How to Care for Bacopa Sutera
Bacopa sutera is just one name out of many that refer to a class of tender tropical plants grown as annuals in much of the world. They have tiny white flowers that nearly obscure the foliage. Their habit is spreading if planted in the ground or trailing if planted in a pot. One of their most frequent uses is as a hanging basket plant. The vines will drape up to 2 feet over the edge of the pot. They are very easy to grow and are usually started from cuttings because most varieties do not produce seed. Find small bedding plants at the garden center. They will grow rapidly and fill in any area. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Choose a site in full sun with rich, moisture-retaining soil.
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Prepare the soil. Add 2 to 3 inches of peat moss to the surface of the soil. Use a shovel to dig down 6 to 8 inches and turn the soil over, incorporating the peat moss into it. Rake the soil smooth.
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Plant individual bacopa sutera plants in the ground about 16 inches apart in all directions. Dig a small hole with your garden trowel and pop the transplants out of their nursery pots and place into the small hole. Firm the soil around the plant so that it stands up by itself. For container growing, plant four small plants evenly spaced into a 16 inch pot.
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Mulch the surface of the soil of both the ground and the container. Use buckwheat hulls and put down a 3 to 4 inch layer on the ground. In the container, put in a 1 to 1 ½ inch layer of mulch to hold in moisture, which bacopa sutera loves.
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Water well. Use a watering can and individually water each transplant with 1 to 2 cups of water. Run a sprinkler on the garden bed so it gets the equivalent of 1 inch of water. For containers, water until the water runs out of the bottom of the pot. Discard water collected in the drip tray of containers and do not allow the container of bacopa sutera to sit in standing water.
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Tips & Warnings
There is some confusion as to the exact name and classification of these plants. They are variously called bacopa sutera, bacopa bridal showers, bacopa cordata, bacopa cabana, or simply bacopa, among others things. They have in common small white flowers and a vining habit with small light green succulent leaves. All are frost-tender and treated as annuals in the temperate zones.
