From June to August they boast powerful, cylindrical flowers surrounded by tightly upright, lanceolate leaves. At the same time, cattails act as natural water filters and ensure clear water in the pond. Anyone who is familiar with the cultivation of lamp cleaners will be able to enjoy the aquatic plants for many years. The following answers to frequently asked questions explain clearly how it works.
How do I care for cattails in the pond?
Cattails are undemanding aquatic plants that bloom from June to August and are natural water filters. They thrive best in sunny to semi-shady locations and should be planted in special plant baskets filled with humus and sand. Care includes removing dead leaves and pruning in spring.
Planting cattails correctly
The planting time for cattails extends from spring to autumn. To prevent the vigorous ornamental plant from conquering your water world, we recommend using separate plant baskets. Fill this with a fine silty mixture of humus and sand to insert the rhizome into. To prevent the substrate from washing away or being dug up by curious fish, spread a thin layer of pebbles over it. Then place the lamp cleaners on the swampy bank to a water depth of 60 cm.read more
Care tips
In order to properly care for lamp cleaners, the care program includes the following measures:
- Cut out wilted leaves regularly so that they don't float in the water
- Cut inflorescences for use as dry decorations in summer, in time before full bloom
- Administer a special fertilizer for aquatic plants in the event of deficiency symptoms
- Before the first frost, loosely tie the stalks together with sisal
In early spring, cut back cattails close to the ground so that the fresh leaves can sprout unhindered.
Which location is suitable?
A cattail feels at home on the sunny edge of standing or gently flowing water. Partially shaded locations are tolerated, but affect the beauty of the impressive flower clusters. Place a broadleaf or narrowleaf cattail on a marshy bank or in 8 to 2 feet of water. The dwarf cattail should not be placed in water deeper than 40 cm.
What soil does the plant need?
To bring out the best aspects of a lamp cleaner, a balanced combination of soil and water quality is important. The ornamental plant spreads its powerful rhizomes preferably in nutrient-rich, humus-rich, slightly acidic soil that is surrounded by water with a medium to soft degree of hardness.
When is flowering time?
The flowering period of lamp cleaner extends from July to August. After a mild winter, the dwarf cattail unfolds its eye-catching fruit cobs in a sunny location as early as June and lasts well into August.
Cut cattails correctly
Cut back a lamp cleaner in early spring to make room for fresh shoots. Throughout the winter, the aquatic plant adorns the otherwise empty pond with its taut, upright leaves and decorative, brown inflorescences. If you're a hobby gardener and want to pass the busy winter time with private floristry, cut off the distinctive cobs in good time in the summer before they fully bloom. Dried in an airy place over a period of 2 weeks, they are an indispensable part of creative arrangements or magnificent dry arrangements.
Fertilize cattails properly
In view of its considerable need to spread, supplementary nutrient supply for lamp cleaners is only considered in exceptional cases. Fertilization is only carried out when deficiency symptoms become apparent, such as stunted flower heads or yellowed leaves. Specialist retailers offer special preparations in liquid form or as sticks (€3.00 on Amazon), which you can administer precisely to the affected aquatic plant.
Pests
The starchy, fleshy rhizomes are at the top of the menu for voracious voles. Therefore, line the plant basket with a tight-meshed wire mesh to keep the pests at a distance.
Wintering
While winter calm spreads across the pond, lamp cleaners remain active. Since the aquatic plant is both hardy and wintergreen, it makes an important contribution to maintaining gas exchange in the water during the cold season. Therefore, only cut back cattails at the end of winter. In autumn, tie the stalks loosely together so that dried leaves do not float around in the water.
Propagate cattails
Once a cattail colonizes the pond or stream, you can save yourself the financial outlay of purchasing additional specimens. These methods of propagation are available:
- Dividing the root ball in spring
- Separating rhizome cuttings to plant them in the swampy soil at the new location
- Harvest the seeds in autumn to sow the cold germinators directly at the edge of the pond
Alternatively, fill a waterproof seed tray with muddy soil to plant the seeds 1-2cm deep. Filled with lime-free water to a depth of 1 cm, place the container on the partially shaded, warm windowsill at 20 degrees Celsius. The seeds are then given a cold stimulus for 4-6 weeks on the winter balcony or in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator, whereby the water must not freeze. Germination then begins in the warm window seat. The young lamp cleaners are pricked with 2 pairs of leaves. Of course, it takes 2 to 3 years for cattails propagated from seedlings to produce their first flowering.
Which types of lamp cleaner are recommended?
To spice up your private water world with lamp cleaners, the following 3 species are the focus of interest:
- Broad-leaved cattail: majestic bulb cleaner with a height of 200 cm and a whopping 100 cm width; keeps the water clean
- Narrow-leaved cattail: The more delicate counterpart with a slender silhouette and leaves that are half as narrow; Growth height 150 cm
- Dwarf cattail: Thanks to its graceful stature with a height of 60 cm and a width of 40 cm, it is the ideal species for small ponds
All three species not only create an opulent appearance, but also act as effective water purifiers. As heavy feeders, lamp cleaners filter the nutrients from the water and deprive annoying algae of their livelihood.
Are cattails protected?
Contrary to popular belief, cattails are not protected. In fact, volunteers from the nature conservation association NABU are committed to stopping the spread of lamp cleaners. Under the influence of its powerful rhizomes, ponds and lakes are threatened by silting up. Consequently, there is more of a need to protect nature from cattails.read more
Trivia
Long forgotten is another amazing attribute of cattails. Their massive rhizomes are rich in natural starch. As archaeological finds have shown, people processed the rhizomes into flour more than 30,000 years ago. If one hectare of swampland is planted with pennisetum, the yield amounts to a whopping 8 tons of flour.
