Ornamental grasses are beautiful, inexpensive, easy to find and easy to grow in all types of soil. Paul James, host of HGTV's Gardening by the Yard, explains the basics of their planting and care. Ornamental grasses have been around for decades, but in the last few years they've caught the eye of both landscape designers and gardeners. Whether you plant them individually as eye-catching specimens, in groups or in containers, low-maintenance ornamental grasses offer a year-round interest and beauty that few other plants can match. A wide variety of ornamental grasses is available from nurseries and mail-order companies, as are grass lookalikes such as irises, daylilies, mondo grass, liriope and even yucca. Ornamental grasses are usually sold in 1-, 3- and 5-gallon containers, and most are reasonably priced, although unusual varieties may be expensive. The best time to plant most grasses is early spring so they'll have time to become established before the heat of summer arrives. In spring you'll find the best selection at local nurseries, and mail-order sources often ship grasses only in spring. Most ornamental grasses require 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight a day. If they receive less, they tend to droop and may not to flower. Some afternoon shade is fine, especially in areas with hot summers. When removing a large clump of grass from its container, press the container's sides to loosen the root ball, then pull the whole thing out (figure A). If the plant appears pot-bound--packed with roots growing in a circle--score the sides of the root ball with a knife to encourage young feeder roots to grow outward (figure B). Ornamental grasses aren't finicky about soil type, so it's not necessary to amend the soil. The richer the soil, however, the more quickly the plants will reward you with increased vigor and growth. Adding some well-rotted manure or compost to the planting hole gives the plants a little nutrient boost.
Planting ornamental grasses is easy. Just place the plant at the same depth it was growing in its container, and pack the soil firmly around the root ball as you fill the hole. Water well, and add more soil if necessary. Fertilizing ornamental grasses is not recommended, assuming you add manure or compost at planting time. It's best to let the plant adapt to leaner soil. Too much nitrogen can lead to weak, floppy foliage as well as insect and disease problems. During the plants' first few weeks in the ground, you'll need to water regularly, perhaps daily. Grasses have a tendency to dry out quickly and may die rapidly in the absence of water. By the end of the first year a weekly watering, ideally in the form of a slow drip from the hose, is all they'll probably need, even in dry climates. Once they're well established, you may not need to water at all. If you water regularly, the plant will respond with lush, thick growth. If you withhold water, the clump will remain tight and slow-growing. Ornamental grasses benefit from a thick layer of mulch to suppress weeds and maintain even soil moisture. In areas on the northern edge of the plant's hardiness zone, mulch provides essential winter protection. The only maintenance grasses need is an annual haircut, a way of mimicking the grazing and burning that take place in native grass prairies. Trim grasses in late February or early March so you can enjoy their foliage during winter. Use a small pruning saw or a weed trimmer fitted with a circular-saw blade to cut grasses to a height of about 6". You don't have to cut them back, but they tend to look tacky if you don't. As some grasses mature, they thin out in the center of the clump. Three solutions to the problem are to dig up the plant and toss it in the compost pile, rejuvenate it or dig and divide it. To rejuvenate a mature clump, you'll need post-hole diggers and a 1- to 3-gallon container-grown grass of the same variety. Use the post-hole diggers to cut a hole in the center of the clump. Then remove the new grass from its container and plant it in the hole. Before long the new plant will blend in with the old, and you won't be able to tell the difference between the two. To divide a mature clump of grass, dig out as much of the root ball as possible. Using a machete, divide the clump several times. Another method is to place two pitchforks back to back and pry the plant's roots apart. Once you've separated the divisions, plant them just as you would new container-grown plants. Tip: - Before you plant ornamental grasses, set the containers in the garden spots where you think you'd like to plant them. Move the containers around until you're happy with their placement.
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