Grasses are an indispensable part of any heather or natural garden, as they provide an attractive visual appearance in an uncomplicated way. Easy-care pipe grasses are ideal for this purpose, as they enchant the viewer with their graceful yet dense growth habit and delicate blue-violet inflorescences. The pipe grass owes its name to its original use, as the native plant is traditionally used to clean tobacco pipes. Pipe grass is commercially available in many varieties and impresses with its low-maintenance nature – as long as the location and soil are right.
What is moss grass and where should it be planted?
Pipe grass (Molinia) is an easy-care, hardy sweet grass that is used in heathland or natural gardens as an attractive background or solitary plant. It is characterized by hemispherical clumps, grass-green leaves and delicate blue-violet inflorescences. The ideal choice of location is sunny to partially shaded and the soil should be moist, permeable and nutrient-rich.
Origin and distribution
The two types of pipe grass used in the garden, the giant pipe grass (Molinia arundinacea, Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea) and the blue pipe grass (Molinia caerulea) belong to the small genus of pipe grass (bot. Molinia) and within it to the family of sweet grasses (bot. Poaceae. Both species are widespread in both Europe and Asia and grow primarily in open, moist locations in temperate climates. Natural occurrences can be found in swamps and moors, in sparse forests and along river banks. The probably oldest cultivar of the high pipe grass is 'Karl Foerster', which was named after the well-known German plant breeder. The variety is still one of the most popular varieties today.
Appearance and growth
The pipe grass forms hemispherical, low and dense clumps with narrow leaves. These are green during the growing season but turn bright golden yellow in autumn. The blue-violet flowers appear in early summer, their stems rising high above the clump of leaves and often growing arched: While the giant pipe grass usually grows up to 50 centimeters high, it reaches heights of up to 250 centimeters during the flowering period. The small pipe grass is significantly lower at an average of 20 centimeters / 80 to 100 centimeters outside and during the flowering period.
Usage
Whether planted in groups or individually: Pipe grass creates attractive accents, especially between shrubs and wild perennials. While you can use the small pipe grass as a background or companion planting, the tall variety particularly cuts a fine figure as a solitary plant. Both species look great in heather or rock gardens, along bodies of water (e.g. along a stream or a garden pond) and in moorland beds. Attractive companions include autumn-flowering perennials such as autumn asters, autumn anemones, silver candles or monkshood.
Leaves, flowers and flowering time
The narrow, upright to slightly overhanging leaves of the pipe grass are grass-green in summer and take on a pretty golden yellow color in autumn. Between July and September, depending on the variety, the yellowish-brown, bronze or violet inflorescences appear, which sit on heavily branched, delicate panicles. In earlier times, people liked to use them to clean pipes - which also explains the name of the species. After the flowering period, the inflorescences and the leaves turn golden yellow and form husks.
Toxicity
The pipe grass is non-toxic, but the stalks are rather strawy and quite stable - if you are not careful, you can quickly cut yourself.
Which location is suitable?
The pipe grass feels most comfortable in a sunny to light, partially shaded location.
Floor
The ideal soil has a neutral to acidic pH value, is moist but permeable - even if the pipe grass prefers a moist subsoil, it reacts very sensitively to waterlogging, like so many plants. The resistant and robust plant survives occasional dry periods without any problems - it is not without reason that it is found in nature primarily in problematic locations. The pipe grass feels most comfortable in a sandy-loamy and nutrient-rich substrate.
Planting pipe grass correctly
The best time to plant pipe grass is spring. When planting, be sure to adhere to the recommended planting distance, as the clumps can become quite extensive:
- Small pipe grass: about 30 centimeters planting distance
- Tall pipe grass: a maximum of five to six plants per square meter, planting distance of 70 centimeters
Under no circumstances should you take plants from natural locations to put them in your garden. It is a protected species. Always buy plants from specialist retailers or grow them from seeds - you can collect and use them in nature.
Bucket Culture
The small pipe grass in particular is also suitable as a decorative potted plant for balconies and terraces. Choose a planter that is as deep as possible, as the roots grow deeper rather than wide. A suitable substrate is commercially available compost-based potting soil or standard soil (€10.00 on Amazon), which you mix with garden compost, sand and horn shavings. Make sure there is good drainage in the pot to avoid waterlogging - which is why a sufficiently large drainage hole at the bottom of the pot is essential.
