If you have more time than money and like growing your own landscape plants, try ornamental grass division. Most landscapes have an area, or even several spots, where some type of grass would look perfect. With a clumping habit, taller varieties sway in the breeze. You likely won’t find this plant in every neighbor’s yard, so use it to make your landscaping unique.
When to Divide Ornamental Grasses
If you have large areas that would benefit from being filled with ornamental grasses, or walkways and paths that would be attractive if lined by these plants, try growing from divisions. Most ornamental grasses grow easily and quickly from just a small start.
A hollow center indicates when to divide ornamental grasses. Usually division every two to three years is appropriate.
Dividing ornamental grasses is best done in late winter or early spring before growth starts. Divide even a small plant if you want to grow more. As long as roots are present, you can expect a nice clump by autumn.
How to Divide Ornamental Grass
Learning how to divide ornamental grass is simple. Large clumps are best taken from the sides of a growing mound with a square tipped spade or shovel. You may dig the entire plant, split in half, and replant. If it’s been several years since division, you may divide into quarters.
If you have a friend or neighbor with large clumps of grasses, offer to help them out and get some starts that way. Or purchase small plants at the garden center with a growth period before division. Mondo grass, monkey grass, and larger types, like pampas and maiden grass, are expensive, especially when purchasing several, so division is practical.
The best growth of these plants usually occurs when planted in full sun, but be sure to check your type. Some ornamental grasses prefer dappled sun or partial shade.
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FAQs
Learning how to divide ornamental grass is simple. Large clumps are best taken from the sides of a growing mound with a square tipped spade or shovel. You may dig the entire plant, split in half, and replant. If it's been several years since division, you may divide into quarters.
When should you divide ornamental grasses? ›
Divide warm season grasses anytime spring through mid-summer. All ornamental grasses should be divided when they are actively growing but not while they are flowering. If the plants are dormant when they are transplanted they won't establish a good root system.
What month do you cut back ornamental grasses? ›
If a grasses' foliage has become very unsightly due to age or harsh cultural conditions like excessive summer drought or winter freezes, these grasses can be pruned back to about 4 inches from the ground in late March. This will allow them to renew themselves with fresh foliage.
Which ornamental grasses should not be cut back? ›
Ornamental grasses are grouped into three categories: warm season, cool season, and evergreen. Some evergreen "grasses," including seges and carex, aren't really in the grass family, and these don't need pruning (though they can be divided if they get unruly).
How do you propagate ornamental grass? ›
Divide warm-season from mid-spring to early summer. Cut back the grass, then dig up the clump. With a sharp spade or even a large serrated garden knife, cut the clump into sections. Replant in similar growing conditions, adding compost to the planting hole.
What is the best tool for cutting ornamental grasses? ›
The large, established grasses may require more than pruning shears – this is where the power tools such as the weed eater with a blade or powered hedge trimmers or even a chain saw for Pampas grass is necessary. It is helpful to have a friend hold up the clump so it doesn't fall on you as you cut.
How to keep ornamental grass from spreading? ›
Plants that spread through rhizomes are easy to manage by trenching. Either create a barrier around the plant so the rhizomes don't spread or cut around the root zone of the plant in the summer so the rhizomes are confined and don't create offshoots.
Should ornamental grass be cut down in the fall? ›
If you live in an area that is susceptible to wildfires, it's important to cut back your grass as soon as it goes dormant in the fall. The important thing is to cut back ornamental grasses before new growth emerges in the spring. Pruning grass during the dormant period helps prevent any potential damage to new shoots.
How often should ornamental grasses be watered? ›
How to Water Ornamental Grasses. Except for the water-loving varieties, most ornamental grasses won't need extra water once they've become established. Water every other day after planting, gradually extending the time between watering. After 2 or 3 weeks, watering twice a week should be plenty.
Can I use a hedge trimmer to cut ornamental grass? ›
You can also use electronic hedge trimmers, gas powered hedge trimmers, a thick pair of scissors, and other tools. You'll also want to use a pair of gloves. Many of the ornamental grasses have serrated edges on their leaves.
One is lack of sunlight. Tall ornamental grasses stretch for the light and get "leggy" in shaded sites, making them more likely to flop apart. Most grasses do best in full sun. A second possibility is soil that's too rich, especially with an over abundance of nitrogen.
Will ornamental grass grow back if cut? ›
Ornamental grasses complement almost any garden theme, adding height, movement, and texture all season long. If you have ornamental grasses in your yard, you may need to cut them down so they will grow back next year.
Why did my ornamental grass not come back? ›
Now that you've cut back your grass you've joined the people who are wondering why it isn't growing. Here's the general rule of thumb. We need seven consecutive days of 80-degree temperatures for the ground to be warm enough to get those grasses going.
What kills ornamental grass roots? ›
Grass-specific herbicides (called graminicides) can usually be used safely over the top of many ornamental plantings. The four labelled postemergence grass-specific herbicides in ornamental plantings (nurseries and landscapes) include fluazifop, fenoxaprop, sethoxidim, and clethodim.
Do ornamental grasses have deep roots? ›
They're deep rooted, which makes them long-lived, drought tolerant, and helpful for improving your soil health - and even preventing erosion. Did you know? Many ornamental grasses are host plants for moths or butterflies.
Can you plant different ornamental grasses together? ›
Stick with one grass variety to accentuate the visual impact by creating uniformity of the planting. However, two or three types of grasses can be combined by planting differently-sized grasses in geometric grid patterns that are placed side by side.
When to divide blue fescue? ›
Once every three years (in the spring, not in the fall) is a healthy interval. Blue fescues are naturally short-lived, and division rejuvenates them. Left alone, clumps often develop dead centers.
When to divide Karl Foerster grass? ›
Because it is clump-forming, Karl Foerster grass does not spread. It stays put in a nice, slowly expanding clump. After seven to 10 years, you may want to divide it. The plant has basically no disease or pest problems and requires little in the way of fertilizer or even water.
Are ornamental grasses easy to transplant? ›
Because of that, it's not only safe to cut them back but to also divide and transplant them as well. Even better, there is no need or worry of having to water new divisions. You just simply plant and wait for spring to arrive to watch them take off and grow!
