Delicate stalks dancing in the wind, graceful leaves in green, yellow, white or red and feathery flower awns - ornamental grasses can also thrive in pots and provide decorative accents on balconies and terraces.
How can you plant and care for ornamental grass in a container?
To cultivate ornamental grass in a container, select a suitable type of grass and a suitable location. Plant the grass in a pot at least 20 cm large with well-drained, loose, moderately nutrient-rich soil. In winter, protect the plant with fleece or jute and keep the substrate slightly moist.
The location – sunny to shady depending on the species
Take a look at your balcony or terrace: Does the sun shine there most of the time during the day or does the shadow gain the upper hand? Depending on the situation, you should choose the ornamental grass to plant in the container.
The following types of ornamental grass, for example, are well suited for pot cultivation and are also visually appealing:
- Broadleaf sedge (ideal for shady areas)
- Dwarf Miscanthus
- Fescue
- Red feather bristle grass
- Japanese blood grass
- Love grass
- New Zealand-Wind-Grass
- Diamondgrass
- White colored pile tube
- Fox Red Sedge
- White dwarf sedge
- Gold-edged sedge
Planting in the pot: The substrate is crucial
In addition to the location and a sufficiently large container (at least 20 cm in diameter), the substrate is crucial. Some grasses prefer dry soils, such as pampas grass. The other grasses prefer moist and nutrient-rich soil. This includes, among other things, miscanthus.
Basically, you can use any conventional potted plants or green plant soil (€6.00 on Amazon) (no potting soil!). The following features are important:
- permeable
- easy
- moderately nutritious
- not prone to waterlogging
- neither too acidic nor too alkaline
How do potted plants overwinter?
The majority of the well-known ornamental grasses are well hardy. But this only applies to ornamental grasses that have been planted outdoors and are surrounded by a thick layer of soil. In the pot there is a risk that the plants will freeze in winter and then die.
For this reason, you should protect your ornamental grass in the pot in winter. Towards the end of October, the area of the planter is covered with fleece or jute. Other insulating materials are also suitable. Then place the container in a protected place on a block of wood or Styrofoam, such as on the balcony on the wall of the house.
Tip
Don't forget to water your ornamental grass even in winter. Its root area should not dry out, but should be kept slightly moist.
