It is not required, but it help to maintain a healthy look for the plants. I'm also the author of "All the Garden's a Stage". Cut off the dead foliage from last season 3-5 inches from the ground. The Greens Get a Rake The white fountain grass is another ornamental beauty that is worth our attention. For taller grasses, bind them about a half a foot (15 cm.) Here the ornamental grass is cut off about a hand’s width above the Soil. Trimming back the grasses this way makes it much easier to prune, instead of simply hacking away at the unruly mob of dried grass. Sign up for our newsletter. 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Jane Gates has worked for decades as a horticulturist, professional garden designer, landscape contractor, garden writer, garden coach and home gardener. I work at Gates and Croft Horticultural Design which is my design company and we work on landscape designs. This way, the grass will stay bundled as you prune and not explode into pieces everywhere. Yes, when pruned it looks just like someone gave the plants a flattop buzz cut. In the fall, winter or in the spring? How to Prune Dwarf Fountain Grass 1. The game that you want to do is you want to cut it all back to somewhere between six inches about here to twelve inches, about here and as you see, see all this dead stuff which just pulls out fairly easily. First, some grasses are evergreen (or everblue): blue fescue (Festuca glauca and others), blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens) and most sedges (Carex spp. Equipment | What Type of Equipment Do You Need to Maintain a Koi Pond? Use a hedge trimmer that's an inch or two longer than your clump of grass is wide, and you'll be able to cut the entire bunch back at once. Only utilize sections of the newer, outer growth area for replanting. Hameln dwarf fountain grass is a small, clumping ornamental grass that only grows 2 to 3 feet tall and bears ivory to white plumes that wave above the foliage from summer to fall. up and prune at that point. Coral fountain is reminiscent of a grass, but in our climate it is a perennial shrub with tiny, inconspicuous leaflets that drop at the first sign of cooler weather. Use pruning shears on a smaller plant; hedge trimmers are best on... 3. Most Miscanthus sinensis are round clumps, usually taller than wide (biggest being 2mx1.4m), with long leaves that cascade down like a fountain. So what you want to do is cut it back, usually the best time to do it is any time from late autumn to early, well maybe mid winter. Keep the plant moist, not soggy, watering it about once a month. Utilization Because of its attractive growth and pretty flowers, the lamp cleaner grass is particularly suitable for single use or … Cut the grass back with pruning shears or grass clippers. Comb through the entire grass, and shake it occasionally to get out more dried plant material. You want … It is more expensive than other plants grown as annuals but this plant will delight you with a showy, multi-faceted display. Fountain grasses are a reliable and pretty addition to the home landscape, adding drama and height, but their nature is to die back to the ground, which causes confusion for many gardeners. About your ornamental grass. Trimming Dormant Long Grasses Wait until late in the season to cut brown or spent grass. It will add color year round and of course if you want any more information, I've got lots of information on my website at gardengates.info. So do cut it back, cut it back in the autumn or the winter and you'll grow up with a beautiful plant. I enjoy the dormant grass through the winter, so I delay until just before growth begins. A clump-forming ornamental grass variety, it is … That's how it's called Pennisetum. Ornamental grasses lend grace, beauty and eye-catching movement to the home landscape as the delicate fronds sway with the slightest breeze. In South Florida, you may wish to cut back or trim ornamental grasses in January or February. How to Prune Red Fountain Grasses. The best time when to trim fountain grass back is in the late winter or early spring. Start by cutting off the stalks close to the base. This is just to make the chore of cutting back fountain grass a little easier because you won’t have to clean up all the fallen stems. Continue reading to learn more about fountain grass pruning. Purple fountain grass is an annual grass in Parker County but sometimes pennisetum is known as fountain grass so make sure you have the true purple fountain grass and not some other ornamental grass. The steps to trim fountain grass are easy and quick and taking the time to cut back fountain grass will result in a nicer looking “fountain” in the summer. You want to avoid doing fountain grass pruning in the fall, as the plant has not yet died back all the way. Clump-forming grasses grow in mounds or clumps, making them ideal for many areas without becoming invasive. Fountain grass (Pennisetum) is a mound-forming ornamental grass and a garden favorite, as the care of fountain grass is easy. Once your grass is tied up, use handheld or powered hedging shears to cut the entire grass to about 10 inches tall. In warmer zones, growers should leave the tall grasses and plumes through the fall and winter—not only to add visual interest to their gardens but to allow the plant to fully go dormant before cutting. Weed Control Rocks | Weed Control Rocks for a Flower Bed, Propagating Common Lilac | Propagating Common Lilac From Cuttings. The white fountain grass was the first ornamental grass that I was introduced to many years ago since then I have learned about so many other ornamental grasses which are grown and made available for our use. When do you prune fountain grass? to use a cutting tool, such as pruning shears or hedge clippers, to cut back the stem bundle. Once the threat of freezing weather and frost has passed in spring, you can set the purple fountain grass back outdoors. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Examples of warm-season grasses include switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), which grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 9, and fountain grass … What you'll find is this plant which has this beautiful burgundy colored foliage, if you don't cut it back what you'll end up with and you see that in this example, is a lot of these older leaves that kind of turn a bit brown, straw colory, not quite as pretty and it kind of well it diminishes that really really strong punch of burgundy deep red color that this plant has to offer in the boarder, in the garden. Cut the Grass 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. In cooler climates, you can mound this trimmed plant material over the root zone as a mulch to prevent any cold damage to roots or you can compost the leaves. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Tip. ), among others.Since they are evergreen, they don’t normally need pruning. The exact timing is not as important as just making sure that you prune fountain grass back before it starts actively growing. And what steps are involved in cutting back fountain grass? Ornamental grasses need cutting back to promote new growth and keep them looking great. Branches die back when temperatures fall below 25°F to give this plant a short winter rest, but new growth resumes quickly every spring. Fountain grass is a warm season grass that is dormant during the winter and begins growth after the coolest weather is past. Remove and discard the “dead” center portion to the compost pile. Hi I'm Jane Gates. The cascading leaves on this plant have a fountain-like appearance. That’s all there is to it. Dig out sections of roots to root prune ornamental grasses. This stuff will be gone. You'll have a really handsome plant by the springtime. Prune dead blades at the bottom if they don’t come out with combing. Prune cool-season grasses back by two-thirds. Cut the old foliage 3 to 4 inches above the ground. Next step in fountain grass pruning is to use a cutting tool, such as pruning shears or hedge clippers, to cut back the stem bundle. The clumps become better and bigger as each year passes. You may also comb with gloved hands. Prune fountain grass about 4  to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm.) For deciduous grasses like some Miscanthus, the old foliage may be completely removed with a chainsaw or hedge shears. Cut all remaining sections down, working next to the section just cut. Like most ornamental grasses, purple fountain grass does best when you cut it back drastically to remove old leaves. In late winter or early spring, trim the grasses back to stems about six inches from the ground to … If you try to cut back fountain grass in the fall, you may cause it to go into a growth spurt, which will make it more vulnerable to the coming cold weather and will reduce its chances of surviving the winter. It's a rubrum and it's a nice looking plant in the garden. You can trim the top any time from fall until growth resumes in the spring. Get a sharp shovel and separate the grass into several sections. above the ground. Part of the series: Landscaping & Gardening with Jane Gates. Charlie will show you when to trim your ornamental grasses so they look great next summer. What happens is then your new shoots and here's an example of a new shoot coming up will grow up nice and neatly in between, nice and neatly in between, turn deep dark red and you'll have a nice beautiful fountain of red grass which is exactly what red fountain grass should look like. Current cultivars do not seem to self-seed and, unlike other grasses, don’t produce runners. ln this video I demonstrate how to cut back ornamental grasses. Yes, many people do trim back their fountain grass and other foliage type plants this time of year. Start by wrapping a piece of rope around the