Gotu Kola is a tropical resp. subtropical plant from the umbelliferous family. It is therefore relatively closely related to herbs that are common in our country, such as dill, anise or coriander. The official botanical name is Centella asiatica. Colloquially, tiger grass, Indian pennywort or Asian pennywort are often used. In Asia, the plant plays a relatively large role in medicine as a medicinal herb. It is said to relieve psoriasis and acne, to accelerate wound healing, to help with depressive moods, concentration disorders and stomach problems. In Europe the herb is traded as a superfood. The reason for this is likely to be the high proportion of minerals and vitamins it contains.
Characteristics
- Botanical name: Centella asiatica
- Asian name: Gotu Kola
- Origin: Asia
- Distribution area: tropics and subtropics
- Flowering period: June to August
- Harvest time: May to September
- Uses: medicinal herb, aromatic herb
The tiger grass needs a warm, possibly swampy environment in order to grow and thrive. In good conditions it can grow to a height of ten to 20 centimeters. Since the perennial plant is not hardy, but on the contrary is very sensitive to frost, it can usually not be grown permanently outdoors in Central Europe. It must therefore be overwintered in a warm environment.
Sowing / cultivation
The Indian pennywort can basically be grown from seeds. However, this not only requires a lot of patience, but also some very specific conditions. This includes:
- an ambient temperature of around 20 degrees Celsius
- a generally very humid environment
- an extremely loose soil
Note: It can be a long time before the seeds of the plant actually begin to germinate. It takes at least several weeks, but it can also take a few months.
floor
If the Asian pennywort is removed from the potting soil after cultivation, it needs a very loose, very nutrient-rich soil. This must be consistently moist or should be able to hold moisture well. However, it is essential to avoid waterlogging. In the case of very loamy soil, a drainage layer must therefore be incorporated in most cases to allow the water to run off. For example, pebbles, lava, pumice stone or pumice stone are suitable.
Tip: Loamy soil should always be mixed with sand, which increases its water permeability enormously. Under certain circumstances, you can then save the drainage layer.
Fertilize
Like any other plant, Centella asiatica needs nutrients to develop. As a rule, you can therefore not avoid fertilizing both when growing outdoors and when cultivating in a planter. In spring and summer, we recommend fertilizing at intervals of
six to eight weeks at a time. The fertilizer used should have a relatively high proportion of nitrogen. Since the plant is to be consumed to a large extent, you should only use organic liquid fertilizers. During the winter or During the winter, however, there is no need to fertilize.Tip: If the edges of the leaves turn yellow, a fertilizer specially enriched with nutrients should be used instead of the pure organic fertilizer.
to water
The name "Indian pennywort" already suggests: The plant likes and needs it moist. As part of maintenance, therefore, special attention must be paid to the regular water supply. Regardless of whether the pennywort is grown in the garden or on the balcony - the soil must never dry out. The surface of the earth should not dry out if possible. The plants react to drought with enormous stress, which often leads to the leaves turning yellow and falling off. It should always be poured directly in the root area. Ideally, collected rainwater is used for this. In addition, the water should not be too old and have a temperature of around 20 degrees Celsius.
Diseases and pests
If the care and, above all, the site conditions are correct, there is usually no risk of infestation with pests or diseases at Gotu Kola. In this respect, the plant is relatively robust and resistant even in our latitudes. If anything, then you are mostly dealing with an infestation with blood lice or mealybugs. In the vast majority of cases, they attach themselves to the underside of the leaves. It is therefore advisable to check the underside of the leaves regularly. This can be done every now and then when pouring, for example. The lice do not pose a serious threat to an otherwise healthy plant. Still, it would be wise to remove them. It makes sense, for example, to spray them with a soap solution. As a rule, such a solution reliably ensures that the pests disappear again very quickly.
Location
The tiger grass generally likes it warm, but does not cope well with direct sunlight. The location should therefore be semi-shady to shady. A shady location in the immediate vicinity of a garden pond has proven to be almost perfect. The reason for this is not least that the plant always needs a moist environment. The tiger grass is therefore also perfect for the bank planting of a garden pond. Who it is not in the garden, but
would prefer to grow on a balcony or terrace, you can of course do that. However, only the more shady north sides are suitable for this. On the south side of the building, the often very strong sunlight can cause the leaves of the plant to literally burn.Overwinter
As already mentioned, the tiger grass is perennial, but not winter-proof. Although the plant generally tolerates freezing temperatures, these must not be too low and not last too long. In general one can say that the grass with temperatures of up to a maximum of minus four degrees Celsius still gets along reasonably - provided she's only at these temperatures for a day or two exposed. Against this background it is clear that Centella asiatica has to be overwintered. If the herb was grown directly in the garden, it means that it must be dug up and brought inside. When digging out, the roots should not be damaged under any circumstances. It is best to dig up the plant with a lot of soil. It is then repotted in a planter and moved to a location that is as bright as possible, but not too warm.
With an ambient temperature of around ten degrees Celsius, the Indian pennywort feels right at home during the winter months. However, it should by no means be in the dark. It makes sense to start overwintering in mid to late October, depending on the frost situation. Tiger grass cultivated in planters must also be brought through the winter in this way. As soon as there is no more frost to fear in the new year, he can then go outside again. be shipped directly into the garden.
use
In Europe, Indian pennywort is used almost exclusively as a herb. In the meantime it has established itself relatively well as a superfood. As a medicinal herb, it has practically no meaning in this country. At most, individual Ayurvedic centers work with him. Incidentally, only the leaves of the plant are used. Gotu Kola is extremely aromatic, but always has a bitter aftertaste. The combination with salads or herbal quarks is ideal. The leaves are cut as small as possible. First of all, of course, they must be washed well with cold water. Even with perfect care and the best possible location, Centella asiatica does not always turn out to be a superfood. It is one of the species of this species that its active ingredient and, above all, its mineral content fluctuates considerably from plant to plant. Whether Gotu Kola actually makes a difference is to a large extent a matter of luck.
