Many Ornamental Grasses Can Be Pruned Now

Q. When is the right time of year to trim grasses?

Some ornamental grasses are quite attractive during the winter and may be cut back just before new growth in the early spring

A. Most ornamental grasses are cut to within a couple of inches of the soil surface just before new growth in February. With some grasses this is done every year and other grasses it may be every 3 to 4 years.

Many ornamental grasses can be pruned close to the ground since new growth comes from culms at the base. Smaller grasses can be cut closer to the ground. Larger grasses should be cut higher from the ground. Dead growth in the center may indicate the plant needs to be divided.

            Remove any dead growth remaining with a rake. Fertilize the plant with a high nitrogen fertilizer, or a bag of compost, and a deep watering.

They should regrow from the pruned, remaining culms at the base.

Ornamental grasses need to be divided, or split apart, when the clump gets too large. It’s too large if the center begins to die out or flowering severely reduced. The plant is dug from the ground, the clump cut apart, cleaned up one of the smaller divisions replanted.