Description of the outstanding features – How to plant and care for Water Cress aquatic plants

Aquatic Water Cress is a quite popular plant in Vietnam, featuring a gentle and eye-catching green color and strong vitality, suitable for various environments. It is often displayed in water landscapes, aquascaping setups in glass bowls,… Additionally, it can also be a thoughtful gift for friends and loved ones,…Aqua Plants Hub will provide you with essential information about the Water Cress plant through this article.

• Scientific name: Echinodorus cordifolius.
• English name: Hygrophila difformis.
• Belongs to the family: Acanthaceae, genus Hygrophila.
• Origin: wetlands in southern Asia, farms in the United States.

Outstanding features of the Aquatic Water Cress

• Large stem size, suitable for large aquariums to facilitate easy growth.
• Often planted in aquariums as a background plant.
• Suitable for plant growth under high light conditions, with plenty of nutrients in the aquarium water. Especially, when hobbyists increase the amount of CO2, the Water Cress will grow additional green leaves with a very eye-catching spreading shape.

How to plant and care for Aquatic Water Cress

Planting techniques

• Water Cress is usually propagated by cutting off half of the top of a large stem, after which that stem segment will grow and develop rapidly.
• As a hardy plant, it is easy to grow, so hobbyists just need to place the plant into a glass pot containing pre-prepared water solutions.
• The height of the plant ranges from 40-60cm, with bright green, glossy leaves that are oval-shaped with a heart-shaped base, typically measuring 10-12cm in length and 7-9cm in width.
• Water Cress is considered a cutting plant, so you should only cut a part of the stem with leaves and plant it directly into the substrate to develop into a new plant.

Good care tips for Aquatic Water Cress

• As a plant that prefers many nutrients, you need to regularly supplement nutrients for the plant to help it grow vigorously.
• Supplement plenty of CO2 for the Water Cress.
• Regarding light, hobbyists should provide a moderate amount of light, from 2-3 watts/gallon in the spectrum of 5000 – 7000k.
• Regarding water, maintain a temperature of 74-82 degrees F, hardness dKH 3-8, pH 6.5-7.5.

Hope this article from Aqua Plants Hub provides you with all the necessary information to easily choose and care for the best hydroponic Water Cress!