolia outlines the main methods to grow this rootless bladderwort.
So let your inner Takashi Amano shine, and let us look at how to grow U. graminifolia.
About Utricularia graminifolia
The Utricularia graminifolia is a type of bladderwort that hails from many Southeast Asian countries, including Burma, China, India, Sri Lanka, and Thailand, and has become popular with aquarists as the plant creates a stunning carpet of greenery in many different aquascapes.
The plant can live under or out of the water in bogs, swamps, marshes, or ponds.
These grass-like fronds, which comprise the small perennial, hold a deadly secret!
Utricularia graminifolia is carnivorous and consumes insects caught in aquaristics’ tangled network of bladders when it is submerged.
Utricularia graminifolia prey on tiny creatures that live in water, including water fleas, algae, and cyanobacteria that are the source of:
- Nitrogen
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
These neato bladders want negative pressure, and when organisms touch the sensitive hairs on their outside, the bladder opens and sucks them inside, where the creature is digested slowly.
How to grow Utricularia graminifolia submersed
The secret to growing U. graminifolia successfully is maintaining an environment in the pond that will promote growth.
While aquarists utilize it as a carpet plant, it will grow best if it is free-floating, attaching to rocks or gravel and then sending runners to grow new patches.
If you set it up correctly, you will enjoy success carpeting your aquarium with its lush green growth:
1. Get the water chemistry just right
U. graminifolia is very sensitive to water quality & chemistry.
This plant will do best in soft water with low levels of carbonates and bicarb (KH). It prefers a slightly acid pH.
Any organic matter and nitrogen levels can also adversely affect its growth.
Heads Up! Avoid big swings in your water parameters. Changes can cause U. graminifolia to shed its leaves in an attempt to quickly adapt to new parameters.
2. Avoid fresh nutrient-laden substrate
This plant is more suited to a substrate that is not too nutrient-dense.
Recycled substrate does an excellent job.
While it doesn’t tolerate high fertilization, if other plants utilize the nitrogen it will survive.
2. Light and CO2 are your friends
You can encourage growth by giving U. graminifolia a lot of natural or artificial light.
Aquarists can promote growth using CO2 injection.
3. Plant sparingly
Unlike many plants that are grown completely submerged, Utricularia Graminifolia can cover an area by growing from a long blade without any roots.
Be sure to be selective about where you choose to plant if you don’t want it to take over your tank. It can grow unattached as a free floating mat as well!
Break up a U. graminifolia plant into small clumps, and plant single leaves deep into the substrate with only the tip of the blade above the substrate.
Plant Thin! – So the individual growths are spread far apart to give it space. You can also tie it to highlight stones or driftwood, or cram it into pockets where it can grow outwards.
4. Trim carefully
When you’ve cultivated a substantial carpet of Utricularia Graminifolia, it’s important to make little, often trims to keep things in check.
Trim growth at the base of the blade where it emerges from the substrate so that you won’t have to deal with mass defoliation or “melting” which could impact your aesthetic design for your tank.
How to grow Utricularia graminifolia emersed
Furthermore, it is possible to cultivate U. graminifolia pretentiously and attain its stunning carpeting effect of out of the water.
This is the dry start method and is a very good method for incorporating U graminifolia into a pond aquarium or propagate this aquarium plant for sells.
Here are he key steps.
1. Start with an empty aquarium
Using the dry-start technique, the U. graminifolia is grown on the substrate in an empty tank. and then, if desired, fill the tank with water after the carpet is established.
2. Keep moisture and humidity high
U. graminifolia must be grown in a humid environment to propagate on land.
The substrate used should be wet, or even soggy, to allow the plant establish the runners in order to carpet over the substrate.
3. Keep nutrients low
An excess of nitrogen will prevent U. graminifolia from growing.
When considering substrate, you may want to choose a recycled substrate that has already leached out its nutrients. Make sure soft water with low nutrients provides any water the plant is in proximity of.
4. Scatter on aquasoil
Don’t bury the U. graminifolia.
Instead distribute leaflets or plantlets evenly across the surface of your substrate.
Alternatively – use tweezers to plant individual leaves and plantlets in crevices. Humidity will help the plants thrive.
5. Don’t expect vigorous growth
U. graminifolia has a slower and uneven growth out of the water than it does in the water.
It can take a few weeks to a few months to establish completely.
Once established, good light and increased humidity will help to speed along the process.
Once established, it will spread. The slower growth habits can make it difficult to plant other plants with it because it may get overtaken.
You should minimize and trim back surrounding plants so that U. graminifolia has plenty of room to grow. The height of U. graminifolia will also be reduced during the establishment process, meaning there won’t be a lot that you need to trim back.
6. Watch out for mold
A humid environment with little air circulation can assist in the growth of mold.
When using emersed U. graminifolia, be sure to have it well ventilated.
If you need to reduce moisture, mist your glowing plant instead of soaking it!
Other methods for growing U. graminifolia
Aquarists have found other means of cultivating this bladderwort, some that are more complex than the others.
Below are three examples.
Tidal method
This technique is designed to simulate natural growth conditions for U. graminifolia by creating an ebb and flow in the water.
The U. graminifolia tissue culture is secured to stainless steel mesh and high in the tank. An external pump on a timer will raise and lower the waterline several times per day.
Nature aquarium method
This method will keep U. graminifolia dry while it is in the appropriate substrate.
After a period of two weeks, the tank is flooded. Because this sudden change in conditions can lead to melting, U. graminifolia needs to be pruned quite frequently as it continues to undergo the changes required for it to remain submerged.
You can carefully remove any melt with brushing or tweezers.
Peat moss bog method
Peat moss provides the acid that Utricularia (Bladderwort) prefers and will also assist with propagation.
You could make a layer of sphagnum peat moss as a base and cover with the gravel (ideally). You would then plant Utricularia graminifolia in the crevices in the gravel.
Peat moss also may be helpful because it may be abundantly rich in the microorganisms the plant eats and feeds on to thrive.
Rounding up
U. graminifoli is not a plant for the novice aquarist, and you may have multiple unsuccessful attempts before actually getting it to grow.
You can expect, though, that the unusual, lush growth will definitely make your tank, terrarium, pond, etc., special and feel rewarded.
Be ready to experiment and gain confidence with this remarkable aquatic plant.