Normal for Java Fern?

[Ratlova30]

I bought a small clump of Java fern from petsmart a couple months ago and for the first month it seemed to be having some trouble adjusting. I usually ended up wiping the diatoms off each leaf a couple times a week but then it seemed to take hold and start growing, there's even a bunch or pearling going on. One thing I have found strange is that on each leaf a plant is growing at the tip of it. I see some new leaves coming up from the roots but mainly they're growing new plants on each leaf. Is this normal? Just doesn't make sense to me considering I have to break off the small plant starts from each leaf to tie it onto the wood.

 

[Betty]

Mine did the same thing.

 

[flo77]

Yes is normal. I've seen new plantlets on loose leaves or on dead leaves . It is easy to detach the planlet from the mother plant. Leave the plantlets floating or try to anchor them in a clump of moss.

 

[Ratlova30]

Thanks, I wonder why the plant does that. Seems like that would be a dumb way to try and disperse yourself in the wild but maybe I wrong. Do the plantlets release themselves from the mother plant when they're large enough?

 

[Anthraxx]

negative. the plantlets will end up killing off the leaf they are growing on given time. you should have tons with all the ones u got from me lol. just trim off the tip of the leaf and itll keep it growing well.

 

[reddragonfish]

I would leave it on for awhile until it's large enough to be separated. You can separated when it's tiny, but then it'll take forever to grow larger.

 

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi Ratlova30,

Well, maybe not forever!