What are the summer care methods for clown grass?
Clown grass is a relatively easy plant to grow, and many scholars and writers are very fond of it. When summer comes, you must pay attention to its care, so how do you care for clown grass in summer?
Cooling clown grass in summer
Shade cooling: shade it during midsummer, and spray water 3-4 times a day, watering thoroughly once every 2-3 days. Sand cooling: place a tray under the flowerpot and fill it with sandy soil. Sprinkle water on the sand surface 3-4 times a day. When the moisture in the sand evaporates, it absorbs heat from the air, which achieves the cooling effect. Water trough cooling: place a piece of hardwood board or a cement precast slab on top of a water trough filled with cold water, then place the flowerpot on the wooden board or cement slab. As the moisture is heated and continuously evaporates, it can both increase air humidity and lower the air temperature.
Clown grass
Controlling light for clown grass
In midsummer, it is ideal to let clown grass receive 2 hours of morning light each day, and shading it the rest of the time is also fine. If conditions do not allow morning light, a half-shading method also works, that is, placing the flowerpot under tree shade or a grape trellis. If placed indoors, it must be kept some distance from a south-facing window, and a white perforated curtain should be used to block light, so that clown grass receives "dappled light"; otherwise, direct sunlight can easily cause sunscald. In addition, no matter which method is used to control light, adjust the sun-facing side about once every 10 days to ensure the leaves grow evenly.
Clown grass
Watering clown grass appropriately
Although the amount of watering in summer is greater than in other seasons, you must still adhere to the principle of not watering until the soil is dry, and watering thoroughly once you do; do not water as soon as you see the surface soil is dry, otherwise the potting soil will remain in a muddy state for a long time, easily rotting the fleshy roots and causing yellow leaves. Especially under poorly ventilated conditions, water less.
Clown grass
Root rot in clown grass and its solutions
Clown grass sometimes develops root rot. It is mainly caused by high temperatures, excessive watering, application of concentrated fertilizer, or unrotted potting soil carrying pathogens. Root rot generally falls into two situations: first, most of the root system is still healthy and only part of the roots have rotted; second, most or all of the root system has rotted. For the first situation, the rescue method is: once root rot is discovered, immediately knock the plant out of the pot, carefully remove the attached soil, rinse the root system clean with clear water, then use a clean sharp blade to cut away the rotted roots, then apply 0.1 potassium permanganate solution to the rotted root areas, or wrap the leaf portion with toilet paper and place it under weak sunlight for half an hour, using ultraviolet rays, then replant it in the treated substrate. After planting, put a transparent plastic bag over it and place it in a semi-shaded spot, water less, and keep the potting soil slightly moist. At the same time, every 5-7 days, spray the leaf surface once with a 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate aqueous solution to increase nutrients and promote rooting.
In this way, new roots can grow in about two weeks; at this point remove the bag and gradually transition to normal care. For the second situation, the rescue method is: first rinse the base of the stem clean with water, then use a sharp knife to cut off the rotted part horizontally (the cut surface should be flat and smooth), then immediately apply sulfur powder or charcoal powder to the cut to prevent wound infection, place it in a cool, ventilated place, and after the cut surface is slightly dry, plant it in a pot of plain sand, water once after two days, and afterward keep the potting soil moderately moist; do not fertilize. At a temperature of 20-25°C, after about 10 days new roots will grow around the cut, and after about 45 days it can be transplanted into a new pot with potting soil and gradually brought into normal care.
Stop fertilizing clown grass
When the indoor temperature is higher than 25°C, fertilization should be stopped. Because further fertilization will not be absorbed by the roots and stems. On the contrary, if the fertilizer ferments in the soil and generates high temperatures, it can easily burn the fleshy roots. If a lot of fertilizer was applied in spring, after summer begins you can also replace 1/2 of the potting soil from the top, and replace it again after the Start of Autumn.
The summer care methods for clown grass are introduced here. I hope they are helpful to friends who love growing clown grass. You might as well try these methods during the growing process, and I believe you will all gain a lot.