The bulrush (Typha) or lamp cleaner forms a protected habitat for insects and reptiles at many bathing lakes and in boggy marshy meadows together with the reeds, as well as suitable breeding opportunities for many waterfowl. The ornamental value of this low-maintenance plant also makes it a valued garden plant.

Cattails make a beautiful bank planting

How is the cattail planted correctly?

Young plants and cuttings from the rhizome of the cattail are easily planted in a swampy and slightly acidic garden soil by burying them directly in the substrate at a shallow depth from spring to autumn. If, on the other hand, cattails are to green the bank of a garden pond, planting them in a special plant basket (€11.99) can prevent the planting from spreading too much in later years.

Which locations are suitable for cattails?

The lamp cleaner loves locations in the riparian zone of bodies of water where the rhizomes lie under the water surface all year round. However, the plants also get along well with boggy meadow locations, where a slightly acidic substrate is usually combined with year-round soil moisture. If the cattail has enough moisture available, it definitely prefers full sun locations.

Can cattails also be grown from seed?

Cattail seeds are ideally sown outdoors in a muddy substrate immediately after the inflorescences have seeded, as the right temperature and humidity conditions indoors are difficult to maintain consistently. The seeds survive the winter frosts without any problems and germinate in early spring.

When can you transplant the cattail as gently as possible?

The cattail is least affected in its growth if you transplant it in spring. However, this type of plant usually grows so profusely that even transplanting during the summer usually has no serious effects on plant health. However, this requires the following factors:

  • the plants and their roots must not dry out when transplanted
  • the new location must have the right substrate and sufficient moisture
  • the cattails are replanted with their rhizomes at the correct depth

How is cattail usually propagated?

Since many of the common cattail species in Germany are not under nature protection, collecting their inflorescences or offshoots for private use outside of protected areas usually only requires the consent of the property owner. Propagation by dividing the rhizomes works faster and less complicated than by growing the seeds.

When does the cattail bloom?

Depending on the location and the exact subspecies, the cattail usually blooms from May to August.

How assertive is the cattail compared to other plants?

If the cattail is planted in the garden pond without an effective boundary, it can become a problem for weak-growing neighboring plants with its strong growth and as a nutrient eater. In this regard, however, the reed can keep up with the cattail and behaves in a similarly assertive manner in the peat soil and at the pond.

tips

The broad-leaved cattail (Typha latifolia), which grows up to 2 meters high, can cope with a planting in a water depth of up to 100 centimeters. The dwarf cattail (Typha minima), on the other hand, prefers water depths of 5 to 10 centimeters and should only be planted in locations that are more sheltered from the wind due to its slightly kinked stalks.

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Vegetable garden