Grasses

Question

Does anyone know what's do with this grass? Should I hard prune it down to the ground, or leave it?? We just bought a home and not sure what to do with all the plants.
Thank you!!!!!

Sensible Gardening and Living · Answer

You can leave it up or cut it down before winter, the grass does not care one way or the other. If you cut ,go right down to 6-8 inches from the ground and clean out any dead debris. I leave mine up as they add winterest interst and beauty to my snowy garden and the birds love them.

Luis · Answer

It's a matter of personal choice whether you cut back your ornamental grasses in fall or spring. Most ornamental grasses will remain attractive if left standing throughout the better part of the winter. They may even provide food for the birds, I cut mine early Spring just before the new shoots come out.

Diana F · Answer

thank you:)

Diana F · Answer

Thank you Luis! Any idea about 'Annabelle' hydrangeas? Same thing?

Patricia W · Answer

I clean mine in late fall after it dies off. Im in Oregon in the Willamette Valley so many plants and grasses keep on showing their stuff until late in the year. I would leave it until it dies then clean it up so you have one less spring chore.

Carolyn Richrath · Answer

Cut it down and when it starts to grow in the spring , trim it evenly so it doesn't look helter skelter

Diana F · Answer

Thank you. I love a Pinot noir that comes from Willamette Valley..'.Four Graces'

Becky P · Answer

I leave mine up until Spring. It provides shelter for the birds, and last year, a stray cat would hang out between the growth, on a bed it made. (of course, my cat wasn't too happy about that!) It also looks really pretty with snow on the tassels.

Julie J · Answer

Here's a tip from our local golf course - wrap around it with rope, twine or duct tape, cut it about 12' up from the ground. Easy clean up! I leave mine until spring because I like the look of it in the winter landscape.

Diana F · Answer

I think ill keep it till spring as well. Great winter home for the birds:)

Jeanette freeze · Answer

Ty you all I have tryed to grow couple times not much look but think I will try one more time not sure what went wrong most times have awesome green thumb as they say lol

Linda · Answer

We ;eave our ribbon grass groups up all winter. They survive the snow here for the most part. We do cut some of the feather plumes in the fall and dry them for decorating. Chop way back in the spring, down to about 12'h. and thin at that point if the clumps are getting too large. They spread, so give them lots of room if you're just planting some new pots. What you chop down in the spring can be used for mulching, so I've heard, but wear gloves....the stuff can be sharp.

Patti Lemaire · Answer

i trim all my grasses down to about five inches every year just before the snow flys..

Donna H · Answer

I leave mine til the spring and then cut them back pretty low. I like Julie's idea about the twine.

Lydia Whitehead Torres · Answer

When I worked for a landscaping company, We would wait until February to cut back the grasses. This way you will have the dried grass for visual interest and as a shelter for small birds during the winter. We would then cut it off 6' to 8' from the ground, thus allowing new growth freedom to flourish. Use a hedge trimmer for quick and painless trimming. (The dried grasses make for great compost materials.)

Judy4justice · Answer

I read here on another post about grasses that said the ribbon grass is very invasive.I just planted some near a new pond and am now wondering if I should move it before it starts to spread.I was going for a woodsy look but don't want it to overtake the pond.Mine is panicetum red ribbon I believe.

June · Answer

We leave ours until the Spring. I'd rather look at that in the winter than at stubs of grass. We cut it quite low in the Spring & are always amazed at how it spreads each year. I transplanted a very small piece of it in a spot that needed 'something' & that the deer wouldn't like (big advantage) a couple years ago & now it's lovely to look at. Those tassels are so pretty.

Diane · Answer

I would love to have these on my land. Where do they sell these grasses? I live in Texas.

Jen · Answer

Take a piece of twine and wrap it around the 'stand' of grass...take your shears and cut across..remove twine...perfectly cut grass!

169756 · Answer

I had to give up my wonderful grasses when we moved to our new home. I was able to salvage 2 and have them in the new yard. 4 years ago I planted two in the front of our old home. 1 season ago, in the spring, I was able to divide our 2 gorgeous grasses into 14 plants and they are now spaced and border a fence at the old house. We drove by this week and they are in their fully glory. Hopefully I will duplicate the process at our new place but won't have so many. I did need to share how they can be divided and reproduce. We read up on the process of how to deal with the dead growth before we did anything with them. They do look great, even dry, in the winter, so we waited until early spring to tie them around with a bungee cord and my husband gave them a haircut with an electric chain saw. Sounds drastic but too huge for anything else. We took them down to about a foot high and they did great. I may drive by the old house and take some pictures and share them while they are so magnificent. Anyway, good luck with the process. Grasses are a wonderful addition to any yard.

Diana F · Answer

These are 6-7 ft. Tall!! Gonna need a bit more than twine and shears!! More like rope and a chainsaw...lol. I'm gonna keep them as they are for my feathered friends this winter, and will cut in the spring as long as they will grow again to what they are. How far down should I go in spring? Maybe leave them 2ft. tall? We just bought our home and inherited things I didn't have before:). Thank you so much for your help..

Diana F · Answer

yes Diane, I love them. They are very tall and the plumes just 'bloomed' within the last couple of weeks. They are beautiful green grass all summer. I believe I have a pic of them in the summer look. I LOVE the fall look as well. Gonna keep them all winter for the birds to nestle in for warmth. Not sure of their real name ( unless someone mentioned in an earlier post), but I'm sure if you showed the pic to your local garden center, they would know:)

Diana F · Answer

I've only lived here for 3 months, and, yes, IDE like to thin it out. We have two beautiful flowering bushes behind the grass that my next door neighbors are enjoying, because we can't see them!!

Diana F · Answer

thank you June!!

Diana F · Answer

TY TY TY Linda!!

Debbie Benson · Answer

The suggestion about rope and a chain saw works best. We had several plants around our pool area and not only did we tie rope around it, we had a tarp laid out on the ground so that once it's cut, two people make easier work to haul it off. Another suggestion is to go around the plant with a shovel and dig the outer parts up to keep the diameter within limits. Whether cut in the fall or spring, it still comes back - virtually impossible to kill.

Eileen Gascoyne · Answer

Like the suggestion about tying twine around the grass before cutting back below the twine. I do mine in early Spring. I missed one this past season and it grew straggly, while the newly trimmed grasses flourished.

Judy4justice · Answer

I went back and read the description where I purchased it and they did mention it being invasive but said it in such a way I thought it just meant it grew quickly.LOL I will move it.Thanks.

169756 · Answer

Hi again. We too saved the dried grass and used it as a walkway in our veggie garden. We left the bungie cords on to haul them to the garden. They are easy to separate once dug up. Ours had shallow roots also so an easy dig. We chopped them into 4 sections and then divided again. I doubt you can kill them. They are about 5-6 high and at least 4 feet around.

Donna H · Answer

@Judy- I saw something on pinterest that you can plant the invasive grasses in a large bucket and then put the bucket into the ground.

Grasses

Suggested Project Book

13 Ways to Upgrade Your Boring Ceiling Fan on a Budget

Other

More

Grasses

Suggested Project Book