by Sue McDavid, UCCE Master
Gardener, El Dorado County
May 2003
Do you want a plant that is visually interesting in your
landscape almost year round? Is virtually free of pests and diseases? Requires only minimal maintenance? If all these characteristics sound like
something you want in your garden, then ornamental grasses are for you. They really do come close to being the ideal
plant for someone with very little time to work in the garden – once planted
and established, about all you have to do is whack them down when the growing
season is finished and then watch them come back in the spring. In addition, few perennials can match the
diversity of these plants in color, size and form. They range in color from green, yellow, blue, burgundy and straw
with many variegated shades inbetween.
Grasses can range in height from 6” to 14’ or more and can be used as
groundcovers, border edgings, specimen plants or companions to many herbaceous
perennials.
Ornamental
grasses grow in two ways: They are
either rhizomatous (sometimes called running, spreading or creeping) or
clumping. Be very careful when planting
the running types; they can be quite invasive and sometimes become nearly
impossible to get rid of – think bermuda grass. The clumping types merely increase in circumference over time, so
are a bit easier to control.
Now
is an excellent time to plant ornamental grasses so they will be well
established before the hot days of summer.
Planting grasses is much the same as planting any other perennial -- be
aware of sun or shade requirements, what type of soil is needed as well as water
requirements. Be sure you know what the
mature size will be – some ornamental grasses grow so large, you’ll need a
backhoe to remove them. As far as
fertilization needs, most grasses don’t need a lot after planting; too much
nitrogen will contribute to weak, floppy foliage. Irrigation should ideally be done with a drip or soaker hose
system because overhead sprinkling tends to flatten down the foliage. Ornamental grasses aren’t usually bothered
by pests to speak of, and about the only disease they exhibit is the rare case
of rust. Poor air circulation and
overhead watering are usually the causes of this fungus and if it appears, cut
off the affected leaves and discard in the trash. It will usually disappear when the hot, dry days of summer
arrive.
Some of my favorite ornamental grasses include the Festucas (Blue Fescues) which make great
border edgings; Calamagrostis acutifolia ‘Stricta’
(Feather Reed Grass); Pennisetum setaceum
‘Rubrum’ (Purple Fountain Grass); many varieties of Miscanthus (Eulalia, Silver Grass); and Arrhenatherum elatius
bulbosum ‘Variegatum’ (Bulbous Oat Grass).
Even if you only plant one or two of these grasses, I guarantee you will
be hooked by their beauty and ease of maintenance.
For questions related to this topic, or any other questions about home gardening topics, call our office from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday, at 621-5512.