Rough Horsetail / Water Bamboo: Perfect aquatic plant to add beauty of your water garden – Details and care tips
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The plants are used as an ornamental plant and add greenery to the ponds or water garden at your home. They can thrive in pond margins where the soil is wet. The plants grow above the water and hence should be planted to the banks or margins of the ponds where the level of water is very low. In some places the plant is also used in traditional medicine.
Quick Details of Rough Horsetail
| Other Common Names | Rough Horsetail, Scouring Rush, Water Bamboo |
| Type | Aquatic Ornamental plant. |
| Maintenance | Medium |
| Flowering | Non flowering plant. |
| Light | Bright direct light |
| Water | Regular watering |
| Temperature | Can survive the harsh climate |
| Soil | Any well-drained potting soil if grown in soil. Best grows in submerged water with some soil bed at the bottom. |
| Fertilizer | Any house plant fertilizer |
| Habitat | North America, Europe, and Northern Asia |
| Toxicity | Toxic to animals |
| Common Diseases | Mostly resistant to diseases. Shortage of water can damage your plant. |
| Scientific name | Equisetum Hyemale |
Rough Horsetail Buying Instructions
- Should be green and healthy.
- Should not have any dry sticks
Overview of Rough Horsetail
It is a non-flowering evergreen perennial with vertical stems and bands. They belong to the family of Equisetaceae, to the phylum pteridophytes. They are not related to the ferns. They look like tall grasses and the stems are skinny and patterned like that of bamboo. They reproduce by spores. They grow in wet conditions and can grow even in standing water. It is usually grown as an ornamental plant. The leaves are tiny and are joined around the stem. It forms the black green bands at each node.
Usage and Advantage of Rough Horsetail
- The stem is used as sandpaper
- The rough stems are used as reed in reed instruments.
- The plant is used as a traditional medicine
- They are grown as an ornamental plant.
General Care for Rough Horsetail
Soil: The plants can be grown in any potting well drained soil. they can even be grown on soggy poor soil. they thrive in any condition.
Light: They prefer direct bright sunlight with hot and humid conditions. They can survive extreme heat and cold conditions. However, the plants may lose their bright green colour during winters.
Watering: The plant should be watered regularly to maintain the soil moisture. The soil should always be wet. If the plants are placed in water, they do not require regular watering.
Pruning: The plants can be pruned regularly to remove dead foliage once it turns brown. The pots can be lifted and checked for rhizomes that have outgrown the pot. These can be trimmed ones in every 2 months. The plant spreads quickly, so care should be taken to prune and trim the plant in desired shape.
Fertilizer: Fertilizers can be added once every 2 weeks during spring and summer when the plants are actively growing. A liquid fertilizer or any house plant fertilizer can be used.
Pests and other problems for Rough Horsetail
The plant is mostly resistant to diseases.
Propagation of Rough Horsetail
Propagation: Horsetail plants can be propagated by rhizome, stem and spores.
Rhizome: The rhizomes are buried 2 inches below the ground and watered regularly to maintain the moisture content in the soil. The best time to collect rhizomes is during the spring. If left alone, the rhizomes can develop a new shoot and root and develop into a new plant.
Stem cutting: The stem cuttings can be taken from a mature plant. The above ground stems can be cut below the nodes and can be planted in soil. however, the stem cuttings are sensitive to low oxygen content and stagnant water. Care should be taken to maintain moisture in the soil but not to over water the cuttings.
Spores: They can propagate naturally through spores. The green spores called as the elaters appear during the spring when the plant is actively growing. They are sticky to touch and can be difficult to sow. The spores can be buried ½ inch below the ground or can be simply placed on the surface of the soil. The soils grow in a damp muddy or clay soil.
