General Question about Ornamental Grasses

First off, I don't have a clue what type of grasses we have..they came with the place :) I know that it's two different kinds though..I believe 2 are fountain grasses and they get about 3 ft tall, with the spikes hitting around 4 1/2', but the middle one, I don't know..when the "leaves" are 3'-4' tall, they kinda corkscrew, but the tufts look like the fountain grass.

I normally don't cut them back until spring when I first see some new green shoots coming up. My question is: is there something else I can do to make them grow taller? Should I not cut them back? I don't think I have any pictures and I've already cut them back for this year LOL..

Would anyone like to hazard a guess that I'm new to gardening?? :)
thanks for any input you can give me!
Chris

I have Golden Sedge that I have never cut back. I planted Red Fountain Grass last year but it has not started coming up yet. I am hoping it will. I just planted it at the end of summer.

Chris, I cut or burn my old grasses from last year each March. The new growth comes from the roots anyway so cutting them back will not hurt and may encourage denser growth.

Doug

We cut our pampas grass quite low each year and I use an iron rake to rake out all the lose stuff left in the clump. I also cut back my smaller ornamental grasses (Hamlin). As postmandug stated, I also believe it encourages new, thicker growth.

Thanks for all the input! I'm glad to know that my cutting them back is good for them and I'll do as NatureLover and rake out all the loose stuff in it.

How far back to you normally cut yours back? From Doug's comment about burning them, it sounds like he goes basically back to the ground. Does anyone else go that far down too?
Doug, when you do that in March, aren't you already seeing some new growth coming in? So it doesn't hurt to cut that far back into the new growth? (hmm.. bet not, since you're saying it's the roots that the new growth is coming from)

Once they're up and getting some of the tufts, I'll take pictures and see who can ID mine for me :)

thanks again!
Chris

I burn the ones far enough away from the house. Otherwise, I cut thew as low as possible, within inches of the ground. The eventual size (height) of each type of grass is genetic, so there is no way to increase that trait. However, some grasses get runty if grown in very poor soil, so if you throw some rotted manure or compost on them (organic method) or a handful of 12-12-12 (chemical), they should respond to the best of their ability.

We use a chainsaw to cut our pampas down as far as we can so all the old growth is gone and won't be sitting on top of the clump to rot (that's also why I use the iron rake to clean the top off). I use all my compost in my large veggie garden so I have to resort to triple 13 to fertilize my ornamental grass but it seems to appreciate it because it grows big and beautiful every year.

NatureLover1950: You can also burn the remaining stubs after chainsawing your pampas grass down each fall or spring. That is, if it's away from any buildings. I had a friend who had all the neighbors over each spring for the annual "Grass Burning" ritual. He didn't even cut the clumps back first, just lit the whole thing. It was a sight, except for one windy spring day when it almost caught a nearby white pine on fire.

P.S. How're the gardens looking in Vicksburg this week? My wife and I plan to drive down to Mississippi the week of the 23rd to tour some of the historic homes and gardens in Vicksburg and Natchez. I'm hoping the recent cold wave hasn't done any damage.

Our pampas is planted on either side of our driveway at the creek and there are too many trees around so we don't burn it. It was dry when we cut them the other day but today it's pouring rain. You know how it goes though--you have to get jobs like this done when you have the time.
By the time y'all come down here the azaleas should be gorgeous! I have a small variety on the east side of my house that is already in full bloom but the larger ones aren't out yet. Lot's of other flowers are beginning to bloom. Redbuds, dogwoods, tulip trees, etc. are all in bloom right now. The Confederate jasmine has all the tree tops lit up and the wisteria is full of buds. Are y'all going to see the Military Park here in Vicksburg too? When you get to Natchez, be sure to go see Connerly's (sp) Tavern. It's been years since I was in Natchez but there are lots of beautiful homes to see. On your way from Vicksburg to Natchez, be sure to cast an eye on all the beautiful churches and homes on the main street Port Gibson.

Chris, usually when I burn the grass in March it's too early for new growth here in Z6. This is the bed I built last year just for my "Grass Garden". Some of the types were purchased and some were dug up from other places and transplanted. I'm hoping they come back strong this year. I have probably 15 different varieties in there.

Doug

Wow, Doug..that's nice. Be sure to post some pics later of how the bed looks :)

That's the other problem we have--down here the pampas grass is evergreen so it wouldn't burn very well.

Thanks, Naturelover, for the garden update. We're really looking forward to seeing your area of the country!

postman, is that red fountain grass in the pic? If it is then I think mine are all dead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!