How to grow mirror grass

How to grow mirror grass

soil

The soil for potting can be made from a mixture of leaf mold, garden soil, a little river sand, ash, and bone meal. Loose, fertile, well-drained and humus-rich sandy loam is preferred.

For home cultivation, you can choose to mix 3 parts of leaf mold + 3 parts of garden soil + 2 parts of river sand or furnace ash + 1 part of decomposed organic fertilizer. When planting, you need to mix well-drained humus soil with sand; and use tiles to pad the bottom of the pot to facilitate drainage.

illumination

Mirror grass is a shade-tolerant plant, but it also likes light. It cannot be exposed to strong light, and scattered light is preferred.

If the light is too strong or too shaded, the brightness of the leaves will fade or disappear. If it is too shaded, the leaves will easily become thinner and the petioles will become longer, causing the leaves to droop. When the temperature is low in winter, it can be given full sun maintenance.

temperature

The suitable growth temperature is between 15-20℃, and it should be kept above 7℃ during the winter, otherwise it will easily shed leaves or even die from freezing. When the temperature is above 30℃ in summer, growth will stagnate and leaves will easily fall off.

It is especially important to note that a sudden drop in temperature can cause the leaf stems to change color and partially fall off. If the leaves fall off due to frost damage, but if the stems are not damaged, the plant can be overwintered with normal care and management, and leaves can be grown into a mature plant again in the spring of the following year. Do not place it in direct sunlight in summer.

Moisture

Mirror grass likes water but is afraid of waterlogging. You can keep the soil in the pot moist. It will wilt and droop easily due to drought. In severe cases, the leaves will become wrinkled, turn yellow, or die. When the temperature is below 12℃ in winter, control the number of waterings, otherwise the plants will easily rot and will not survive the winter.

The pot should be kept moist during the entire growing period. It can be relatively drier in winter, but it must not be dry, otherwise the leaves will easily wither and turn black. In the dry season, spray water frequently on the leaves and around them to create a humid microenvironment.

Fertilization

The stems and leaves of mirror grass are fleshy and cannot tolerate concentrated or large amounts of fertilizer. It should be watered in small amounts and multiple times, and it is best to use dilute fertilizer water.

Reproduction method

In the home care of mirror grass, division and cuttings are often used for propagation. In Yunnan, it can also be propagated by sowing seeds.

Precautions for raising mirror grass

Common diseases and pests of mirror grass

Common pests of mirror grass: scale insects, cottony scale

Common diseases of mirror grass: anthracnose, leaf spot

How to keep mirror grass safe in summer

The summer is hot and humid, so try to apply less or no nitrogen fertilizer to avoid root rot or even death of plants.

The light is strong in summer, so avoid exposure to the sun and provide appropriate shade.