Looking for the best way to prune back and divide the ornamental grass clumps in your landscape? And when to do it?
Late winter and early spring are the time to get your ornamental grasses in shape and ready for the growing season. Not only will a little work now help to keep your grasses manageable, it can also create all kinds of new grass transplants to use all over your landscape.
Ornamental grass varieties are a great addition to any landscape. They have wonderful color and texture, and bring interest the whole year round. Especially when left in tact through late fall and early winter.
Ornamental Grass Care – Why & How To Prune & Divide Early!
Although you can cut back grasses in the fall, leaving them up through the winter is actually a great idea. It not only adds interest, but also provides valuable protection for birds and animals struggling to make it through the harsh winter cold. The grasses make for great nesting materials for birds as well – and can even serve as a bit of a wind and snow break too.
But by the time late winter / early spring rolls around, the long winter can certainly have them looking a bit tattered and frayed.
As soon as your ground thaws and the weather is warm enough to warrant being outside, you can head out to cut your grasses back. A cold snap or a hard freeze will not kill plants in the least as they are extremely hardy.
Getting to them early in the year before spring hits in full force can be quite advantageous. For one, it gets them ready to grow fast. But it also allows you to get ahead of the game before mowing, planting and garden season hits full on.
Although you can burn grasses back at this point without harming them, it can be extremely dangerous to nearby structures and plants. It is also illegal in many a locations to open burn, and if it spreads, it can cause a lot of damage in quick fashion. With that in mind, it’s far safer to simply cut them back – and it couldn’t be easier to do!
How To Prune – The Best Tool For Cutting Grasses Back
Grasses can be cut back all the way to ground level, but for most varieties it’s better to leave a bit of the old growth in place. Not only will it keep a bit of interest in the landscape, it also provides protection for roots, and helps anchor new shoots in the spring.
For small mounding grasses, cut the stand back to a few inches. For larger grasses that grow three or more feet, leave four to six inches remaining.
So how do you make quick work of the chore? The answer is with a batter powered pair of electric hedge shears! Powered hedge trimmer can slice through grass clumps quickly and with little effort. And make hours of hand cutting finished in mere minutes! Affiliate Link: VIVOSUN 20″ Cordless Hedge Trimmer, 20V Electric Bush Trimmer
If you have more than just one or two grass clumps, it really is the way to go. For small mounding grasses, a good pair of hedge shears still works wonders. The longer blades of the shears get under the low mounds easily to cut away the top. Affiliate Link: OARA Garden Hedge Shears
And if you happen to have exceptionally large, thick stranded grasses? Believe it or not, a chainsaw works wonders!
Dividing Oversized Ornamental Grass Clumps – After You Prune
So what if your grass clumps have become a bit large and unruly? Mature plants sometimes require a bit of extra maintenance to keep them looking good. And that is where dividing your plants every so often comes into play.
Dividing large clumps helps keep plants healthy for years. It is also a great way to create free new plants for your landscape.
Ornamental grass clumps grow from the inside out. That means new growth is always be on the outside ring of the plant. After a few years, you may notice the middle area beginning to die off. When this happens, it is time to dig your plant up to prune the dead portions out.
On average, ornamental grasses need to be dug out every three to five years to keep them well maintained. They can certainly go longer, but it becomes a more difficult chore.
Creating New Plants
When digging up to trim out dead growth, or to create new transplants – start by digging up the entire ball of grass. Begin by digging out the entire root ball of the clump. If it is too large, it can be dug out in sections.
Remove and discard the “dead” center portion to the compost pile. Only utilize sections of the newer, outer growth area for replanting. Not only do the outer edges have younger root sections, they are also easier to work with.
You can create quite a few new starts from an old clump. A sharp shovel or the reciprocating saw makes quick work of splitting them up. An axe also works great for large plants with very thick roots. The larger the slice of roots, the larger your first year plant will be.
Planting transplants couldn’t be easier. Simply dig a hole for each new clump and cover around with soil. Simply replant wherever needed and as spring warms, the plants will shoot up new growth. In fact, they do not require any additional soil amending or fertilizers at all.
Listen In To Our Podcast Below On Cutting Back Ornamental Grasses
Grasses truly are low maintenance, and just one more reason they are so good to have in your landscape. You will be surprised how many “new” plants you can start from an old clump!
If you are looking for more great late winter / early spring gardening tips, check out our article: How To Get Your Raised Beds Ready For Spring Planting – Now!
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Simple Garden Life is a website dedicated to keeping gardening fun, simple and enjoyable! We publish two new articles each week along with a new garden podcast episode every two weeks. This article may contain affiliate links.