Hanging calamus on the door at Dragon Boat Festival: is it to ward off evil or to repel mosquitoes?

On the fifth day of the fifth month, hang calamus! Bring a pot of calamus bonsai into your home and it instantly looks classy!

Calamus, which we call pucao here, grows in river ponds and wetlands. As long as there is plenty of water, it can grow to over one meter tall, with slender emerald-green leaves and a fragrance.

Folk tradition holds that it can prevent disease and ward off evil, and there is even the custom of hanging calamus on the fifth day of the fifth month, which shows that calamus has a remarkable heritage. Because it grows full of vitality and looks elegant and graceful, many people like to keep it indoors.

So what kind of flower pot is good for growing calamus?

This can be based on your own preferences. If you like it small and dainty, you can grow it in a small pot; if you like it imposing and tall, you can use a medium-to-large pot; if you like it watery and clean, you can grow it in a hydroponic vase. Different preferences, different choices.

Small and dainty style

Some flower lovers grow it in exquisite little pots and prune it often. Side branches and long leaves are all removed, cutting it into a neat and tidy potted plant that looks great placed on a desk or beside a computer.

Tall and imposing style

If you like to see the whole plant grow, use a slightly larger pot to plant it. Calamus has creeping fleshy stems, so there needs to be enough potting soil to accommodate its growth. With fertile soil and plenty of water, it will grow very well.

Hydroponics

Calamus can also be grown hydroponically. Because it is an aquatic plant, dividing off one plant into a water bottle keeps it clean and refreshing, emerald green and spirited. As long as the water is clear, it will not die for ten years. It really is a great bonsai.

Cultivation method

Calamus in its growing period can all be divided. Use a shovel to dig the fleshy stems out of the mud, wash them clean, remove two-thirds of the roots, cut the fleshy stems into small sections, and keep the good tender shoots and new roots. Be careful not to knock them off, and just plant them in a pot.

After planting, place it in the living room or on the balcony in a spot with diffused light and let it get some sun. It cannot lack water. You can apply a little fermented cake fertilizer, or a special fertilizer bought at a flower shop, to ensure the leaves stay emerald green. Just do not let them turn yellow from lack of fertilizer.

Calamus, which is both poetic and resistant to pollution, can be grown as several potted plants and placed in the living room or on the balcony, swaying gracefully. Very nice indeed.