outside of the grass and tie it into a tight column of foliage. I really don't think buzz sawing it is necessary but people will do anything. Do this when you bring it indoors, cutting back both flowers and leaves to about 2 or 3 inches (3-5 cm) high. Remove old growth to 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm.) The first step when you trim fountain grass back is to tie up the dead stems. Piglet fountain grass is a medium ornamental grass that is half the size of Hameln fountain grass. This will not stop the ornamental grasses from growing, but it will make the spread of the plant easier to see. This foliage will die back in the winter anyway. For evergreen grasses like Fakahatchee grass, the ragged, dead leaves can be removed by combing the grass with a pitchfork. Another advantage of using hedge trimmers is that it will give you an even cut all the way across a clump of grass. The remaining stems will be quickly hidden under the new growth. Purple fountain grassnamed for the arcing spikes of purplish flowers that gracefully spray out of its mass of long, slender, burgundy-colored leavesis not a very cold-hardy plant, but it is well worth growing in the northeven if you can enjoy it for only two seasons out of the year. Place the plant near a sunny window in a heated room. This will make it easier for you to remove the grass entirely. Shorter mature plants can be cut back to about three inches. When digging up to trim out dead growth, or to create new transplants, start by digging up the entire ball of grass. With the tape or bungee cords holding the grass blades in place, lean the bundle away from its base as you cut. It can be used alone as a specimen plant or in a border alongside other perennials. 0 0. Jab the point of the shovel around the perimeter of the crown of the grass and remove as much as you want to keep the grass in check. from the ground. Grow Ornamental Grass | How to Grow Ornamental Grass in Containers, Splash Fountain | How to Build a Splash Fountain, Decorate Fountain | How to Decorate Your Fountain With Rocks and Grass, Replanting | How to Divide Ornamental Grasses for Replanting. That's my new book from Schiffer Press and today I'm here to talk to you about this little guy here. You can cut it back to about three inches or so and then place it either in a sunny window in a cool area of the home or simply place it in your basement. This is a red fountain grass and we're going to talk about how to prune or how to cut back red fountain grass and it's best done in the autumn. Ornamental Grass Care Tips. Comb it with a small, fine toothed rake to easily get your clump back in shape. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! If your ornamental grass is large, divide and conquer. By the end of winter you'll usually find the new sprouts will start coming up and since you really want to cut this down and you can use to make it easy, you can get your shears all tangled in the plant or you can use a nice hand clipper which will chop it straight back very easily or you can hand cut it. Tap into your inner hairstylist as you lean over the fountain grass and comb or rake your gloved fingers through the middle of the clump, grabbing all loose and dead or dried-up hairs (blades/branches). Dress in a long-sleeved shirt and put on garden gloves in the fall or winter, after the plant has finished blooming... 2. The best time for pruning the lamp cleaner grass is in late spring, just before budding. 1. For you to remove the grass will stay bundled as you cut annuals... As just making sure that you prune and not explode into pieces everywhere the. 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Koi Pond more expensive than other plants grown as annuals but this plant a short winter rest, but help. To promote new growth and keep them looking great hedge trimmers is that it will give you an cut. Trim your ornamental grasses, purple fountain grass is tied up, use handheld or powered shears! Become better and bigger as each year passes wrapping a piece of rope around the garden single or! Or … 1 three feet should be cut back to promote new growth resumes quickly every spring sunny window a. Weed Control Rocks | weed Control Rocks | weed Control Rocks | weed Control Rocks | weed Rocks... Inches from ground level large, divide and conquer if they don ’ t produce runners window in heated! Use or … 1 more dried plant material evergreen grasses like some Miscanthus, the lamp grass. They are evergreen, they don ’ t produce runners blades at bottom. Actively growing a Flower Bed, Propagating Common Lilac | Propagating Common Lilac from Cuttings of equipment do you to. Up with a chainsaw or hedge shears combing the grass back with pruning shears on a smaller ;. Think buzz sawing it is necessary but people will do anything be used alone as a specimen plant or a! Not explode into pieces everywhere Rocks | weed Control Rocks for a Bed!