How to Grow Reeds Well: A Detailed Guide to Cultivation Methods, Uses and Benefits
It is known as a frequent subject under nature's magical painter's brush, growing mostly beside water bodies and along roadsides. That's right! We are talking about the golden "reed." In appearance, its stems grow straight upward, standing tall and erect, and during the flowering season it produces clusters of small, dainty flowers, making the scenery especially enchanting at a glance during the growing period.
In addition, its existence has quietly become part of every aspect of human life, such as papermaking, construction and sewage purification.
The reed (Phragmites australis) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the grass family (Poaceae). In recent years many people like to grow it at home as a zero-cost decorative item, simply because its form is similar in style to the wooden tables and stools found in the home, and placing them together feels harmonious and upscale. In terms of care, reeds prefer to grow in environments such as marshes, river floodplains and shallow lakes. Therefore it is a water-loving plant, and if you want to grow it artificially, you need to keep the soil moist at all times and can water it regularly, adjusting the water level reasonably according to the different growth stages; in the early growth stage you can water twice a week, and as the plant grows you should gradually move to watering little but often.
At the same time, the reed is also a light-loving plant, and sufficient sunlight is crucial to its growth. When choosing where to plant it, put it on a balcony or in a spot where light can reach, and make sure it can receive full sun or at least half a day of sun. For container growing, it needs fertile, loose soil; if conditions allow, you can improve the soil with organic fertilizer or leaf mold, which can increase the soil's fertility and air permeability.
As for fertilizing, in its natural growing state the reed mainly relies on minerals in the soil or water to sustain growth. But under artificial cultivation, appropriate fertilizing is needed; during the growing season, it is recommended to apply a dilute nitrogen fertilizer or compound fertilizer once every 2 months, and when fertilizing be careful to control the amount to avoid over-fertilizing and causing eutrophication of the water body.
In addition, besides being useful in papermaking and construction, the reed is actually a treasure in every part; every part, whether leaf, flower or stem, can be used as medicine. Medicine holds that it has effects such as clearing heat and promoting fluid production, relieving restlessness and stopping vomiting, and promoting urination to treat strangury. For example, thirst caused by fever can be treated by boiling reed stems in water and drinking it, and when the skin is inflamed, reed leaves can be pounded and applied externally.