As of: February 19, 2024, 7:10 p.m
By: Ines Alms
Comments
Press
Split
If you cut ornamental grasses at the wrong time, they can die.
Many varieties require pruning before the first shoots in spring.
What matters.
Pruning ornamental grasses in late winter or early spring is an important step in maintaining the health and beauty of your garden.
By cutting the right grasses at the right time, you will encourage vigorous growth this coming spring and summer.
Be sure to consider the individual needs of different types of grass.
Summer green grasses require pruning in March at the latest
The elephant grass (Miscanthus) is cut back heavily in spring.
© Pond5 Images/Imago
From around mid-February, but at the latest when fresh green stalks sprout again around March, the time has come to cut back many ornamental grasses.
Pruning removes old, dead stalks and promotes the growth of new shoots.
You have to differentiate between deciduous or evergreen grasses.
Deciduous grasses turn brown in autumn and provide shelter for animals in winter, natural protection from the cold and a beautiful sight for the hobby gardener with their dried out fronds.
For example, in late winter or early spring you should cut back the following ornamental grasses:
Miscanthus
Elephant grass
Feather bristle grass
Japanese blood grass
Pennisetum grass
mosquito grass
Pampas grass
Lawn Schmiele
Switchgrass
Riding grass
Giant reeds
ornamental millet
If these plants are cut in autumn, water can build up in the stalks and lead to root rot, and in the worst case the grass will die.
Instead, you pull out the scissors in spring and shorten the stalks about a hand's width, i.e. about ten centimeters above the ground.
An exception is pampas grass, which can be cut back about 30 centimeters above the ground.
You can find even more exciting garden topics in the regular newsletter from our partner 24garten.de.
My news
Cut tulips correctly: This way the spring flowers stay fresh for longer
Often neglected: Five home remedies to clean your baking tray properly read
Goodbye mites – six important measures to banish the pests from your bed
Small kitchen: How to create more storage space for your kitchen utensils read
Do you have to wash new clothes before wearing them?read
Roses for Valentine's Day: If the flowers droop quickly, it's usually due to incorrect water reading
Evergreen grasses are largely left alone in spring
Evergreen grasses such as sedges (Carex) or forest marbels (Luzula) behave like perennials and do not require pruning.
Here it is enough to remove dried leaf tips or dead stalks in spring.
Severe cutting back damages the plants.
When cutting back ornamental grasses, it is important to use sharp and clean tools to avoid damage to the plants - depending on the size of the grass, hedge trimmers may even be useful.
Since many grasses have very sharp-edged blades, you should wear gardening gloves and long sleeves when pruning.
Completely remove old stalks to prevent mold and disease from forming.
If new shoots have already formed, be careful not to damage them.
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at her own discretion. All information has been carefully checked. Find out more about our AI principles here.