What to Do When Selaginella uncinata (Blue Spikemoss) Leaves Dry Out? A Detailed Guide to Cultivation and Propagation

Selaginella uncinata may be relatively uncommon to most people. It belongs to the family Selaginellaceae as a perennial herb, and is cultivated in many regions of China, possessing both medicinal and ornamental value. The whole plant can be used as medicine, either dried or fresh. It can also be cultivated at home as a potted plant. So what should you do when Selaginella uncinata leaves dry out? What are the cultivation methods for Selaginella uncinata? How do you propagate Selaginella uncinata?

1. What should you do when Selaginella uncinata leaves dry out?

Wild Selaginella uncinata grows along small streams, riverbanks, lake edges, or in semi-shaded, moist spots in the mountains, which proves that Selaginella uncinata greatly prefers a humid climate. When caring for it at home, be sure to take its growth habits into account. A lack of water directly leads to insufficient moisture in the leaves, weakened photosynthesis, and the appearance of dry, yellowing leaves. In summer, high temperatures are common across China, and the light is intense. People themselves can hardly stand it and want to find a shady spot to stay in forever, let alone these plants that prefer a semi-shaded environment.

The leaves of Selaginella uncinata are delicate and emerald green, and the high temperatures and strong light of summer can easily scorch them. We know that some flower enthusiasts place their plants on the balcony for care. The balcony temperature in summer is very high, and without shading, the leaves will be scorched into an unsightly appearance, dry and yellowing.

The potting soil for Selaginella uncinata needs to be loose, breathable, and well-draining, with leaf mold being the best choice. If the potting soil becomes compacted and lacks aeration, making root respiration difficult, the roots will become black and rotted, directly causing poor water and nutrient absorption by the leaves, and the leaves will show signs of drying out and yellowing.

For the care of Selaginella uncinata, you can spray a fine mist of water on the leaf surface every day to keep the leaves sufficiently moist and the air humidity high. At the same time, the potting soil can also be kept moist to avoid drying out. During summer weather with high temperatures and strong light, be sure to move Selaginella uncinata to a place with cover, keeping it cool, comfortable, and well-ventilated.

If the problem lies with the potting soil, be sure to replace it promptly, keeping the soil's breathability and drainage in good condition. When repotting, wash the black rotted roots clean; if any are truly too far gone, cut them off, place the plant in a ventilated, shady spot to dry, and then replant it in the pot.

2. Cultivation methods for Selaginella uncinata

1. Soil: Slightly acidic or acidic soil. The potting soil should be loose, permeable, and rich in humus. You can mix equal parts of leaf mold or peat, loam, and plain sand.

2. Water: It prefers a moist soil environment and cannot tolerate drought. Water it regularly every day, and frequently use a sprayer to spray water mist to maintain leaf surface humidity, which helps it grow more vigorously. In winter, reduce watering and just keep it slightly moist.

3. Fertilizing: During the growing season, fertilize once every half month, paying attention to the balance of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. To avoid excessive vine growth, control the application of nitrogen fertilizer. Stop applying fertilizer in winter.

4. Temperature: It prefers warmth and grows well at around 20°C, with a wintering temperature of 5°C. The ideal growing temperature is 10-15°C at night and 21-26°C during the day.

5. Light: It prefers semi-shade. In midsummer, pay attention to shading; it cannot be exposed to the sun, otherwise the plant is prone to scorching and dying.

6. Pruning: In spring, prune the plant once when repotting, cutting off aged vines and shortening overly long branches.

7. Potting and repotting: For planting, choose a flower pot with a diameter of 15-20 cm, planting 5-7 seedlings per pot. It prefers fertile, loose, and well-draining sandy loam. The substrate can be made from materials such as leaf mold, garden soil, and rice husk ash or coarse sand. Potted plants should be repotted every spring when the roots have filled the pot.

3. How do you propagate Selaginella uncinata?

Selaginella uncinata is a medium-sized creeping fern. The main stem creeps along the ground, about 1 m long, with sparsely arranged branches. There are adventitious roots at the nodes, and the leaves are ovate, sparsely arranged in two rows. It branches multiple times. The vegetative leaves are dimorphic, in two rows each on the dorsal and ventral sides; the ventral leaves are long-ovate, and the dorsal leaves are oblong, with entire margins, spreading flat to both sides. The strobili are four-angled, and the sporophylls are ovate-triangular, arranged in four rows in an imbricate pattern.

Every spring, you can repot Selaginella uncinata to keep the potting soil's drainage performance good. When repotting, you can carry out division at the same time. Pull apart the densely growing clumps and plant them separately, placing them in a shady, moist environment.

After the divided seedlings are potted, avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight, otherwise the leaves will be scorched, causing them to shrivel. You can spray water above the plant every day to increase air humidity. Half a month after potting, apply fertilizer once; decomposed fertilizer is fine, ensuring sufficient nutrient supply so the young seedlings can grow healthily and vigorously.

Selaginella uncinata is a trailing plant. If you do not pay attention to maintaining its shape, it will take on the appearance of a messy clump of grass. Therefore, in spring, shaping and pruning should be carried out to keep the plant in good condition with a beautiful form.

For spring pruning, you can take the healthy branches that are cut off and use them for cuttings, which have a high survival rate.

Select robust branches and insert them into a moist sand bed. Keep the potting soil moist within half a month, with air humidity above 50%. After half a month, you will see the plant grow roots. Then you can carry out normal care. Be careful not to expose it to light for prolonged periods, as it will get sunburned.