What are rhizomes?

Have you heard of rhizomes? Nope? Don’t worry: in this article I am going to explain what they are, what plants produce them and how you can have new specimens in a much simpler way than you can imagine.

Although they can be sold as bulbous plants, they are actually different. Very special and interesting.

Index

  • 1 What are rhizomes?
  • 2 Rhizomatous plants
  • 3 How do they reproduce?

What are rhizomes?

Rhizome

Rhizomes are stems that can be either at ground level, or just below ground level. They serve the plants that have them as a reserve store , which will help them stay alive during those months in which the environmental conditions are not conducive to continue growing. But, in addition, new shoots come out of them, thus ensuring that the plants occupy more space, which will give them more energy.

rhizomatous plants

There are many plants that have rhizomes, and many are ornamental. Some examples of them are the following:

  • canna indica 
  • Convallaria majalis
  • some irises
  • cove sp
  • Various ferns, such as Adianthum capillus-veneris
  • all species of bamboo

How do they reproduce?

Bamboo

Obtaining a new specimen of a rhizomatous plant is very easy and, above all, fast. In fact, you just have to follow these steps:

  1. Dig up the rhizomes in spring.
  2. Cut them into pieces with a knife previously disinfected with pharmacy alcohol, so that each piece has a bud, which is where the leaves will come from.
  3. Treat them with a broad-spectrum fungicide to prevent fungi from harming them.
  4. Plant them now in an individual pot wide enough to fit well, with a substrate that has good drainage, such as black peat mixed with 50% perlite.
  5. Give them a generous watering.
  6. Put them in partial shade.
  7. And to wait.

Normally, in two weeks or even less, the new shoots will have already started to come out. Always keep the substrate slightly moist (but not waterlogged), and in less than what you expect you will have new plants.

What are rhizomes?

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