Planting with Weights etc

When buying plants you usually get a choice:

Plain plants often in a bunch, which are cheapest.

Then there is the bunch wrapped in a strip of foam with a strip of lead to hold it down, and of course the fully established plant growing in a pot, normally most expensive.

What do people recommend? I have gone for the middle option usually because the fish always seem to pull out the plants if they are just shoved into the substrate and the potted ones seem awfully pricey to fill up a tank.

I wondered though if the foam/lead is affecting the proper growth of the plant once it gets going, and stopping it reaching its maximum potential.

And likewise do the roots coming out through the little slots in the plastic pot option grow as well as they would if au naturele?

I always feel reluctant to go back in once the plants are established and peel off the foam, pot etc because of disturbing the roots. I have tried a number of methods of solving this. eg using bottomless shallow clay pots, with stainless steel hoops pushed over the plants at ground level to keep them in place, and stop the fish pulling up and digging etc, but it's all a bit clumsy.

I'd be interested to hear what people think on this - is there an optimum procedure or does it vary with plant, substrate and fish?

 

Erm sorry Tom are you saying that the hydroponic and emersed cultivation is a good thing for the future performance of the potted plant, or does it make the plant pampered and feeble when thrust into the average "not quite all there yet" fishtank like mine??

 

I did wonder how those LFS plants look so perfect and bright green when they've just had a delivery, and then by the end of the week the ones they haven't sold yet look a bit sad by comparison. The next week it's all bright green and vibrant again, and the sad looking stragglers have mysteriously gone.

I think I am going to have a go with a few of each type and see how things go.

Thank you for the advice once again..