Contributed
The use of ornamental grass in landscapes is popular in the Sandhills. Grasses are easy to grow, and deer tend to stay away from them.
Lee County Horticultural Agent Amanda Bratcher provided a great lesson for gardeners on grasses at the March meeting of the Seven Lakes Garden Club.
First she offered advice for recognizing grasses. Rushes are round and sedges have edges. Grasses have leaves and flowers. Rushes and sedges also work well in landscapes, but they require different care.
Sedges and rushes may have names that include the word “grass” such as wire grass and Carex grass.
When selecting and planting grasses, do your research to know what grasses will work best for you. Some grasses can be very invasive and are best to avoid. Bratcher warned that even grasses labeled “sterile” can be prolific spreaders.
Grasses vary in spread and height. Some are low mounding, and some reach for the sky. Select grasses that fit in your space.
The pine forest ecosystem of the sandhills suits grasses that thrive with fire.
Plant your ornamental grasses when dormant in the Spring. Some recommended grasses are Muhly, Switch, and Mini Bluestem. They grow in the heat of summer with minimum water and fertilizer, provide winter interest, and you can burn them in February to prepare for the new growing season.
Those majestic tall grasses may be impressive in late summer, but controlling them is a challenge, particularly when it comes to cutting down and digging up established plants.
Bratcher’s program was informative and gave gardeners guidance on procurement, planting, and care of ornamental grasses.
