The cattail (Typha) or lamp cleaner, together with the reeds, forms a protected habitat for insects and reptiles in many bathing lakes and in boggy swamp meadows, as well as suitable breeding opportunities for many water birds. The decorative value of this easy-care plant also makes it a valued garden plant.
How to plant cattails in the garden?
To plant cattails correctly, young plants or rhizome cuttings should be buried in moist, slightly acidic garden soil. Ideal locations are sunny areas near the bank with constantly moist ground. A boundary such as a plant basket helps prevent uncontrolled growth.
How to plant the cattail correctly?
Young plants and offshoots of the rhizome of the cattail are easily planted in a swampy and slightly acidic garden soil by burying them at a shallow depth directly in the substrate from spring to autumn. If, on the other hand, the cattail is intended to green the bank of a garden pond, planting it in a special plant basket (€8.00 on Amazon) can prevent the plant from spreading too much in later years.
Which locations are suitable for the cattail?
The lamp cleaner loves locations on the banks of bodies of water where the rhizomes lie beneath the surface of the water all year round. The plants also cope 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 prefers full sun locations.
Can the cattail also be grown from seeds?
The cattail seeds are ideally sown outdoors in a muddy substrate immediately after the inflorescences have ripened, as the correct temperature and humidity conditions indoors are difficult to maintain throughout. The seeds survive the winter frost without any problems and germinate at the beginning of spring.
When can you transplant the cattail as gently as possible?
The cattail's growth is least affected if you transplant it in spring. However, this type of plant usually proliferates so much that even transplanting it during the summer usually does not have any serious effects on plant he alth. However, this requires the following factors:
- the plants and their roots must not dry out when transplanting
- the new location must have the right substrate and sufficient moisture
- the cattails are replanted with their rhizomes at the correct depth
How is the cattail usually propagated?
Since many of the cattail species common in Germany are not protected, 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 is quicker and easier than by growing seeds.
When does the cattail bloom?
Depending on the location and exact subspecies, the flowering period of the cattail usually ranges 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 due to its strong growth and nutrient consumption. However, the reed can keep up with the cattail in this regard and behaves similarly assertively in the moorland and at the pond.
Tip
The broad-leaved cattail (Typha latifolia), which grows up to 2 meters high, can cope with being planted 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, due to its slightly bending stalks, should only be planted in locations that are sheltered from the wind.
