Over the years, the feather bristle grass forms large clumps that become matted and no longer look beautiful. The individual perennial can be easily reduced in size by dividing it. You can find out what you need to pay attention to and how to proceed correctly in this article.
How to divide and propagate Pennisetum?
To divide the Pennisetum grass, cut it back in spring, dig out the root ball, divide it into 2-3 pieces and plant the new plants. This way you get more plants and prevent the original clump from becoming matted.
Why should the ornamental grass be divided?
Plants that have grown too large compete with other plants for nutrients. Not only does the Pennisetum grass grow less vigorously, the neighboring plants also suffer from the crowding.
By dividing, you get several daughter plants whose properties are absolutely identical to those of the mother plant. Since Pennisetum does not form runners, this is the easiest way to propagate in the home garden.
Higher growing feather bristle grasses are suitable as natural privacy screens. You would need a lot of plants for this one. The design measure can be implemented more cost-effectively if you initially only plant a few ornamental grasses and divide them after two to three years.
When should the Pennisetum be divided?
The best time of year for this care measure is spring, before the ornamental grass sprouts.
In the fall, it's better to avoid division. The newly planted perennials will no longer have time to root well before winter and may not survive frosty temperatures.
Cut back before division
Since Pennisetum overwinteres with its leaves tied together, you should shorten the ornamental grass before digging it up. Cut all stalks about a hand's width above the ground.
Lift root balls out of the ground and share
Use a sturdy digging fork or spade for this work. Proceed as follows:
- Dig the soil with the tool at an appropriate distance around the plant.
- Using the leverage, pull the root ball out of the ground.
- Shake off the substrate roughly.
- Separate obviously damaged or dried roots with sharp, clean secateurs (€16.00 on Amazon).
- Cut the nest into two to three pieces with the spade. For very large and older plants, a saw may be necessary.
Inserting the plants
Now you can put a Pennisetum grass back in its old location and have one or two new plants with which you can fill gaps in the beds.
- Dig for sufficiently large planting holes.
- Mix some substrate with mature compost. In heavily compacted soils, add additional sand.
- Since Pennisetum is sensitive to waterlogging, add a drainage layer of gravel or sand.
- Place the sections a few centimeters deeper than before and press the soil down well.
- Water thoroughly.
Tip
Pennisetum grass has very hard leaves whose edges can be razor-sharp. Therefore, you should wear sturdy gloves when working on the ornamental grass.
