Bamboo grass, also known as duckweed grass, has high food and medicinal value, and can also be used as a potted plant for decoration at home. It is named after its similar appearance to bamboo. Now let's take a look at the planting methods and morphological characteristics of bamboo grass.
Bamboo grass image
[Morphological characteristics of bamboo grass]
Bamboo grass is an annual herbaceous plant. The stems are creeping. Roots grow on the nodes (very few do not creep), and can grow up to more than 1 meter long. They are mostly branched, with some branches on each node, without hair or with a row of short stiff hairs, or covered with short stiff hairs.
The leaves are lanceolate or long oval in the lower part of the branches, 3-12 cm long, 0.8-3 cm wide, usually gradually pointed at the apex, less sharp, hairless or covered with short hairs;
There are often red spots on the leaf sheaths of bamboo grass, and only the mouth edge and one side have short hairs, or they are covered with short hairs. The racemose umbel inflorescence is usually solitary in the upper leaf axil of the branches, sometimes pseudo-terminal, and generally only one inflorescence per branch;
The involucral bracts have a stalk of 2-4 cm long, folded, and when spread out, they are ovate-lanceolate, gradually pointed or short pointed at the apex, heart-shaped or rounded at the base, hairless or covered with short stiff hairs on the outside;
The inflorescence branches bifurcate from the base; one branch has a peduncle of 1.5-2 cm long, perpendicular to the involucre, forming a straight line with the stalk of the involucre, with 1-4 flowers on it, extending far out of the involucral bracts, but they are all sterile.
Bamboo grass image
[Methods of eating bamboo grass]
1. Cooking congee
Cooking bamboo grass congee is a common way to eat it, with white rice and bamboo grass, a perfect match.
2. Stir-frying
When stir-frying bamboo grass, it is better to use a little more oil than usual, because bamboo grass is more oily. However, bamboo grass should not be stir-fried for too long, just stir-fry it briefly until the aroma comes out, 30 seconds is enough.
Bamboo grass can be stir-fried directly or mixed with meat. The most common is to stir-fry it with salted pork belly. First, cut the salted pork belly into small pieces and put them in a wok to render the oil. When the pork pieces turn golden yellow, pour in the pre-prepared bamboo grass, do not add water, add a little salt, and stir-fry over high heat.
3. Cold mix
Cold mixing is the simplest way to eat bamboo grass. The most delicious one is the combination of fragrant dried tofu and bamboo grass, allowing the dried tofu to absorb the fragrance of bamboo grass, and then adding sesame oil and chili powder. The taste is unique, and you will feel refreshed even if you don't eat it.
Bamboo grass image
[Methods of planting bamboo grass]
1. Fertile soil
The most important thing for growing bamboo grass is the choice of soil. Loose sandy soil alone is not enough. It is necessary to increase the fertility and permeability of the soil.
It is best to mix humus soil with garden soil, and add a proper amount of peat soil and rice husk ash to make the soil fertile and permeable.
2. Regular watering
Bamboo grass prefers a moist environment, so do not wait until the soil is dry before watering. Bamboo grass needs to keep the soil moist all the time, so that the grown bamboo grass will be lush green.
3. Adequate sunlight
Bamboo grass does not require much sunlight. It is best to grow it in diffuse light or in a shady environment.
Excessive light will cause the moisture of bamboo grass to evaporate quickly, so you need to water it frequently to maintain moisture. Therefore, in the summer when the light is strongest, it is necessary to move it indoors to avoid direct sunlight.
