Grasses develop their magnificent growth without extensive care. However, most ornamental grasses cannot do without pruning. Read this tutorial about when and how to cut grass in an exemplary manner.
When and how should you cut grass?
In order to cut grasses correctly, you should pay attention to the growth typical of the variety: cut deciduous grasses back close to the ground in spring, comb out wintergreen grasses and remove individual dead stalks. Always cut in spring after the main frost period.
Different growth dictates pruning rules
For perfect grass pruning care, you should take the growth typical of the variety into account. Summer green varieties undergo completely different pruning than wintergreen ornamental grasses. For better orientation, the following table distinguishes popular grasses according to their growth:
| Summer green grasses | botanical name | Wintergreen to evergreen grasses | botanical name |
|---|---|---|---|
| China reed | Miscanthus | Sedges | Carex |
| Japanese Blood Grass | Imperata cylindrica var. koenigii 'Red Baron' | Bearskin Fescue | Festuca gautieri |
| Sandpipe grasses | Calamagrostis | Blue Fescue | Festuca cinerea |
| Feather bristle grasses | Pennisetum alopecuroides var. viridescens | Feather grasses, heron feather grasses | Stipa |
| Pennisetum grasses | Pennisetum alopecuroides | Pampas grasses | Cortaderia |
| Riding grasses | Calamagrostis | Blue oats | Helictotrichon sempervirens |
| Mosquito grass | Bouteloua gracilis | Quickgrass | Briza media |
| Pipegrass | Molinia arundinacea | Marbel grasses | Luzula |
| Flatgrass | Chasmanthium latifolium | Switchgrass | Panicum |
Spring is the best time to prune
Regardless of their diverse growth, grasses pull together when it comes to cutting time. When the main frost period ends in spring, the window of opportunity for pruning care opens. How long the time window remains open depends on various factors, such as weather conditions, the dedicated variety and the microclimate at the location.
Some types of grass take until summer to sprout. Growth of other ornamental grasses picks up when it no longer freezes at night. As soon as the first green blade tips appear in the grass, it is high time to cut it back. Anyone who accidentally cuts into the fresh shoots will have brown tips for the rest of the year.
Radically cut summer green grasses
Beautiful and popular grasses thrive with summer-green stalks. In autumn the leaves turn yellowish to straw-colored because remaining nutrients are relocated to the roots. Only next spring will new, fresh green blades of grass appear from the base. Thedead leavesacts as an importantwinter protection during the cold season. For this reason, cutting deciduous grasses is taboo in autumn. This is how you complete the perfect cut care:
- Tie up dried grasses before winter
- Cover the root disc with leaves and brushwood
- Remove winter protection in spring
- Cut all stalks back to a hand's width above the ground
The image below illustrates how to cut Pennisetum, Feathergrass and other deciduous grasses in late winter or spring. Workfrom the outside in step by step. It is an advantage if a helper is available to receive the cut bushes. Even a slight breeze is enough for the dry stalks to fly through the garden. Collecting the clippings afterwards takes more time than cutting them back.
Grip the dead ornamental grass in clumps with one hand. With a perennial sickle in your other hand, cut the dry stalks just above the ground.
Excursus
Sickleberry handles bunches of grass clippings
You are perfectly equipped for cutting grass with a Japanese perennial sickle (€18.00 at Amazon). With a handy sickle and a handle made from the wood of the bluebell tree, the traditional tool is reminiscent of a miniature scythe. The finely toothed cutting blade made of pure carbon steel is so sharp that even woody stalks of bamboo and thin branches in bushes can be cut off effortlessly. The grass sickle only cuts when pulled and not when pushed, which guarantees additional safety.
Cut wintergreen grasses moderately
The change of leaves on wintergreen grasses goes almost unnoticed. For this reason, gardeners call sedge, pampas grass and similar types of grass evergreen. This growth behavior requires different pruning than on deciduous varieties. In the spring, focus specifically on individual dead or damaged stalks. All other leaves are spared from the scissors or garden sickle. This is how you properly prune wintergreen grasses:
- Put on sturdy gloves and long-sleeved clothing
- Cut off dead stems with seed heads at the base
- Comb a clump of grass with both hands
A harsh winter with severe frost does not leave wintergreen grasses unscathed. As a result, all the stalks die off, so that in late winter there is no longer any difference between them and summer-green types of grass. In this case, cut off all leaves up to a hand's width above the ground. On grass giants such as pampas grass, you can cut them with hedge trimmers. More delicate grasses, such as types of fescue, can be cut in clumps using secateurs or perennial sickles.
Tip
Most grasses arm themselves against predators withsharp blade edges. With this strategy they want to spoil the appetites of insatiable herbivores. Gardeners are at risk of deep cuts if the skin comes into unprotected contact with razor-sharp blades of grass. Please only devote yourself to cutting care if you are wearing robustwork gloves.
Prevent self-seeding
No rule without exception. This also applies to cutting grass in terms of the correct cutting time. Several species tend to spread invasively throughout the garden using myriad seeds. The focus is on pampas grass, turfgrass or blue fescue. You can put a stop to the floral urge to conquer by cutting off all stems with fruit heads in autumn. In return, you forego the opulent seed heads that set decorative accents in the winter garden.
Special case: bamboo cut
From a botanical point of view, bamboo is a grass. In contrast to classic ornamental grasses, bamboo thrives with perennial stalks. Although a stalk becomes woody over time, cutting it does not have a beneficial effect on growth. On the contrary, a cut stem no longer grows in height. Rather, new stalks are constantly forming, which arise directly from the underground rhizome. Cutting bamboo is primarily aimed at creating a well-groomed appearance. How to do it right:
- Best time is in spring
- Cut off dead stems at the base
- Thin out a third or half of faded, outdated stalks
Annual thinning of perennial, pale stalks acts as a continuous rejuvenation, comparable to cutting bushes. As over-aged shoots give way, more light reaches a bamboo. Fresh green stalks won't be long in coming. On some flat bamboo varieties, you can use this pruning measure to stimulate the growth of new, colorful stalks.
