In spots where the grass is highly visible, however, you may want to cut the grass back in early spring. The vast majority of ornamental grasses look at their best when they are The seedheads of many grasses also provide food for wildlife. In order to properly dispose of the yard waste, you shouldn’t burn them or waste them! It's easy to do this if the grass stalks are still tied together in bundles. Finish by raking the garden area to catch any loose blades of grass. Plus, Orders Over $101 Ship for Free. The fuller the ornamental grass is, the messier it can be when cutting it down. Occasionally, remove dead blades as you find them, and use a hedge trimmer every few years to maintain the size you want. By early May, these grasses are well on their way for another Summer season. Mark Cullen demonstrates how to cut back ornamental grasses in the spring. Most are quite vigorous, require minimal care and add color, form and texture to the landscape. Then cut back the top growth to about an inch tall and transplant into your garden. You can use a strong tape to hold them, a rope, or a bungee cord. Any wide tape will do, as long as it's sticky enough to adhere to the grass. Just follow the steps above to prune it back once every year, and you’ll be thoroughly impressed with the results. Â, Copyright © 2021 Perfect Plants. They also need feeding every year. Some of us like to keep the grass as a winter feature in landscapes that would otherwise be bare. Read our, Ornamental Grass: Low on Maintenance, Big on Impact, First, Know What Type of Grass You're Growing, 8 Best Ornamental Grasses to Add Privacy to the Garden, How to Winterize Your Lawn and Garden in Fall, 12 Essential Spring Cleaning Tasks for the Garden, 13 Types of Colorful Ornamental Grass for Fall, 12 Best Ornamental Grasses for Your Landscape, Pruning Ornamental Grasses: How to Groom and Control. Depending on the height of the ornamental grass, you might need to wrap each bundle of grass in two or three spots along the length of the stems. To lessen the mess, start by bundling the stalks. You can also dump it into your compost pile. If you like the way they look, you can wait as late as mid-spring. Ornamental Grass Care Tips -Grasses can be cut back nearly anytime from fall to spring. The foliage on deciduous grasses can be left until February for its structure and movement in the depths of winter when any contribution to interest in the garden is welcome. Ornamental grasses make ideal garden plants. Ornamental grasses are grouped into three categories: warm season, cool season, and evergreen. Nor will it stunt next year’s growth. If you want to keep some interest in your garden throughout the winter, cut back these grasses in mid to late spring. But there will undoubtedly be a few renegade blades outside of the bundle to clean up with pruning shears. Using hedge shears, cut the stalks 4 to 6 inches above the ground for ornamental grasses that grow taller than 3 feet tall. We recommend waiting until early spring for both types of grass, so the plants provide winter interest as well as providing shelter for animals. But how do you know which type of ornamental grass you have, and when should you prune it? For the warm season grasses that flourish all through the spring and summers, like the Variegated Liriope, you can either trim them in late fall or early spring. If you cut too low, you could be in danger of cutting into the crown of the plant. Other than the long blades swaying in the breeze for a picturesque view, they offer shelter for animals. As an alternative, many gardeners like to use bungee cords stretched tightly around the grass. are a smart and show-stopping part of the landscape. They thrive when the temperatures rise, with major growth and flowering occurring during summer's heat. Pruning too drastically can harm the plant. Ornamental grass is an excellent alternative to shrubs for landscaping gardens. By early Spring, the grasses are ready to be cut back. It will not harm them. When to Cut Back Maiden Grasses. Rotting at the centers especially seen with longer grasses. Warm season grasses turn shades of brown as the weather turns colder. Prevents the plant from warming up on time during the spring, which might delay new growth. Grass is grass, right? For shorter varieties, such as the Dwarf Mondo Grass, cut back to only about 3 inches. If your only option is vinyl tape, remove it as best as you can. And especially wide plants might need to have their stalks divided into two or more sections before bundling. Any small remnants can be sifted out when you use the finished compost. You will want to make sure you prune them back before the dead blades combine seamlessly with the green growth, and it becomes nearly impossible to cut the dead grass without taking down the new growth with it. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, Biodegradable tape (or other material to bundle the grasses). Ornamental grasses are a popular choice in the garden, where their textures and colors provide distinct visual interest. If you’ve got one of these in your garden, you won’t need to cut them back annually like the usual varieties. When that time comes, use hedging shears to cut these grasses back to a height of 3 inches for the smallest selections – those that are under 3 feet tall, and to 6 inches for taller varieties – those that are over 3 feet tall. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. It’s important in late winter to cut back the foliage and flowering stems quite low (10cm to 5cm, depending on the variety) to encourage new growth in spring. Slice the grass into tiny pieces before leaving them to decompose. Instead wait until April or May and gently comb through the plant with gloved hands to remove any loose old leaves and seed heads. You can cut back ornamental grasses when they are still green, just as one might cut the grass of a turf lawn. These fast-growing ground covers will take no time in filling up empty spaces and adding a charm to your outdoor garden. Remove any brown tips and cut back the dead leaves that usually collect around the base Larger evergreen species such as Cortaderia selloana (pampas grass) benefit from hard annual pruning in early spring, cutting back as far as possible without damaging new growth. However, then you won’t have the “winter interest” of the grass leaves and inflorescences (plumes) as they turn gold in the fall/winter. For starters, you can indeed cut back ornamental grasses in the fall once they have died off. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. There are two types of ornamental grasses, cool season and warm season. Most evergreen "grasses" aren't really in the grass family, like sedges and carex--and those don't need pruning. For advice on when to cut back evergreen and deciduous grasses, see our page ornamental grasses: cutting back. Cool season grasses grow primarily in spring, before the temperatures exceed 75 degrees Fahrenheit, and in fall when temperatures cool. It’s not good for your health or that of your plants. Simple shear off a bit of top growth as needed. The foliage provides some insulating protection from cold and soaking rains. Wear gloves--some grass blades can be quite sharp. In regions experiencing drought, native and ornamental grasses are a smart and show-stopping part of the landscape. It’s very helpful to know whether or not you have cool season grasses, warn season grasses, or both. Care for your ornamental grass Give them adequate space when they are young so they are not hemmed in and lose impact as they grow. Many ornamental grasses will remain attractive through the better part of the winter. And at a time when the rest of the landscape is rather dreary, long grasses swaying in the breeze can add some visual interest. Cut back Most are reliably winter hardy in Missouri's climate, which makes annual replanting … We always just take a hedge trimmer to our clumps of grasses and run through the clumps 3 times, with the final cut at 3" above the soil line. So this tutorial shares some best practices to make the process fairly quick, easy, and tidy. Ornamental grasses refers to both true grasses and plants that have a grass-like appearance, such as sedges, that are used for similar purposes in gardens.Most ornamental grasses are perennials, living for two or more years. Traditionally, ornamental grasses are cut back in the late winter or early spring, for two main reasons: The dormant foliage provides some winter interest in an otherwise bare garden. Most ornamental grasses are perennial plants, coming back year after year. But a few are grown as annuals that last for just one growing season, especially in cold northern climates. Also, adding a mulch layer prevents weeds from developing. Here are some problems you might see in your ornamental grass if you don’t cut it back: You’ll find two types of grasses to add to your landscape: cool season grasses and warm season grasses. If you haven’t been pruning your ornamental grass up till now, it’s not too late to start! Cutting back ornamental grass is best done before this growth begins. Again, you’ll need a knife or shears to begin cutting (you can purchase shears made especially for grass at your local hardware store). Most gardeners like to leave the brown foliage up until the winter or early spring for its showy winter interest. With the tape or bungee cords holding the grass blades in place, lean the bundle away from its base as you cut. Cutting the grass, especially denser ones like pampas feather grass, is much simpler if you bundle them and tie them together. Either way, aim to keep the bundle intact as you cut. Especially when left in tact through late fall and early winter. (They can be divided if they get unruly.) As mentioned earlier, vegetation is a lot more brittle after it’s been left to a winter in the elements. You can do the job in the fall after they die or leave them in place through the winter and cut them in the spring. … Picking up the bundles to take to the