Actually this plant is a plant of many names, depending on where you live, you may call this plant moses-in-a-basket, moses-in-the-cradle, oyster plant and boat lily. This plant called Rhoeo makes an excellent and fast growing ground cover in the garden.

  Steps on how to grow Rhoeo Plants

 In some areas this plant is considered an annual, the plant is a tender perennial. The plant is hardy only in USDA plant hardiness zones 9-11. This simply means that the plant can only tolerate temperatures down to about 20 F. (-6 C.) before they are killed off. Keep in mind that this is the temperature that will kill the plant. But temperatures that are 10 to 15 degrees F. (6 to 7 degrees C.) above will cause damage to the plant, but will not kill them. The plants also enjoy partial shade to full shade. These plants are normally grown due to the fact that they are very drought tolerant. As a matter of fact, Rhoeo will develop some serious issues with root rot and foliage diseases if the plant is kept too wet or watered too often.

This is a plant where it will be happier if you err on the side of dry and water this plant less. If you live in an area that normally gets large amounts of rain, the plant may not grow well in your garden no matter what you do. If this is the case and you still wish to enjoy the beauty of the plant you can either plant the Rhoeo in a container or you can try planting them under trees. Trees tend to suck up much of the water under their canopies and provide shade, both conditions will make the plant happy. If you live in an area where the plants are not hardy, you can bring the plants inside for the winter and grow them as houseplants. Rhoeos plants grow very well as houseplants and they can be returned to the garden in the spring.

Some of the common problems with Rhoeos

If the plant starts to develop any issues, the chances are that you have overwatered the plants. If you want to reverse the damage done by overwatering, take a look at 2 important things. first, is the plant located in an area that has excellent drainage? If not, move the Rhoeo plant to a drier location immediately. In the process of moving the Rhoeo plant, while the Rhoeo plant is out of the ground, make sure you check the roots for root rot damage.

If you find suspected root rot damage on the plant, make sure you trim off the affected roots to help keep the spread of the root rot to a minimum. second, are you letting the ground where the plant is growing dry out completely in between waterings? If actually not, hold back watering. If you are having fungus issues with the foliage, make sure you remove as much of the damaged leaves as you can and treat the rest of the Rhoeo plant with anti-fungal plant spray. Lastly, if you live in an area where the Rhoeo plant is hardy, make sure you check with your local extension service to see if the plant is on the invasive species list.


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