There is nothing wrong with cutting off stray, damaged or broken stalks during the gardening season. This can be easily done on woody stems outdoors using a handy folding saw. Remove a bamboo stalk from inside the plant using pruning shears that have telescopic arms.
Repair snow pressure damage
The most beautiful umbrella bamboo species (Fargesia) thrive with thinner stalks than flat cane bamboo species (Phyllostachys). As a result, the stems bend to the ground or break off under a thick blanket of snow. Snow pressure damage is a common reason to cut Fargesia bamboo. How to proceed professionally:
- Cut back damaged stems by a third or half
- Place scissors below a break point
- Cut inclined stalks under the slope
Do not cut damaged stalks at ground level. By limiting the cutting scope to the damaged area, the undamaged part with its side shoots continues to make a valuable contribution to the decorative appearance.
You thin out flat tube bamboo and umbrella bamboo every spring. Cut off dead stems at the base. Then remove a third to a quarter of the faded, outdated stalks from flat cane bamboo. This clears the way for young, colorful bamboo shoots. Only cut umbrella bamboo if necessary.
Background
Protection of habitats includes grasses
Most home gardeners are familiar with Section 39 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act because the pruning care of hedges and trees is precisely regulated here. It should not be overlooked that the need to protect wild animals applies to all habitats. A variety of animal species like to settle in the dense clump of opulent ornamental grasses to raise their offspring or to overwinter. Before you cut, comb or thin out your grass, you should make sure that there are no feathered or fur-wearing guests in it. If you find what you are looking for, please postpone the cut to a later date.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if I can still cut my ornamental grass in spring?
After the end of the frost period, the time window for cutting grass opens. The new growth can be recognized by fresh green stalks that are constantly growing in height. Depending on the general weather and the microclimate in your garden, growth usually begins in May. A mild winter allows the new stalks to sprout earlier.
Should I cut back my Japanese blood grass in the fall?
For all grasses, it is strongly recommended that the stalks be tied together in a loose pile before winter. This measure protects the sensitive heart of the plant from frost and excessive moisture. Only in spring do you cut your Japanese blood grass to a hand's width above the ground.
Does a Japanese sedge even need to be cut?
Sedge grasses thrive with wintergreen stalks. This growth does not require pruning, as is advisable on deciduous grasses. Combing out your Japanese sedge in spring is beneficial for a well-groomed appearance. Put on sturdy gloves and drive through the grass with both hands. Dead stalks stick between your fingers as if by themselves and can be disposed of.
Our 5-year-old miscanthus has sprouted beautifully every spring after cutting. This year only a few stalks are growing on the edge. No shoots can be seen in the middle. What to do?
A harsh winter can cause miscanthus to not sprout until later in the year. If no new stalks form by summer, the center is compacted or outdated. In this case, you can give new impetus to growth by picking up and dividing the grass in the fall. Take this opportunity to cut off massively compacted root areas. Plant the ball parts in fresh potting soil and then water abundantly and regularly.
My blue fescue is turning yellow on the outside and looking downright rotten overall. Should I cut or not?
Various causes can cause significant damage to blue fescue grass. A hard, wet winter or weeks of drought cause the stalks to yellow. Voles have often nibbled on the roots, so that the supply is impaired. Although blue fescue is one of the wintergreen grasses, you can cut all of the stalks down to a hand's width above the ground. Then put the general conditions to the test in order to find the cause and eliminate it.
Our blue oats are starting to grow. Even at great distances, numerous stalks sprout from the ground. What to do?
In all likelihood, these are seedlings, because blue-rayed plants do not develop extensive runners. In good years, the grass distributes countless seeds throughout the garden, which germinate and grow within a short period of time. If these offspring are undesirable in the garden, simply pull the young plants out of the ground. In the future, you can prevent the spread by cutting out all stems with fruit heads from the grass in late summer.
I would like to plant a hedge of giant miscanthus in front of my seat in the garden. When and for how long do I have to forego the privacy factor?
Miscanthus is cut back close to the ground in spring because all the stalks have died. Rapid growth then begins, with the stalks reaching a height of 2 to 3 meters. This process takes between 2 and 3 months, depending on the weather. Under normal conditions, budding begins in April, so you are protected from prying eyes behind a miscanthus hedge from the beginning/mid-June.
The 3 most common cutting mistakes
An incorrect cutting time causes grass despair, as does improper cutting. The following overview draws attention to three common cutting mistakes that drive ornamental grass to the brink of ruin. Practical tips point to effective prevention:
| Cutting errors | malicious image | Prevention |
|---|---|---|
| cut in autumn | frozen stalks until total failure | Cutting grass in spring |
| wintergreen grasses blended like summergreen species | patchy growth, failure of the spike flower | combing out wintergreen grasses |
| never cut or combed out | premature aging, dense tangle of old and young stalks | cut off dead stalks every spring |
Tip
The uncomplicated pruning care makes grasses the ideal components for creative front garden design. Magnificent varieties such as dwarf pampas grass 'Evita' (Cortaderia selloana) and garden riding grass 'Karl Foerster' (Calamagrostis x acutiflora) are very popular as decorative reception committees. Gold star moss 'Aurea' (Sagina Subulata) is useful as an easy-care lawn replacement.