For sale is one plant of Court Jester - Houttuynia cordata
Also known as Swamp Pepper or Chameleon Plant
This water plant is currently growing in a 130mm pot size.
It is posted bare/loose rooted and you need to plant it when you receive it.
Court Jester is a running herb that has green arrow head leaves with splashes of red, pink and yellow throughout.
FLOWERING: Small white flowers in early summer.
HEIGHT: 20 cm
POSITION: Grow in full sun to part shade in the shallow waters around the edges of ponds, dams and wet lands 5-10cm deep.
Can also be grown in decorative water pot with no hole. In a decorative pot, think of them as a potted plant, growing in water, and then you can grow it on your patio, verandah, balcony etc. However a dish/saucer of water is all you need to sit your pot plant in, as long as you make sure there is always water in the saucer.
FROST: frost hardy – goes dormant for winter
CARE: Fertilise in spring with one of Triffid Park’s water plant fertilizer tablets to encourage new growth at the start of the growing season.
Then again at the start of summer, and the start of autumn to encourage healthy growth and green foliage.
AVAILABLE: Australia wide except for Northern Territory, as we do not have permits to export into the Northern Territory. We do have permits for all other states. Please DO NOT order this plant if you are in the N.T., as we will not send it.
FERTILISER: Triffid Park's Water Plant Fertiliser Tablets are available on our Water Plant Sundries page. There are no nutrients in a plastic pond or tub, so these are a definate must when potting your water plants, and for fertilising 3 times per year.
EDIBLE USES:
FRUIT contains small seeds
LEAVES can be eaten raw in salads or cooked as a pot-herb or vegetable. They are also used to brew a tonic tea.
SHOOTS can be eaten raw or cooked as a pot-herb
ROOTS can be cooked as a vegetablePlease research before cooking and eating, as above is a guide line only.
MEDICINAL USES: This plant has many medicinal uses. The whole plant is antibacterial, antiinflammatory, antimicrbial, antiphlogistic, antiviral, depurative, diuretic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, hypoglycaemic, laxative and ophthalmic.
Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Court Jester - Houttuynia cordata
When you receive your water plant, it will come to you bare/loose rooted (not potted). You can repot water plants at any time of the year.
During spring, summer and autumn your water plant will arrive with some leaves. During the dormant period in winter, it may have no leaves depending on the variety.
If you are planting it in a pond or decorative water bowl, read the minimum and maximum depth requirements on the label. You will need to pot it into a pot large enough for it to grow, or even a 4 litre ice cream container will do (eat the icecream first!).
Use a good quality garden soil i.e. one that you could grow vegetables in is best - do not use potting mix as it can contain pine bark and other composts not suitable for ponds, as they can release the wrong nutrients which then feed algae.
When planting your water plant, you want the top of the growing tip to be level with the top of the pot. Work out how deep you will need to plant your water plant in the pot so the tip is level with the top, then fill the pot with your soil to where the roots would start. Place one of Triffid Park's Water Plant Fertiliser Tablets on the soil, sit the water plant beside the fertiliser tablet and fill the rest of the pot with your soil to just below the growing tip. Pat down firmly, then place a layer of small pebbels or gravel around the top to stop the mix floating. Take care not to cover the growing tip.
If you are planting into a dam or lagoon, plant straight into the base of the dam. Read the depth information for the water plant and do not plant any deeper than suggested when the dam is at full height or you will drown your water plant.
If you cannot get into the dam and dig a hole to plant the water plant, you can use a tent peg to hold it down.
Most dams will have enough nutrients to feed your water plants during the growing season, but one of Triffid Park's Water Plant Fertililser Tabets pushed into the root system on planting is a good way to get your water plant established.
Yabbies love new water plant leaves, so if you have yabbies in your dam, you will need to place a fine mesh cage around your water plant. The mesh needs to be large enought for the new leaves to grow through, but small enough that yabbies cant get through. Once the water plant is established the yabbies wont be as interested in the older growth.
Algae is caused by many factors:
Too little beneficial bacteria
Too few plants
Excess nutrients i.e. fertiliser, decaying fish food
Warm shallow water
Lack of an established ecosystem
Seasonal changes - sun and rain cause the ph to keep altering in ponds. This is very common in spring when the water is starting to warm up and the beneficial bacteria colonies are working to re-establish themselves after their winter slumber.
Some nutrients from the garden potting soil may leach out, however this is better than potting mix as it can contain pine bark and other composts not suitable for ponds. They can release the wrong nutrients which then feed algae. We recommend a good quality garden soil i.e. one that you could grow vegetables in is best. Then top with some clean washed river pebbles to weigh the pot down.