How to Trim Blue Fescue

Blue fescue, an easy-to-care-for perennial grass, works well for edging, ground cover and rock gardens. Its steel-blue color and porcupine-like leaves contrast well with other garden plants. Though it likes full sun to light shade, it grows and looks best in cooler temperatures. To help this plant maintain its attractive appearance, keep it properly trimmed by following a few simple steps.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Trim blue fescue when it becomes overgrown and its leaves look droopy. It looks best when maintained in short, spiky pom poms.

2. Use multipurpose scissors to trim blue fescue. Gardening shears are too large, and the pine-needle-like leaves may slip between blades.

3. Grab a clump of leaves like a ponytail and snip it off 1 to 2 inches close to the crown. You'll get an idea of how big of a clump to cut by the ease with which your scissors cut it. If you can't snip it easily with your scissors, you've grabbed too large of a clump.

4. Cut off feathery blooms of blue fescue if you don't want it to go to seed or you find the blooms unattractive. Trim the plant down in spring to remove brown leaves. Blue fescue tends to turn green and brown when long; keep it short to maintain its bluish color.

5. Divide plants at least every 2 years in fall or early spring to maintain small size and vigorous growth. Split the plant into sections, throwing the center clump away and planting only outside blue portions.

Tips & Warnings

• Use feathery blooms of blue fescue in dried flower arrangements or to decorate hats.

References

• University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture---Blue Fescue
• Pruning Tools and Advice
• Blue Stem Nursery: Festuca glauca---Blue Fescue