Who doesn’t love ornamental grasses. But what about them in winter? Neat bunches or widely spread rosettes? “It depends a little on what you like,” says Jana Bucharová in the podcast.
You can find the podcast advice here:
Tufts of ornamental grasses had probably decorated the beds since late summer, their inflorescences fluttering beautifully in the breeze and rustling in the wind. But then comes the end of autumn, and heavier rains. “It is their bushy spikes that often soak up water and cause the grasses to lie down,” explains Jana Bucharová, an expert at the magazine Receptář na horticultural topics. This mainly applies to tall grasses, but sometimes the culprit is just a stronger wind or simply the fact that the stems become more and more fragile as the heat decreases.
Binding is a certainty
Whoever remembers in time will tie up the bunches of grass at the latest. The sheaves will then survive the winter and only be cut in the spring to prepare them for the new season. “Someone appreciates tied grass because they like it better,” explains the expert. “If you decide on this option, always tie the grass when it is dry and when it is dry itself.” In addition, you protect the center of the plant from winter moisture. In general, the more drought-loving grasses are and the bushier their ears, the more they will benefit from tying.
You don’t have to do this necessarily, although the ideal time is sometime between the end of October and mid-November. “They usually don’t lie down all at once, but it’s a gradual process. And if you watch the grasses, you’ll notice that they start to lie down,” adds Jana Bucharová. Then it’s the right time to pick up a string and start tying.
Without support
That you forgot about it this year, didn’t know it, or simply didn’t want to? And now you just look sadly at the fallen bunches? “Don’t worry about it, nothing terrible happened,” reassures Jana Bucharová. “It certainly won’t kill the grass.” Try to find beauty even in the lying grass and if next year the clump is less dense, try to remember to tie it.
