Pogostemon Stellatus 'Octopus'

• Long, wispy leaves
• Easy background plant
• Great cover for fish and shrimp

Pogostemon stellatus 'Octopus' is very eye-catching due to its long, wispy and bright green leaves. This easy stem plant thrives under low to medium light and provides excellent cover for fish and shrimp to hide out. Once it starts getting established, it can grow quite tall in a short amount of time and may require regular trimming.

• Scientific Name: Pogostemon stellatus 'Octopus'
• Native To: Asia and Australia
• Skill Level: Easy
• Placement: Background
• Recommended Light: Low to Medium Light 10-35 PAR (click to see our PAR chart)
• CO₂ Requirement: None
• Preferred Fertilizer: Easy Green liquid fertilizer and Easy Root Tabs
• Propagation: Trim stems and replant

***Being a natural product, sizes can vary from what is shown.***

How to Plant Pogostemon Stellatus Octopus

1. Remove the potted plant from plastic basket, and split the rock wool in half.
2. Carefully remove the plant roots from the rock wool, and make sure to remove all the small, yellow fertilizer balls. Wash off any remaining debris.
3. Use planting tweezers or your fingers to plant each stem deeply, at least 2 to 3 inches into the ground, which means the substrate may cover some of the bottom leaves.
4. Don’t plant the stem plants all in a single bunch but rather individually with a little space between so that the roots have some room to grow.
5. If the plant keeps popping out of the ground, try inserting the stem at an angle or wrap a plant weight at the bottom of the stem to keep them anchored. If the stems have no roots, some people will float them at the surface until they develop roots and then plant them into the substrate.

How to Grow Pogostemon Stellatus Octopus

— Pogostemon stellatus care is very easy, so start by using low to medium lighting between 10-35 PAR to prevent "leggy" stems (where the bottom portion of the plant starts dropping leaves). 
— Why is my Pogostemon stellatus melting? This stem plant is grown out of the water at the farm. Once the plants arrive to us, we begin the process of converting them to their underwater form. The plant you receive may be half-converted and still need time to adjust to life under water. To help speed up the transition, provide plenty of light and nutrients to encourage new leaves to sprout as the old leaves melt away. Consider floating the stems at the surface until it grows more roots and can be easily planted into the substrate.
— Why is my Pogostemon stellatus turning yellow or brown? If your stem plant is getting enough light, it may be a nutrient deficiency, so measure the nitrate level using a multi-test strip. Dose with Easy Green all-in-one fertilizer until the water has 20-50 ppm nitrate. 
— How to trim Pogostemon stellatus Octopus: If the plant is too tall or the bottom half of the stem has lost its leaves, prune off the top portion and replant it.

How to Propagate Pogostemon Stellatus Octopus

Stem plants can be easily propagated by trimming off the top half of the plant and replanting it in another location. The original plant will continue growing upwards from where it was cut and may even create multiple branches.