Whether outdoors or in a container – over the years it may become necessary to divide the ornamental grass. How does it work correctly and what should you specifically pay attention to?
How do you properly divide ornamental grasses?
To divide ornamental grasses, you should cut them back in spring, dig up the root ball, divide with a spade or digging forks and plant the sections in suitable locations. Division rejuvenates the plant, promotes flowering and prevents it from spreading uncontrollably.
When are ornamental grasses divided?
Ornamental grasses should be divided in spring. Division in the fall is not advisable, but is also possible in principle. In the fall, the divided specimens no longer have time to root until winter. Therefore, they must be protected from frost, for example in the form of brushwood and leaves.
First cut, then divide
Before dividing an ornamental grass such as miscanthus, pampas grass or bamboo, you should cut it back. Pruning before division is recommended, especially for larger ornamental grasses, in order to be able to handle them more easily. Cut them down to 10 to 20 cm.
Dig up the root ball and place it with a spade
Now the entire mother plant can be dug up or dug up. Use a digging fork or a spade to do this! After the root ball has been removed from the soil, soil is roughly shaken off. You can cut off old roots. Now the clump is cut once in the middle or several times with a spade (€29.00 at Amazon) or two digging forks or, for smaller ornamental grasses, with your hands.
Plant in the right location after dividing
So it continues:
- Dig planting hole
- enrich with compost
- Place sections in each planting hole (preferably deeper than before)
- fill with permeable soil and press firmly
- water well
Reasons for regular division
There are several motivations that make sharing ornamental grasses a worthwhile action. Among others:
- for rejuvenation
- if the clumps are bare or too old and matted
- for propagation, for example for planting larger areas and as a privacy screen
- to prevent uncontrolled spread
- more strength for flowers and better growth
- in contrast to sowing: daughter plants are identical to the mother plant
Tip
Miscanthus has such a strong clump as it ages that an ax or saw may be required to divide it.