How to Rejuvenate Ornamental Grass
Ornamental grasses require yearly pruning, thinning, weeding and fertilizing to maintain optimum plant health. If the grasses are dying, spindly or just not growing, there are several things you can do to rejuvenate the plant before it is too late and you lose the plant altogether. Sometimes you may have to troubleshoot; try several things before hitting on the right one that will rejuvenate your ornamental grass. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Plant information
- Pen
- Paper
- Calendar
- Clippers
- Plant fertilizer
- Water
- Soil type and texture kit
- Soil pH kit
Instructions
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1
Research the specific needs of your plant either on the plant's care tag, online or at the library.
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2
Write down all the care needs and check next to those you have done, and those you haven't. For example, if you have not fertilized the plant its required amount, check mark that you need to do it and when on a calendar so you won't forget. Do the same for all the plant's care needs, such as amending the soil, mulching, pruning and thinning.
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3
Thin out any dead reeds or blades of grass in your ornamental grass clump. This will allow more sunlight to stream through and hit the surface of the leaves, which the plant needs to photosynthesize its own food and energy.
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4
Check the soil. If you do not know the pH level of the earth near your grasses, buy a pH testing kit to determine the plant is in the correct spot. You may need to amend the soil to correct the pH. Also check the soil type and makeup of the soil. Kits are available to do this.
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Check for issues of pests. Look for aphids, ants, ground gophers or moles. Set mole or gopher traps if they are disrupting the plant's root system. Research any pest or plant disease and take measures to fix the problem.
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6
Determine whether the plant is receiving proper sunlight by tracking the amount of sun it receives each day. If a plant's care tag says it needs full sun for six hours out of the day, but it is planted in a partially shady area, it could die.
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Tips & Warnings
If your plant appears to have been doing "fine" for about three months since planting, but then it starts to wither, it's likely not been doing well since it was planted. For three months it has been relying on its store of nutrients to survive, but has actually been dying. Promptly transplant it to an area where it will get enough sunlight and proper drainage.
