How often should Selaginella be watered? Cultivation methods and precautions
Selaginella is also called the "nine-death resurrection plant," named because it can come back to life after “dying.” Selaginella's growing environment is quite unusual, and its drought tolerance is extremely strong. Because it also has high ornamental value, many people keep a pot of it at home, but recently some people have reported that watering it is very troublesome, so let's follow along with the editor below to learn how it should be watered.
How to water Selaginella (how often to water)
Selaginella has extremely strong drought resistance, but during the growing period it needs a large amount of watering to keep the potting soil fully moist. The plant likes humidity, and the leaf clusters should be sprayed with warm water every day. Do not spray with cold water, otherwise it is bad for the leaf clusters.
Selaginella cultivation methods and precautions
1. Selaginella cultivation methods
1. Soil
To cultivate Selaginella, the potting soil needs to be loose and well-draining. Sandy soil is best, and you can also mix and prepare some soil yourself.
2. Temperature
Selaginella has relatively strong vitality. It likes a warm environment, and the suitable temperature during growth is around 20°C. In winter, be careful that it does not go below 0°C.
3. Light
Selaginella likes a semi-shaded growing environment. Generally, when grown in pots, it should be placed in a shady, damp place without direct light.
4. Watering
Selaginella is drought-resistant, but during the growing period it needs a large amount of watering to keep the pot moist. Because it likes humidity, it needs to be sprayed frequently, but be careful not to use cold water.
5. Fertilizing
When fertilizing Selaginella, generally fertilize once every half month.
2. Precautions for cultivating Selaginella
1. Repotting
When cultivating Selaginella, it needs to be repotted. Generally, a shallow pot can be chosen, and the repotting time is in spring. If you do not repot it, you should still change the soil.
2. Pests and diseases
Generally, when pests and diseases occur on Selaginella, measures should be taken promptly for prevention and control. Diseased branches and leaves should be removed promptly; for pests, first remove them manually, or spray some chemicals to kill the insects.
Selaginella propagation methods
1. Spore propagation
Generally, select stem segments with mature sporangia, cut about 1.5 cm from the tip of the branch, sprinkle some fine sand on the cut surface of the stem segment to keep the cut moist and prevent water loss, and place it under a temperature of around 20°C. After about 9 months, new plants can grow.
2. Stem division propagation
Stem division propagation means cutting the creeping stems of Selaginella into stem segments of about 5 cm and placing them in soil, keeping the soil moist, and they will soon sprout and grow.
3. Leaf propagation
Insert Selaginella leaves into the soil, water promptly to keep them moist, place in a semi-shaded place, and they will soon take root and produce new leaves.
Common pests and diseases of Selaginella and their control methods
1. Leaf spot disease
Symptoms: Leaf spot disease occurs mostly during plum rain weather. It is generally prone to occur in weather with high humidity, because high-humidity weather makes it easy for pathogens to reproduce. At the beginning of the disease, it appears as small brown spots. The edges of the leaf spots show water-soaked chlorosis and expand outward in concentric rings. In the later stage, dark brown mold spots appear in the center of the diseased spots, and under humid conditions they become a dark brown mold layer.
Control methods: Remove diseased leaves promptly. During the disease period, spray with carbendazim diluted 100 times.
2. Anthracnose
Symptoms: Anthracnose initially occurs on the leaves, and in severe cases spreads to the leaf stalks. In the early stage, the diseased spots appear as water-soaked small yellow spots, gradually spreading into concentric rings. In the later stage, the diseased spots join together and cause the leaves to dry up, and produce small black dots arranged in concentric rings.
Control methods: Strengthen care, increase the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers to enhance plant resistance; in the early stage of the disease, spray with equal parts Bordeaux mixture diluted 1000 times or Topsin solution diluted 1500 times.
3. Brown soft scale
Symptoms: Brown soft scale can harm many kinds of plants and is common on Selaginella. Brown soft scale generally gathers on the leaf surface or tender leaves, sucking plant sap through piercing-sucking mouthparts. It easily induces sooty mold, affects the plant's photosynthesis, and ultimately causes weak growth and yellow, withered leaves.
Control methods: When there are not many insects, use a brush or bamboo slice to scrape off the insect bodies; during the nymph hatching period, spray with dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate diluted 100 times or omethoate emulsifiable concentrate.
The above is the general content about how to cultivate Selaginella. In fact, as long as you master the correct cultivation methods, Selaginella is still very easy to grow. Selaginella has very tenacious vitality, especially its ability to resist drought. Losing its water supply will not only fail to kill it from drought, but it is also very likely to reproduce.