Japanese horsetail is a very grateful aquatic plant. Even if you don't have a pond in which you can grow the Japanese horsetail, you don't have to do without the decorative plant. You can also grow this type of horsetail in a pot on the terrace.
How do I grow Japanese horsetail in a pot?
To grow Japanese horsetail in a pot, you need a frost-resistant container without a drainage hole, at least 30 cm deep, with garden soil, gravel or sand as a substrate. The plant is easy to care for and requires protection from frozen water in winter.
The right container for planting Japanese horsetail
Choose a sufficiently large pot made of material that is as weatherproof and frost-resistant as possible. Since Japanese horsetail is an aquatic plant, the bucket must not have a drainage hole.
The size of the pot depends on whether the horsetail is to be grown as a single plant or together with other aquatic plants.
The depth should be at least 30, preferably 50 centimeters.
Which plant substrate is suitable?
Like all horsetail species, Japanese horsetail is not picky when it comes to the planting substrate. Suitable are:
- normal, not too nutritious garden soil
- gravel
- Sand
You should not use nutritious topsoil or compost, as putrefactive bacteria quickly form in them.
Japanese horsetail is easy to care for
Cut back the horsetail in spring. If the plant gets too big, you can take it out of the pot and divide it.
Japanese horsetail in a pot does not require any more care.
Overwintering Japanese horsetail in a pot
Japanese horsetail is completely hardy in the pond and does not need winter protection. Things are a little different when it comes to caring for them in a bucket. The water freezes very quickly at low temperatures and the plant dies.
There are two ways to overwinter the Japanese horsetail. The easiest way is to bury the pot. Then even longer periods of frost shouldn't be a problem.
If you keep the pot on the terrace, you should protect it from frost. Place it in a protected corner. Place Styrofoam or wood under the pot. Cover the bucket with bubble wrap (€34.00 on Amazon) or cover it with brushwood or leaves. Make sure that the horsetail does not dry out completely.
Tip
When you plant Japanese horsetail in the pond, it is better to put it in a pond basket. Like all horsetail species, Japanese horsetail reproduces via rhizomes. The basket limits growth.
