The sight of the delicate stripes on the green stalks of zebra grass seduces with a little imagination to distant Asia. Thanks to its exotic appearance, the Chinese plant is one of the most popular sweet grasses in German gardens. On the other hand, it is particularly annoying when the long stalks suddenly dry up. Too much sun? Hardly, because zebra grass loves bright, warm locations. Often there are completely different care mistakes behind it.
If the zebra grass looks dry, there are probably care mistakes behind it
causes
- natural leaf shedding
- wrong substrate
- wrong watering behavior
The natural fall of leaves
In autumn, the zebra grass gradually goes into hibernation. In order to save reserves, it sheds its leaves. As with many plants, this one dries before the process. In this case there is no need to worry, the plant will sprout again next spring.
soil claims
Zebra grass requires moist soil with lots of nutrients. Otherwise the stalks will dry up quickly. On the other hand, there must be no waterlogging. You should pay particular attention to this care error when keeping the bucket. Usually you don't need to add any fertilizer to the substrate. However, if the stalks are dry, it is worth a try. In this case, use organic means such as compost. Finished fertilizer with a high salt content also damages the plant.
pouring behaviour
As already mentioned, no waterlogging should form around the root ball. Otherwise, the roots will begin to rot, the plant will die. Dry leaves are then a serious warning sign. On the other hand, the zebra grass needs a lot of water. On hot summer days you should water it twice if possible. The morning hours and midday are recommended for this, so that the water can evaporate by nightfall. To avoid waterlogging, wait with the next watering until the substrate has dried.
Diseases or pests?
If the stalks are dry, the first suspicion is often an infestation. However, the zebra grass has hardly any natural predators and is also very robust against diseases. You can also rely on it to withstand freezing temperatures down to -20°C.