I have recently aquired two of these fabulous grasses, and would like to keep them, but not sure how to do this.
i have checked out the grasses forum, but wondered if someone over here had grown and kept them. I'm sure that I read somewhere that they were tender, by that I'm assuming that they're perrenial?
any info please would be appreciated as I don't very often fork out for a plant from a garden centre,so am anxious not to loose it.:-)
Pennisetums?
Sorry Sue - I've always loved the look of them but never grown them.
Shall be interested to watch your thread for the advice :)
Hi Sue,
I grow them in my garden. I chop them back to the ground when cooler weather starts (they start flopping over and looking very untidy by then anyway). I don't do it here as our winters aren't below 10C at the lowest, but you might put a good layer of mulch over them to keep them from getting too cold. Mine come back great in the spring...takes them a while to get going, but once thy do, WATCH OUT! LOL I also am notorious for moving mine around the garden. The growth that is already on them will die completely when moved, but if you chop that off, newer beautiful healthy growth will appear a few weeks later. Very hardy for us....probably need a little more TLC for your area.
-Julie
Hi Julie,
thanks for that.I've still got them in a pot near the patio, so I can sit and admire them!!...( I don't normally go out and buy plants , so that makes it even more vital that I don't lose them) Do they clump up? how can I propogate them? split the clumps? save seeds? I just love the dark colours in the leaves and spikes.I'm really into these dark leaved plants.
Hi Sue, I do grow various grasses but not sure if it was worth posting to you as our climate is so hot...however, some of them are on the tender side...and they do need a good amount of water otherwise the most tender ones burn up in our heat...The large hearty ones flower and seed a lot, but I have not noticed any new seedlings popping up around the garden [ we do keep our garden well mulched tho to help conserve water and weed control]...here we do not have regular lawn grass..our other house was a nightmare with all the grass/lawn to water and mow !!!! not really sure if I have helped you out, but wish you much success with those grass's...they sure are pretty, I enjoy the striped ones and the reds...but I really do not think they like the hot sun so you may do better and with a good mulch covering them in winter....hope you are feeling better again.. and enjoying your garden...marion
Hi Sue,
sorry I didn't see your post before now. Yes, I propogate just by dividing the clump. I try not to do it until fall when they are in need of cutting back anyway (as the division will put them into shock and the part above ground will die off (in summer new growth will fill out in a few weeks, but if you don't want the 'dead look', wait til cool weather when you're cutting back untidy growth anyway. The smaller clumps and the original will grow nice and large next year. My original clump got thrown by the way side because it was just outgrowing it's location and I didn't have anywhere else to put it. But I've given away a fair number of clumps off of it and the one I've kept for myself in a different part of the garden is just H-U-G-E! When I put it in the ground last year in late summer, it never grew and died back almost to groung level. This spring it took a bit to get going, but once it did it just SHOT up! Now I have trouble keeping the thing under control....not from spreading but from falling over in a great shower of plumes! LOL It really is a great grass to have in the garden. :-)
-Julie
thanks Julie ,and marion, I'm still debating where to put them that shows them off to their bestadvantage. Could really do with a new bed, just for the grasses .....(as if the other half would let me!..he ,measures the lawn anyway to make sure I haven't pinched any)
well, at least he is interested in the lawn and doesn't seem to be complaining every time he gets out there to work [ not like some people around here I know ..smile] hope you are able to pinch enough space for your grasses...m :)
that's the irony of it Marion, I have to nag him to cut it, so it's not as if he's a lawn enthusiast.