What is the best fertilizer for ornamental grasses?
Question:I live in the New England, and would like to get my ornamental grasses to grow tall and full. I've seen some 'bunches' of grasses in other yards in my area get huge - do they use a secret fertilizer, special soil, or just lots of water?
Answers:
Ornamental grasses should not be cared for like your lawn. They require relatively low levels of fertility. In fact, excessive use of high Nitrogen fertilizes will encourage ornamental grasses to flop. Only a small amount of a granular, balanced (10-10-10) slow release fertilizer is needed for the entire season. Watering is the biggest variable you can adjust for plant size (within reason). Here is more info on their care: http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/grasses/car...
If you want large ornamental grass stands, then pick a large ornamental grass. Most of the Silver Maiden (Miscanthus) grasses get rather large (http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/grasses/jap... Transparent Moore grass (Molinia litoralis 'Transparent') gets really large (http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/grasses/pur... So will the Switch grasses (Panicum - http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/grasses/swi... All of these grow in zones 5-9.
Probably high nitrogen fertilizer. Grasses like N.
Bear in mind that there are many different varieties of grasses and that they can be different sizes. Hopefully. you have one that will get big!
Jerry, two years ago I planted 5 ornamental grasses in different parts of the yard just for interest during the Winter. I don't know of any special fertilizer for these grasses. All I did was use Miracle Grow in my hose end sprayer. I sprayed 'em when I was watering everything else.
Go get 'em.
More Related Questions & Answers...