How is the cattail properly planted?
In a swampy and slightly acidic garden soil, young plants and cuttings from the rhizome of the cattail are easily planted by burying them directly in the substrate at a shallow depth from spring to autumn. If, on the other hand, the bulrush is to green the bank zone of a garden pond, planting it in a special planting basket (€ 14.11 on Amazon *) can prevent the planting from spreading too much in later years.
also read
- The cattail as a plant in and around the pond in the garden
- Drying cattails from the garden
- The cattail: is it protected?
Which locations are suitable for the cattail?
The lamp cleaner loves locations in the bank zone of water, in which the rhizomes lie under the water surface all year round. The plants can also cope with boggy meadow locations where a slightly acidic substrate is usually combined with year-round soil moisture. If the cattail has enough moisture available, it prefers locations in full sun.
Can the cattail be grown from seeds?
The seeds of the cattail should ideally be sown in a muddy substrate in the open air immediately after the inflorescences have matured, as the correct temperature and humidity conditions in the house are difficult to maintain consistently. The seeds survive the winter frost without any problems and germinate at the beginning of spring.
When can you transplant the cattail as gently as possible?
The cattail is least affected in its growth if you transplant it in spring. However, this plant species usually grows so much anyway that even transplanting during the summer usually does not have any serious effects on plant health. However, this requires the following factors:
- the plants and their roots must not dry out when transplanting
- the new location must have the right substrate and sufficient moisture
- the cattails with their rhizomes are replanted at the correct depth
How is the cattail usually propagated?
Since many of the bulrush species widespread in Germany are not under nature protection, collecting their inflorescences or cuttings for private use outside of protected areas usually only requires the consent of the property owner. Propagation by dividing the rhizomes works faster and more easily than by growing the seeds.
When does the cattail bloom?
Depending on the location and the exact subspecies, the flowering period of the cattail usually extends from May to August.
How assertive is the cattail compared to other plants?
If the cattail is planted in the garden pond without effective delimitation, it can become a problem for weak neighboring plants with its strong growth and as a nutrient drain. The reed can keep up with the cattail in this regard and behaves in a similarly assertive manner in the bog soil and at the pond.
Tips
The broad-leaved cattail (Typha latifolia), which grows up to 2 meters high, can cope with a planting in a water depth of up to 100 centimeters. The dwarf cattail (Typha minima), on the other hand, prefers water depths of 5 to 10 centimeters and should only be planted in locations that are more sheltered from the wind due to its slightly bent stalks.
