How to grow Chinese iris grass well? Master these care tips

Chinese iris grass is also called bamboo-leaf grass or Asiatic dayflower. Other name: Ruellia. It generally grows in relatively moist grassland or at higher elevations. So have you ever learned how to grow Chinese iris grass well? Let's take a look together!

1. How to grow Chinese iris grass well

To grow Chinese iris grass, you need to choose clayey loam containing humus, so that later drainage is convenient. The minimum soil temperature is 5-8°C, the maximum temperature is 20°C, and the optimum temperature is 16-18°C. During dry spring periods, water promptly, and in rainy seasons, pay attention to drainage. Regular topdressing can be done according to the season, and weeds should be removed promptly.

2. Propagation methods

1. Division

Division propagation is carried out once every 2-4 years, either after flowering in spring or in autumn. For divisions made after flowering (avoiding the plum rain season), if cultivation and management are appropriate, flower bud differentiation is good before early winter arrives, and it mostly does not affect flowering the following year. Before division, remove the flower scapes and cut the leaf clumps short by 1/3-1/2 to reduce water loss; when dividing the rhizomes, it is best for each piece to have 2-3 buds and vigorous new roots; for species with thick and strong rhizomes, the cut surfaces should be dipped in plant ash or sulfur powder, and planting should wait until the cuts are slightly dry to prevent infection by pathogens. Newly divided clumps grow vigorously and flower abundantly in the first 2-3 years. Clumps that are not divided for many years visibly weaken, with fewer and smaller flowers. For mass propagation, the new rhizomes can be divided off and inserted in wet sand kept at 20°C, and adventitious buds can grow within 2 weeks.

2 Seed propagation

Seed propagation should be carried out immediately after the seeds mature, so that the seeds germinate easily. Seedlings flower after 2 years; if measures are taken after sowing to keep them growing through winter, they can flower in 18 months. To make the seeds germinate early, after the seeds mature, soak them for 24 h, refrigerate them for 10d, then sow them in a cold frame, and they can germinate in autumn of the same year; seeds should not be stored dry, and seeds sown after being dried in the sun must first undergo 50d of low-temperature sand storage before sowing, but the germination rate is not high.