Cutting back ornamental grasses.

Ornamental grasses can either be evergreen or deciduous. Deciduous grasses need cutting back each year otherwise they will start to look untidy. Evergreens just require a prune.

Ornamental grasses can either be evergreen or deciduous. Deciduous grasses need cutting back each year otherwise they will start to look untidy. Evergreens just require a prune.

When: Early to mid-spring depending on the species

Why: Deciduous grasses turn a golden brown rather than loosing their leaves and should be treated differently to evergreen grasses. They should be trimmed to ground level before growth starts in early spring. Grasses that do not produce growth until later in the season such as Pennisetum orientale and Miscanthus, should be delayed a month. This is to protect their crowns against frost.

How: Cut back the spent stems with secateurs to half-way. Try not to damage any new growth that’s sprouting from the crown. Stems and debris can be pulled out by hand from the centre of the clump. Now the grass is half-way cut back, it’s easier to see what you are doing. Avoid damaging any young green shoots coming up through the lower part of the clump. You can now cut the clump back to a few centimetres from ground level, leaving a hairy tuft through which the new growth can come up easily without getting tangled with the old stems. Pick out any dead leaves or debris from the crown of the plant, and remove any weeds. Tidy the surrounding area. You may wish to mulch and top-dress around the crown with 50g per sq m of a general fertiliser. This will feed the plant as it comes back into growth, and freshen up its appearance before the spring