Forum home Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Try again Stipa

CiaCia Posts: 153

I posted twice the same question and im not sure where its gone. So i will ask again.image Would you recommend cutting back Stipa grass in spring in order to encourage new growth.

«1

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384

    Late autumn, when they die, is the usual time to cut grasses back.  If you do it in spring, you risk snipping off the tips of the new growth.  Unlike most plants, grasses grow from the base rather than the tips, so if you damage the tips, they will die-back a little and will have green shoots with brown tips which would look a bit of a mess for the rest of the season.

    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Gary HobsonGary Hobson Posts: 1,892
    Cia wrote (see)

    Would you recommend cutting back Stipa grass in spring in order to encourage new growth.

    I doubt whether cutting grasses down in Spring would actually stimulate growth, in the same kind of way that pruning stimulates roses.

    Personally I prefer to leave grasses untouched through the Winter. They can look very attractive when frosted. That's part of the appeal of growing grasses, to add all-year-interest to a garden. They can also help to provide a habitat for insects.

    Givng the plants a haircut, removing the dead material in early Spring, will help to give the plant a lighter and more fluffy appearance when it grows. A helping of general fertiliser, applied in Spring, will also help.

  • sotongeoffsotongeoff Posts: 9,802

    Cia-both of you questions are still there posted at 19.12 and19.15 yesterday if you look down the list-currently page 2image

  • backyardeebackyardee Posts: 132

    In feb, I usually tease out all the dead stuff, Cut the flowering stems down low. I never cut this grass back.  I used to have to do it for a customer and it always looked a mess.

  • CiaCia Posts: 153

    Thank you for all your responses. I will leave them as they are - i like the sound of giving insects a habitat for the wintering months.

     

    When i posted this question - i could see it - but when i clicked on - nothing showed up so i wrote it again. Probably just a forum bleep.

    Thanks again guys.

  • CiaCia Posts: 153

    Ive just responded to this thread and cant see my reply when i click on it. I see it in "newest conversations"  Whats going on? Soon as i reply and re read the thread back i see everyone elses post but not mine anywhere.

    Ive just changed to Mozilla/firefox and am wondering it has messed with my original settings. MMM lost somewhat.

  • figratfigrat Posts: 1,619
    Hi CIA. This has happened to a few posters, you have probably inadvertently 'ignored' yourself. If you go to your personal settings, forum settings and messages you will find a setting for ignored or blocked posters. You can remove yourself from this, and then all your messages will be visible again.
  • CiaCia Posts: 153

    Thanks will into it.

  • CiaCia Posts: 153

    Brilliant im back on - thanks figrat.

    How could i ignore myself? image

  • figratfigrat Posts: 1,619
    Well I think I know how it happens. Sometimes when the cursor goes over the avatar to the left of the poster's message, a black box comes up with the options 'ignore' or 'message'. If you click 'ignore' it makes the box disappear. Along with all that poster's messages! Ignore does what it says in the box (!), it's not a cancel option. Anyway, sometimes I cut back my stipa tenuissimas hard in February or thereabouts, they soon fill in with a lovely flush of fresh green leaves. But most often I just comb them through with my fingers to get rid of dead stuff.
Sign In or Register to comment.