ORNAMENTAL GRASS CARE

CUTTING BACK:  It's time to cut back most ornamental grasses. Many of us, myself included, enjoy our ornamental grasses during winter when their golden stalks glow in the sun and wave in the wind, and their ethereal flower heads glitter with captured ice and snow crystals. But their time is past, this year more so than most.

The crushing snow and ice loads from our nastier storms have flattened our plants. If not cut very soon, the dry stalks will break apart, scatter and litter the ground, making a clean up job harder. Waiting until new green shoots appear makes a simple job fussy...then you have to be careful not to cut the new to remove the old. If new growth is cut, your grasses will have flat-tops when grown and look far less attractive.

EVERGREEN-TYPE GRASSES should not be cut back. Instead,  pull on the old, now-brown stems. They should pull away in your hand. This group includes Carex ("Woods Sedges"), Festuca ("Fescues"...many are blue), and Helictotrichon ("Oat Grasses").

LIRIOPE:  Many people mistake Liriope ("Lily Turf") for a grass because it looks  similar. It is a member of the lily family. Although their foliage is evergreen, it is usually beat-up looking after wintering, and will be more attractive if cut back to 1-2" above the ground. As with grasses, waiting until new growth is up makes the job harder.

FERTILIZATION of most Ornamental Grasses is not necessary, and often detrimental to sturdy growth. For Miscanthus ("Maiden/Zebra Grasses"), Penstemon ("Fountain Grasses") and Hakonechloa ("Japanese Forest Grasses"), it is far preferable to prep their soil with rich humus/compost before planting. If you wish to fertilize, do so now, or any time in the next month using 1" of compost. Lightly work into the soil surrounding the plant by scratching some into the soil surface.

Panicum ("Switch Grasses") and Schizachyrium ("Bluestems") are stronger planted in average soil. Do not feed these or weak, floppy plants will result. These are native plant families that evolved in poor-to-average soil.

Bebe Gallo, principal/founder of Gardens by Design, is a member of the Assoc of Professional Landscape Designers with more than 30 years experience, and a life-long advocate for a healthy environment.  gardensbydesignct.com