Border Patrol - The Best Ornamental Grasses To Trim Your Landscaping

Before choosing ornamental grasses, it is important to understand the different species that are available and the best climate they in which they will flourish. There are cool season grasses and warm season grasses. Ornamental grasses also have growth habits. Understanding the growth pattern of different species of grasses will help you determine the best grasses for your landscaping project.

Grasses that prefer the cool season will begin to grow early in the spring and remain semi-green during the winter months. These types of grasses need sufficient hydration especially during times of drought and may not be the most appropriate choice for desert climates. If cool season grasses do not receive sufficient water, they will go dormant and their foliage will turn brown. There are several popular cool season grasses here are a few:

Fescues

Blue Oat Grass

Tufted hair Grass

Autumn Moor Grass

As their name implies, the warm season grasses flourish during warmer climates. They will retain their beauty during high temperatures with little to no moisture. These grasses will begin to show growth once the ground temperature becomes stable and warm. Warm season grasses do not require the type of division that cool season grasses do. Several popular warm season grasses include:

Northern Sea Oats

Japanese Silver Grass

Hardy Pampas Grass

Perennial Fountain Grass

Switch Grass

Prairie Cord Grass

Whether you choose cool or warm season grasses, remember to look for their growth habits. Certain species of grasses are great clumped together forming a running grass. This type of grass grows excellent in neat mounds. They accent other perennials and are not invasive. Understanding how the different species of grasses grow is very important in choosing the best ornamental grasses to accent your landscaping project. You may prefer the look of one grass and plant it only to find out later that it has overtaken your landscaping requiring a great deal of work to cut back on your part.

Once you have selected your grasses make sure that the soil is prepared correctly before planting. Fall is the best time to prepare for planting. Till the soil deeply and make sure you have a good drainage system. You will need a minimal amount of fertilizer for ornamental grasses. If you are unable to till the soil in the fall, you can also do so in the spring as ornamental grasses can be planted in both the spring and fall seasons. When you plant the grasses in the spring this gives them extra time to develop a good root system before winter descends. If you are going to plant in the fall, take some extra precautions to assure the success of your ornamental grasses. Try to complete the planting in the months of August and September. As the first winter approaches, you should provide a light cover of straw or hay that will yield better results. Once you have experienced several hard frosts, apply the mulch. Be careful not to plant the grasses too deep. If you do, there is a chance that they develop root diseases or even rot in the ground.

Caring for your grasses is relatively simple. Watch the color of the leaves and their vigor to determine when they need fertilizer. It is best to apply the fertilizer in the spring and water it thoroughly. The first season you have the grasses it is important to water them well so that they can develop a good root system. Once the grasses are established, they do not require regular watering. During periods of drought, you will need to provide supplemental watering. One of the advantages to ornamental grasses is that they do not need to be cut back during winter months. As the foliage browns it helps to insulate the crown of the plant. You may consider cutting the grasses back approximately six inches as spring approaches and before growth resuming. If you remove the foliage, expect spring growth to begin early. Leaving the foliage on the plant will delay the growth by up to three weeks. Other types of ornamental grasses that are available for landscaping projects include: feather reed grass, plume grass, switch grass, ribbon grass, prairie dropseed, annual quaking grass, rabbit's tail grass among many others.