Ornamental grasses are an easy-care way to add interest and texture to
any landscape. Here are some tips about two of our favorites.

QUESTION: “A couple of years ago, I bought about 25 Karley Rose
grasses to plant along the edge of a path. The plants were (and are)
vigorous and healthy. During the past spring and summer, we had a lot
of rain and the Karley Rose grasses got SO big they flopped over into
the path.

“If we should have another wet spring and summer this year, will
pruning back the grasses prevent them from getting so tall and
floppy?” – Clare Oliva

ANSWER: It’s important to understand that pruning during the late
spring or summer would limit the plant’s growth. Normally, the Karley
Rose stands up nicely on its own. Maybe the force of the rain pressed
the grass blades closer to the ground.

If you see this beginning to happen in the spring, you might try
staking them or if you do decide to prune the lower areas nearer the
path, cut the blades at angles to blend. Otherwise you will end up at
the end of the season with lovely grass mounds with flat ended blades.
Yes, I have done that before and it’s not a pretty sight. The best
strategy is to cut off the foliage to 6 inches from the top of the
ground in early spring before it begins its seasonal growth cycle. It
will then grow into its natural shape.

Remember though, they do have a slight natural weep on some of the
lower outer blades. The plumes grow straight, but can also be weighted
down when there is a lot of rainfall. I have noticed this happening
with the Karley Roses in my garden after a weekend of rain showers. As
they dry out, they will usually pop back up.

QUESTION: “I have a question about wild grasses. I enjoy and have
started a collection of different grasses. This year I added to my
collection a Karl Foerster grass from my local nursery.

In years past, I would cut down my other grass in early spring and I
have great success with them each year. I am not sure what to do with
this newer variety. Do I cut back the flowering stems and grass, or
just the stems producing the flower of the Karl Foerster grass? –
Wayne

ANSWER: There’s no need for any special treatment, Wayne. The Karl
Foerster grass (sometimes called Karl Forester) should be cared for
just like other ornamental grasses by cutting it back close to the
ground in early spring before it begins to sprout.

The two plants mentioned in the readers’ questions are among the
favorite ornamental grasses for Cheryl and me.

Karl Foerster Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora) is a cool season
ornamental grass, named to honor the German botanist and plant breeder
who, in the 1920s and 1930s, turned his hometown Bornim into a Mecca
for gardening enthusiasts and later bravely resisted both the Nazis
and the Soviet occupiers in East Germany.

Karl Foerster is a very strong grass in that it maintains its upright
position without being too rigid in appearance. Flowers appear in and
at first they are loose, feathery and pinkish in color, then, through
the summer, they become very narrow, gradually turning a wheaten color
that lasts through the fall. Recommended for zones 4 – 9.

Karley Rose Grass (Pennisetum orientale) is a warm season grass for
zones 5 - 9. The green foliage is topped with long-blooming (June till
frost) rose lavender plumes. I planted two Karley Rose Grass' on a
berm we have in the garden, on either side of a green lace leaf
Japanese maple. The texture and pink plumes really offset the green
lace foliage of the maple.

Cool season grasses generally begin to grow earlier in the season and
do well in cooler temperatures. When rainfall is scarce or
temperatures are high, cool season grasses need more frequent
watering. Warm season grasses handle hot weather and limited moisture
quite well and can retain an attractive appearance without a lot of
watering on your part.

The Plant Man is here to help. Send your questions about trees, shrubs
and landscaping to and for resources and
additional information, including archived columns, visit www.landsteward.org

In article
,
" earl@ blahblahblah.com wrote:

Ornamental grasses are an easy-care way to add interest and texture to
any landscape. Here are some tips about two of our favorites.

QUESTION: ³A couple of years ago, I bought about 25 Karley Rose
grasses to plant along the edge of a path. The plants were (and are)
vigorous and healthy. During the past spring and summer, we had a lot
of rain and the Karley Rose grasses got SO big they flopped over into
the path.

³If we should have another wet spring and summer this year, will
pruning back the grasses prevent them from getting so tall and
floppy?² * Clare Oliva

ANSWER: It¹s important to understand that pruning during the late
spring or summer would limit the plant¹s growth. Normally, the Karley
Rose stands up nicely on its own. Maybe the force of the rain pressed
the grass blades closer to the ground.

If you see this beginning to happen in the spring, you might try
staking them or if you do decide to prune the lower areas nearer the
path, cut the blades at angles to blend. Otherwise you will end up at
the end of the season with lovely grass mounds with flat ended blades.
Yes, I have done that before and it¹s not a pretty sight. The best
strategy is to cut off the foliage to 6 inches from the top of the
ground in early spring before it begins its seasonal growth cycle. It
will then grow into its natural shape.

Remember though, they do have a slight natural weep on some of the
lower outer blades. The plumes grow straight, but can also be weighted
down when there is a lot of rainfall. I have noticed this happening
with the Karley Roses in my garden after a weekend of rain showers. As
they dry out, they will usually pop back up.

QUESTION: ³I have a question about wild grasses. I enjoy and have
started a collection of different grasses. This year I added to my
collection a Karl Foerster grass from my local nursery.

In years past, I would cut down my other grass in early spring and I
have great success with them each year. I am not sure what to do with
this newer variety. Do I cut back the flowering stems and grass, or
just the stems producing the flower of the Karl Foerster grass? *
Wayne

ANSWER: There¹s no need for any special treatment, Wayne. The Karl
Foerster grass (sometimes called Karl Forester) should be cared for
just like other ornamental grasses by cutting it back close to the
ground in early spring before it begins to sprout.

The two plants mentioned in the readers¹ questions are among the
favorite ornamental grasses for Cheryl and me.

Karl Foerster Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora) is a cool season
ornamental grass, named to honor the German botanist and plant breeder
who, in the 1920s and 1930s, turned his hometown Bornim into a Mecca
for gardening enthusiasts and later bravely resisted both the Nazis
and the Soviet occupiers in East Germany.

Karl Foerster is a very strong grass in that it maintains its upright
position without being too rigid in appearance. Flowers appear in and
at first they are loose, feathery and pinkish in color, then, through
the summer, they become very narrow, gradually turning a wheaten color
that lasts through the fall. Recommended for zones 4 * 9.

Karley Rose Grass (Pennisetum orientale) is a warm season grass for
zones 5 - 9. The green foliage is topped with long-blooming (June till
frost) rose lavender plumes. I planted two Karley Rose Grass' on a
berm we have in the garden, on either side of a green lace leaf
Japanese maple. The texture and pink plumes really offset the green
lace foliage of the maple.

Cool season grasses generally begin to grow earlier in the season and
do well in cooler temperatures. When rainfall is scarce or
temperatures are high, cool season grasses need more frequent
watering. Warm season grasses handle hot weather and limited moisture
quite well and can retain an attractive appearance without a lot of
watering on your part.

The Plant Man is here to help
himself.

and he Take$ all the major credit card$

rec. gardens can do it for less.
--
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the
merger of state and corporate power." - Benito Mussolini.

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