How to Grow Copper Coin Grass in Water? A Complete Guide to Hydroponic Cultivation Methods

I have always loved copper coin grass (Hydrocotyle vulgaris), for its round, adorable shape, its emerald green leaves, and its easy-care habit. Another reason I like it is its name - copper coin grass, what an auspicious name. Its other aliases are also very pleasant: one dot of gold, money grass, pennywort, and so on; almost every alias brings to mind its lovely leaf shape. So how do you grow copper coin grass in water?

How to Grow Copper Coin Grass in Water

Copper coin grass, also called pennywort, is a perennial emergent or hygrophilous herb. The plant height is 5-15 cm. The stem tip is brown. The submerged leaves have long petioles, are round-shield-shaped, 2-4 cm in diameter, with wavy margins, grass green. Flowers are bisexual; umbellate inflorescences; small flowers are white-pink. Schizocarp. Flowering period is June to August. Its stem nodes are distinct, one segment after another, each node growing one leaf, and it can extend continuously. Its underground creeping stem grows at an astonishing rate, spreading wherever it reaches, making it one of the most beautiful and easy-to-grow aquatic plants.

In warm regions this plant can be potted outdoors, and it is suitable for water trays, aquariums, ponds, wetlands, and indoor water greening. When cultivated in an aquarium, it is often used as a foreground plant. The whole plant can be used as medicine and has a diuretic effect. If you want to use potted or hanging basket cultivation, it is best to maintain water retention for a long time.

Cultivation method: half water and half soil is best, followed by soil culture, and water culture is also possible. Because water culture is clean, many flower lovers choose water culture; below are some water culture experiences.

1. Water money grass is suitable for rough, simple care; as long as it gets enough sunlight and water, it can grow very quickly.

2. If indoors, without sunlight, you can use lamplight instead.

3. The water needs to be tap water that has settled for two hours, or used the next day

4. You can add a little nutrient solution to the water.

5. Water money grass generally has yellow leaves, but the speed at which they wither is far slower than the speed of growth, so do not worry.

6. The roots of water money grass will grow green algae, but it does not need to be washed off.

7. As long as the water has not become rotten and smelly, just add water to it, and at the same time spray a little water on the leaf surface regularly~

Cultivation method: copper coin grass is not strict about water quality and can be cultivated in low-hardness freshwater; salinity should not be too high. The pH of the water is best controlled between 6.5 and 7.0, that is, slightly acidic to neutral. It has a relatively high demand for fertilizer; during the vigorous growth stage, topdressing once every 2-3 weeks is enough. If planted in a pot or container, then a small amount of fertilizer is needed, such as the quick-acting fertilizer Huabao No. 2, or the slow-release fertilizer Mofei (which can maintain fertilizer efficiency in water for a long time).

If you do not want the half-water half-soil cultivation method, you can also use a completely hydroponic method, pressing the roots down with pebbles to fix the plant in place, so that it does not drift around in the water and injure the stems. Copper coin grass is not strict about water quality and has strong adaptability; it can grow well in slightly acidic or slightly alkaline freshwater. Copper coin grass in the peak growth season has a relatively high fertilizer requirement, and a nutrient solution should be applied about once every ten days. In order to make the leaves sturdy and the color glossy, you can also apply more nitrogen fertilizer.

In the early stage of hydroponic copper coin grass, green algae easily grows in the pot water. This is because the copper coin grass is not yet vigorous enough; after the leaves branch out and grow strong enough to cover the pot opening, this phenomenon will gradually decrease until it disappears. In order to keep the pot water clean and improve its ornamental value, the pot water should be changed about once a week. Copper coin grass likes a sunny, warm environment. If conditions allow, it is best to give it all-day sunlight; copper coin grass in such an environment cannot help but thrive. Copper coin grass lacking light has pale leaf color and thin, weak stems and branches, and is prone to leggy growth; such copper coin grass greatly lacks ornamental value. Overall, hydroponic copper coin grass is a relatively easy plant to grow; as long as you fertilize regularly and give it plenty of sunshine, it can grow well without much daily attention.