Zigzag grass is the whole plant of fern plant Athyrium multidentatum. It is mainly distributed in East China, Central South China, Southwest China, and Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces in China. When cultivating zigzag grass, special attention should be paid to lighting and soil moisture. Now let's learn about the cultivation method of zigzag grass.
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【Medicinal Value of Zigzag Grass】
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that zigzag grass has the functions of clearing heat and detoxification, promoting diuresis, and treating colds, fever, lung heat cough, damp-heat diarrhea, dysentery, turbidity in urine, excessive vaginal discharge, breast abscess, scrofula, carbuncle, burns, and snake bites.
1. For treating influenza fever: 60g of Athyrium multidentatum, 30g of Houttuynia cordata, 15g of Scutellaria baicalensis, and 30g of gypsum. Decoction. Take it three times a day. (Common Chinese Herbal Formulas)
2. For treating lung heat cough and hemoptysis: 30g of zigzag grass, 30g of Adiantum capillus-veneris, 30g of Houttuynia cordata, and 30g of Imperata cylindrica. Decoction and take it orally. (Sichuan Chinese Materia Medica, 1979)
3. For treating urinary system stones: 30g of Athyrium multidentatum, 30g of Desmodium styracifolium, 30g of Lysimachia christinae, 30g of Lysimachia nummularia, and 30g of Boehmeria nivea. Decoction and take it twice a day. (Common Chinese Herbal Formulas)
4. For treating urolithiasis and hematuria: 15g of zigzag grass, 15g of Hedyotis diffusa, and 15g of Rubia cordifolia. Decoction and take it orally. (Guizhou Folk Medicine)
5. For treating breast abscess: 12g of Athyrium multidentatum, 12g of Carpesium abrotanoides, and 30g of Taraxacum officinale. Decoction and take it orally. (Hubei Chinese Materia Medica)
Zigzag grass image
【Growth Characteristics of Zigzag Grass】
Zigzag grass prefers loose, well-drained, and fertile sandy loam soil with lime content. When potting, the cultivation soil can be a mixture of loamy soil, leaf mold, and river sand in equal proportions.
Apply liquid fertilizer once a week during the growth period and always keep the potting soil moist and the air humidity high. In dry seasons, water the ground around the plants frequently to increase the air humidity.
Zigzag grass prefers bright diffused light and avoids direct sunlight. Too much strong light can cause leaf yellowing and even death. It likes warm and cold-resistant environments, with the suitable growth temperature being 13-22°C and the winter temperature for overwintering being 5°C. Zigzag grass mainly reproduces by division.
Division should be done before the new shoots sprout in the spring. Take out the overgrown plants from the pots, remove most of the old potting soil, cut off their rhizomes, divide them into two or more clumps, and pot them separately to form new plants.
In addition, when the spores of zigzag grass mature, they will scatter and reproduce in a warm and humid environment, and they can also be potted when they grow to a certain size.
Originally found in moist stones in streams and valleys, zigzag grass prefers warm, humid, and semi-shaded environments, and it avoids direct sunlight. It prefers loose, fertile, and calcareous sandy loam soil.
Zigzag grass image
【Cultivation Method of Zigzag Grass】
1. Lighting
Zigzag grass prefers warm, humid, and semi-shaded environments, and it avoids direct sunlight. It is best to place the plants in a place where the sunlight does not reach indoors. Excessive and intense lighting can cause the edges of the leaves to wither and burn.
2. Temperature
It grows well at temperatures between 10-20°C. High temperatures in summer will inhibit its growth, and it needs to be kept at a minimum of 5°C in winter to keep it evergreen throughout the year.
3. Humidity
Fern plants grow in moist environments, and zigzag grass is no exception.
During cultivation, besides keeping the soil moist, it is also necessary to regularly spray water on the leaves to increase the air humidity. When the plants show yellowing, it is often due to insufficient humidity. It could also be frost damage.
4. Soil
Repot once a year in spring, pruning off dry leaves and old roots. The potting soil should be replaced with fresh, fertile, and loose leaf mold soil, preferably with a small amount of brick chips added.