Watering pipe grass
Although the easy-care pipe grass survives occasional dry phases very well, it should not be kept too dry over the long term. It is optimal to keep the root ball slightly moist at all times and to allow it to dry a little between each watering. Excess irrigation water must be promptly removed from the saucer or planter for potted specimens. Regular watering is particularly important in hot and persistent drought to prevent the soil from drying out.
Fertilize pipe grass properly
Fertilization is basically hardly necessary. Provide planted wreath grass with a shovelful of compost and a handful of horn shavings in spring. Potted specimens are fed every two weeks during the summer months with a low-dose green plant fertilizer, which you administer together with the irrigation water. However, there is no fertilization in winter.
Cut pipe grass correctly
To promote the he althy growth of the wreath grass, you should cut it back heavily in early spring every year. Seed heads and last year's stalks can be pruned close to the ground; the plant will then sprout vigorously. By the way, the trimmed flower and seed heads can be easily dried and used for dry conditions.
Propagate pipe grass
If the pipe grass feels comfortable, it usually sows itself at its location.spreads through underground runners. For controlled propagation, however, it is recommended to spread the seeds or divide large plants - this also has the advantage that the clumps can be rejuvenated. Pipe grass tends to become bald with age.
Share
If the pipe grass no longer appears to be growing as beautifully as it did in earlier times, rejuvenation by dividing it can help. The best time for this measure is spring so that the resulting partial plants can then grow vigorously. The best way to do this is as follows:
- Take a sharp and clean spade.
- Cut off as many sections of the nest as desired.
- Remove dry stalks and seed heads.
- Cut back the pipe grass vigorously.
- Replant it in a new location.
- Add mature compost and horn shavings as a starter.
- Pour the pieces vigorously.
Keep the rejuvenated clumps slightly moist over the next few weeks so that they grow more easily and form new roots more quickly.
Sowing
The collected seeds can be sown at home in a flat growing container with a nutrient-poor growing substrate. Do not cover them with soil, as pipe grass is a light germinator. Instead, stretch a transparent film or something similar over the plant bowl and keep the substrate slightly moist using a spray bottle. A temperature of around 20 degrees Celsius is optimal for germination, and the location of the container should be bright, but not directly sunny. From a height of around ten centimeters you can move the seedlings, for example into a larger pot or into a bed. It takes around two to three years for the new plants to develop into full-grown clumps.
Wintering
As it is a native species, special measures for overwintering are not necessary. The pipe grass is hardy.
Tip
The pipe grass is very robust and largely resistant to diseases and pests. The only thing that can be problematic is keeping it too wet or too dry.
Species and varieties
Two types of pipe grass - the tall pipe grass or reed pipe grass and the small or blue pipe grass - are suitable for cultivation in the garden and pot. Both species are characterized by a large variety of varieties, which provides variety in the moor bed or heath garden.
Blue pipe grass (bot. Molinia caerulea)
The native, clump-forming species is also known as small or common pipe grass. Popular names are also besenried or bent grass. There are many pretty cultivars that are ideal for planting in the home garden - the varieties are particularly suitable as background or border plants. The growth height specified for the growth height corresponds to that during the flowering period. Outside of these the clumps are significantly lower.
- 'Permanent beam': growth height up to 70 centimeters, growth width up to 60 centimeters, bushy, dense growth, golden yellow autumn color
- 'Edith Dudszus': spherical growth, growth height up to 70 centimeters, beautiful autumn color
- 'Heidebraut': growth height of up to 100 centimeters, beautiful golden yellow autumn color
- 'Moorhexe': growth height up to 60 centimeters, tightly upright growth, very dark stalks
- 'Variegata': also striped pipe grass, green and yellow longitudinally striped leaves, growth height up to 60 centimeters, perfect for heath gardens
Red pipe grass (bot. Molinia arundinacea)
This species, also known as giant or tall pipe grass, grows significantly larger than the related small pipe grass: some varieties reach a height of up to 200 centimeters, rarely even up to 250 centimeters. This makes the species particularly suitable as a solitary plant. These cultivars are particularly popular:
- 'Karl Foerster': old variety with strikingly wide leaves, growth height of up to 200 centimeters, strong golden yellow autumn color
- 'Skyracer': upright growth, growth height up to 220 centimeters, growth width up to 120 centimeters, beautiful golden yellow autumn color
- 'Transparent': sprawling growth, height up to 200 centimeters, graceful inflorescences, golden yellow autumn color
- 'Windspiel': tightly upright, strong growth, height up to 250 centimeters, beautiful golden yellow autumn color