lawn waste or compost pile is generally an easy task, but removing the tape can be a hassle. Annual grasses live for only one growing season because of their natural growth habit or they are not hardy in our climate.Grasses have growth habits that are either clumping or s… When composting large volumes of dry, dead grass, balance the mixture by adding wet, green material. The last week of February is a good time to cut back your ornamental grasses if you have not yet done so. You can either trim ornamental grass in late fall or very early spring before new growth emerges. Ornamental grasses should be cut back in the fall once they have gone dormant. Cutting each grass bundle is the bulk of the job. Warm season grasses begin growing in mid to late spring, or even early summer. Once your warm season grasses turn brown you can trim them back at almost any time. Ornamental grasses add texture to the landscape with muted plumage and simple foliage. While the cool-season varieties grow best when temperatures are 60 to 70°F, the warm-season grasses like it hot, and prefer temperatures in the 80 to 95°F range. Spring Pre Orders Are Live! How do I Cut Back Native Ornamental Grasses? Not really! First Ornamental Grass Rule of Thumb: Cut back warm season grasses in fall or by mid to late spring. All Rights Reserved • Disclaimer. Though they add a showy display to your garden while they’re green and healthy, the end of the growing season will bring that inevitable brown foliage. Grab the weave and cleanly cut it back to 3 inch above the ground Pruning Ornamental Evergreen Grasses Now here is where the technique changes, put down your samurai sword and revert back to your careful cut flower garden You can do the job in the fall after they die or leave them in place through the winter and cut them in the spring. When to Prune Ornamental Grasses? Just put on your gloves, and rake through them every couple of months to catch any dead foliage. Mulching is very beneficial for your plants. Cutting Back Ornamental Grasses Cool season grasses like fescue, ribbon grass, and tufted hair grass can be cut back in late winter or, if the season is mild, earlier than that. Before getting down to work, gather your gear. Plus, their seed heads can provide food for wildlife. Shorter mature plants can be cut back to about three inches. Cut back deciduous grasses in spring and ‘comb out’ dead leaves of evergreen types. For these, it is best to dig out the roots of the plants after bundling and cutting off the stems to prepare the planting site for something new. Remove the grass bundles from the garden and rake the ground to get any dead material on your lawn. It will help retain moisture in the soil, provide warmth, and nutrients. Is It Necessary to Rake Leaves off the Lawn? Julie Thompson-Adolf is a master gardener and author with 13+ years of experience with year-round organic gardening, seed starting and saving, growing heirloom plants, perennials, and annuals, and sustainable and urban farming. And because many ornamental grasses are native species, they're favored among gardeners who are interested in natural and water-efficient landscaping. Remove the grass bundles from the garden and rake the ground to get any dead material on your lawn. Cut warm season grasses to the ground. In South Florida, you may wish to cut back or trim ornamental grasses in January or February. Even if a grass becomes too large during the growing season, they can be pruned for shape. And they certainly won’t freeze out from having their stems and foliage removed. Nearly all ornamental grasses can be cut back anytime from early fall to late Spring. Cool season grasses should be cut back in very early spring. If your ornamental grass is thick, a power hedge trimmer might be helpful to do the job. As soon as the snow clears, cut the grass back by 2/3, leaving 1/3 in place. Here are some tips to keep in mind: Cut back warm-season grasses in fall, or any time before mid-spring: If you enjoy a tidy winter garden, trim warm-season ornamental grasses in the fall. It’s a simple chore, and you won’t be needing much to get it done: Once you have finished cutting back your ornamental grass, now there’s a bunch of clumps of grass that need to be properly disposed of. They are available in sizes ranging from as short as 6 inches to as tall as 15 feet and can tolerate a wide array of exposures and soil types. Warm season grasses turn brown in winter. Gardeners include these plants in the home landscape for their beauty as well as their low maintenance needs. You can either make a single bundle or multiple ones if your ornamental grass is spread throughout your garden. While I love how ornamental grasses look with daffodils and other early bloomers, I eventually remind myself to cut them back. Let the grasses sit in this water for hours to allow the water to wick up and saturate the entire root ball of each plant. Small evergreen grasses, such as Festuca glauca, can be trimmed in spring. When to Cut Back Ornamental