Robust and resilient, Pennisetum sprouts new plants every spring. In late summer it produces pretty flower spikes that look like small brushes. Although it is relatively easy to care for, you should provide the ornamental grass with fertilizer regularly, as it requires a lot of energy to form flowers.
How should you fertilize Pennisetum grass?
Pennisetum needs occasional fertilizer to grow vigorously and bloom. Suitable fertilizers are compost soil, liquid complete fertilizer for green plants or liquid perennial fertilizer. Fertilization should be carried out every 14 days from May to September.
How much fertilizer does Pennisetum need?
Like almost all ornamental grasses, feather bristle grass is quite undemanding and thrives in poor soil. However, if there are deficiency symptoms or a lack of flowering, this indicates that the nutrients available in the soil are no longer sufficient. You should then supply these with a suitable agent.
This applies in particular to pennisetum grass cultivated in a pot on the balcony or terrace. The amount of substrate in the bucket is limited, so there are fewer nutrients.
Which fertilizers are suitable?
The ornamental grass requires a lot of energy to form the false ears. You can do this by:
- Compost soil,
- liquid complete fertilizer for green plants,
- liquid perennial fertilizer
feed.
If you have a garden pond, you can use water to water the plant. Pond water contains numerous nutrients and therefore ensures strong growth.
By removing water, it does not accumulate as much in the garden pond, provided you regularly replace the evaporated and removed liquid.
How often does it need to be fertilized?
You have to show a little tact here. If the pennisetum shoots up, you have probably applied too much fertilizer. In this case you can extend the intervals.
However, if the grass is stunted and does not produce flowers, you should supply it with a liquid fertilizer every 14 days from May to September.
Tip
If the Pennisetum grass has been in the same place for a long time and suddenly becomes lazy to bloom, the plant is lacking nutrients. Lift the clump out of the ground in spring and divide it. If you add some organic garden fertilizer to the planting hole, the ornamental grass will grow vigorously again and will usually produce reliable ears again.
