Sedge is one of the most common types of perennial grasses. What is so special about this plant?
Sharp sedge: description
In appearance, this plant is quite similar to cereals. Its stem has a section in the form of triangles, and leaves are attached to the lower part. As a rule, they grow flat and reach from 2 to 6 mm in width, and are equal in length to the main part of the plant. Most sedges have bright green leaves, sometimes grayish.
By the way, if you carelessly run your fingers over the plant, you can cut yourself quite deeply. This is because there are silicified thorns on the foliage of the grass, although they are not visible due to their tiny size. But they are easy to feel - plants of the sedge family have a noticeably rough surface. Their total height reaches from 50 to 150 cm. The habitat of the acute sedge is sandy, as well as muddy banks of reservoirs. It is widespread in Central Asia and Europe.
Spikes of a plant
Sedge blooms in a peculiar way - decorative shoots bloom on it. These are inflorescences that have long cylindrical spikelets. They usually hang on long legs. Inflorescences are a separate part of the plant, whichperforms the function of pollination. Often it is modified and therefore looks more attractive than the stem and leaves.
The acute sedge has in its inflorescence from 1 to 4 staminate and from 2 to 5 pistillate ears. The latter can reach 7 centimeters in length. The spikelets of the sedge are sessile, their scales, which completely cover the surface of the process, are brown or dark brown in color. They are protected from the outside world by special covering leaves. In length, they are approximately equal to the inflorescence or even exceed its size.
Root system of a plant
Acute sedge has an unusually well-developed underground part. The smallest length of the rhizome is 1 cm, the largest reaches 25 cm. It is distinguished by yellowish hues and a felt surface.
The plant has diagotropic shoots. By the way, the root system of the acute sedge sometimes grows so strongly that noticeable soil mounds form around it.
Plant properties
Due to the high amount of silica contained in the leaves, they have a cutting surface. Another unusual property of the acute sedge is that it grows very well in water or swampy areas, despite the fact that in the structure of this grass, the vaginas are found only on the bearing parts of the plant.
Environmental group
What is this? This is a collection of plants that have similar properties and anatomical and morphological needs from the outside world. So, what are the ecological groups of acute sedge? Regarding the humidity of the environment, organisms are divided into hydrophytes,hygrophytes, mesophytes, xerophytes and cryophytes. Sedge is a representative of the second group from this list. Hygrophytes are plants that are common in areas of high humidity.
Regarding the light, plants are divided into heliophytes and sciophytes. But acute sedge is not specifically assigned to any of the groups, since this grass is indifferent to lighting - it feels equally good both in bright sun and in the shade.
In relation to temperature, wildlife is divided into megathermophytes, mesothermophytes, microthermophytes and hekistothermophytes. The sharp sedge is a heat-loving plant. It belongs to mesothermophytes and prefers temperatures around 20 °C above zero.
Plant care
Many lovers of gardening and gardening are interested in sedge spicy. This is one of the types of perennial herbs that are not particularly picky about care. This plant attracts the attention of gardeners. It belongs to the meadow and swamp species, as it is not afraid of both excessive moisture and direct sunlight. Sedge prefers high air temperature, so it is better to transplant it in warm weather, in clear weather.
The plant loves sufficiently moist soil, so it is recommended to water it more often. It is really important to fill the sedge with water abundantly and regularly. By the way, the first planting of a plant must be done at a temperature of 18 to 30 ° C and with a fairly bright sun. This ensures that the sedge will definitely take root and grow well.
When caring for this plant, not only watering is important, but also mowing. This process ensures a decent look for your vegetable garden and good sedge growth. Another important point in caring for a plant is its spring cleaning. It includes cleaning sedge from dry leaves and various natural wastes. Even not the most experienced gardeners can easily do this, since there is nothing complicated in the cleaning process.
Despite the fact that there are no particular difficulties in caring for sedge, all the rules must be strictly observed. Otherwise, the root system of the plant will slowly rot, and the edges of the bright green leaves will turn black. If you notice such problems with sedge, you should urgently reconsider the correct care of it.
Possible difficulties
Optimal care for sedge can be rationed watering and a fairly high air temperature. But if the plant is in the stage of active growth, it can become quite demanding for a while. It would seem, how can a sedge so picky about the outside world suffer? During the period of active growth, the plant becomes more sensitive to abiotic factors. At this time, sedge can "catch" various non-communicable diseases.
These are sedge damages that appear due to regular care errors and inattention to external factors, such as improper lighting, humidity, temperature, watering, plant location. Sometimes even the quality of the container can affect it.or substrate. To prevent all these difficulties in the development of sedge, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with all possible difficulties in advance.
Dry or waterlogged soil? In both cases, the plant wilts, its leaves wither. With continued improper care, it will simply die. Therefore, it is important to monitor the normal soil moisture. If the leaves of a plant turn yellow, it means that there is a lot of water for it, and if they turn black, on the contrary, there is too little.
Optimal watering for sedge is to keep the ground slightly wetter than other plants, as grass is very sensitive to dry soil. And if you grow it in a home flower pot, then in no case do not let the soil become waterlogged.
Low air temperature? As it was written above, sedge is a heat-loving plant, so keeping it in places with low temperatures is a big mistake. And if during the day the plant is warm and comfortable, then such sudden changes will adversely affect its he alth. It is necessary to ensure that the grass is always located in sufficiently heated areas. If you grow sedge in a home pot, move it away from windows at night.
Conclusion
Sharp sedge, the photo of which is presented to your attention in the article, feels great under the sun. And most often overheating is not a problem for the plant. But if you keep this representative of the flora in the house, then direct sunlight is best avoided. Just put a sharp sedge in sufficiently lit places, avoiding a direct hitsunlight. And all because strong ultraviolet radiation has a great influence on houseplants, and as a result, burns may appear on the leaves. If you follow these simple rules, then the sedge will always have a well-groomed appearance and delight its owners.