Grasses It's a matter of type of grass and personal choice when you cut back your ornamental grasses. When left to stand in the fall and early winter, ornamental grasses can provide great interest in the landscape. For deciduous grasses like some Miscanthus, the old foliage may be completely removed with a chainsaw or hedge shears. Despite its feminine common name, maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis) is a tough plant that stands up to -- and needs -- a serious annual buzz cut. This is why biodegradable tape that you can leave on (or bungees you can easily remove) is helpful. Grasses need maintenance to look their best. Or add a few handfuls of nitrogen fertilizer to help the grass break down. Instead you can use them for mulching the soil around your plants. It's a matter of type of grass and personal choice when you cut back your ornamental grasses. Some ornamental grasses are evergreen grasses in regions where they get the ideal conditions, like full sun. Alternatively, if you want to retain a winter grass effect, cut it back in the very early spring Warm-season grasses that are taller than three feet should be cut back to four to six inches from ground level. Cutting back ornamental grass differs by the height of the plant. Be careful to not cut back a cool season ornamental grass too far, as this can seriously harm the plant. Although grasses can be cut back safely anytime from fall to late spring, allowing them to stand throughout most of the winter has several advantages. They are generally pest and disease resistant. When To Cut Back Ornamental Grass? You might not mind looking at a little more brown becoming a part of your fall garden, but pruning is necessary for the continued health of the grass for the next growing season. Maintenance of Ornamental Grasses. University of Illinois Extension, Marie Iannotti is an author, photographer, and speaker with 27 years of experience as a Cornell Cooperative Extension Horticulture Educator and Master Gardener. If they get really messy and tired looking after a few years, you can cut them hard in late spring or early summer. This job can be messy. Some types of grass begin growth in late winter to early spring while others don’t sprout new growth until later in the spring season. Cut back cool season grasses so about a third of last year’s growth remains. For shorter varieties, such as the. Available in distinct colors, fine textures, and a bundle of varieties for different climates, gardeners usually have no problem picking out grass plants that will suit their garden well. Tips to Cut Ornamental Grasses Because most decorative grasses are perennial plants, you should remove the roots after cutting their stems. If you are composting the dead grass stalks, cut them in pieces before you add them to the compost pile to speed decomposition. In any case, you’ll need to cut back the foliage in early spring before new growth emerges. But there are still a few tips to help make the task less arduous. Now that the ornamental grass is neatly bundled, take your pruning shears and cut the grass, either by two-thirds for cool season grass, or to ground level for warm season grass. Divide congested clumps in spring. If you prefer a tidy garden, or if your ornamental grass is a variety that doesn't look great dormant, cut back the grass in fall. Cut back an ornamental grass to a height of 6 to 8 inches. Read further to learn how and when to cut back ornamental grasses. What to Do With Grass Clippings? Clipping ornamental grass can be a messy task creating grass clumps, and the sharp edges can pierce your fingers so don’t forget to wear Gempler’s Work Gloves before you start. However, many grasses add terrific winter interest in the landscape, adding movement and texture when much of the garden is asleep. this will accelerate the decomposition process. Ornamental grasses are fairly new to the landscape scene—they've increased in popularity in the past couple decades. In the Fall, these grasses show off their dried florets — also called seedheads. Pruning ornamental grasses varies throughout the growing season. Using hedge shears, cut the stalks 4 to 6 inches above the ground for ornamental grasses that grow taller than 3 feet tall. But once the foliage turns brown at the end of the growing season, gardeners must remove the dead grass. These grasses keep their color throughout summer without much growth during its heat. They need dividing, soil replenishing and cutting back at the right time. Biodegradable paper tape is recommended for an eco-friendly approach. Know which type of grass and personal choice when you cut too low, may... When should you when to cut back ornamental grasses it biodegradable paper tape is recommended for an eco-friendly approach task less arduous n't in. They certainly won’t freeze out from having their stems the size you want when left to a of! Series, biodegradable tape that you can leave on ( or bungees you can cut! 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