How to Water Newly Planted Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental grass is popular with many gardeners for its durability, attractiveness and the fact that it is very easy to grow and maintain. There are a wide range of colors and sizes of ornamental grasses, which are not only attractive in the garden but can be easily dried and used in flower arrangements inside the home as well. Many ornamental grasses are very drought-resistant once established; however, they all do need to be well-watered when first planted.
Plant your ornamental grass at the correct depth. This is extremely important, because if ornamental grasses are planted too deeply, the water around the roots will not drain well and the plant will quickly rot. Ornamental grasses should be planted only as deep as the pot they came in.
Water newly planted ornamental grasses immediately after planting. Soak the ground around the plant, but make sure the water is draining well. Ornamental grasses like well-drained soil. If the water is standing in a puddle around the grass, use a shovel to shape the ground so that the water runs away from the base of the plant.
- Ornamental grass is popular with many gardeners for its durability, attractiveness and the fact that it is very easy to grow and maintain.
- This is extremely important, because if ornamental grasses are planted too deeply, the water around the roots will not drain well and the plant will quickly rot.
Keep the soil moist during the first summer. Test the soil each morning, and water the ornamental grass plants if they are dry. Watering in the morning is best, as the rising sun will cause any standing water to evaporate.
Mulch around the plant in the fall and add a layer of straw around the base of the ornamental grass plants to keep the soil as moist as possible through the winter. You do not have to water your ornamental grasses once the cooler weather sets in except in times of unusual drought.
Combine Ornamental Grasses
Identify the location for ornamental grasses in your landscape. Assess the amount of sunlight there each day. Choose grasses of different heights, such as the large San Diego sedge (Carex spissa), with something smaller, such as the bulbous oat grass (Arrhenatherum elatius bulbosum 'Variegatum'). Till in compost to provide the ornamental grasses with a rich base. Most ornamental grasses grow in clumps rather than taking over an entire area, but they will grow up and out as they mature. Follow a regular irrigation cycle based on the specific water needs of the grasses.
- Keep the soil moist during the first summer.
- Test the soil each morning, and water the ornamental grass plants if they are dry.
Combine Ornamental Grasses
Identify the location for ornamental grasses in your landscape. Assess the amount of sunlight there each day. Choose grasses of different heights, such as the large San Diego sedge (Carex spissa), with something smaller, such as the bulbous oat grass (Arrhenatherum elatius bulbosum 'Variegatum'). Till in compost to provide the ornamental grasses with a rich base. Most ornamental grasses grow in clumps rather than taking over an entire area, but they will grow up and out as they mature. Follow a regular irrigation cycle based on the specific water needs of the grasses.
- Keep the soil moist during the first summer.
- Test the soil each morning, and water the ornamental grass plants if they are dry.
Tip
Plant ornamental grasses in the spring so that the roots are well-established by the onset of winter.
Related Articles
References
- University of Illinois: How to Plant Ornamental Grasses
- Sunset: Gorgeous Grasses
- Sunset: Wild About Grasses
- Birds and Blooms: Splendor in the Grass
- California Invasive Plant Council: Ornamental Grasses of the Bay Area Region
- Monrovia: Bulbous Oat Grass
- Monrovia: Elijah Blue Fescue
- USDA Plants Profile: Carex L.
- Sunset: Gorgeous Grasses
- Sunset: Wild About Grasses
- Birds and Blooms: Splendor in the Grass
- California Invasive Plant Council: Ornamental Grasses of the Bay Area Region
- Monrovia: Bulbous Oat Grass
- Monrovia: Elijah Blue Fescue
- USDA Plants Profile: Carex L.
Tips
- Plant ornamental grasses in the spring so that the roots are well-established by the onset of winter.
