How to Move or Divide Large Grasses
Ornamental grasses are HOT, and for lots of good reasons. Even in this
extended drought, these plants show no signs of stress, despite the lack of water (coz I'm only watering the plants that will actually DIE without it). And they have presence in the garden with their large, billowy, naturalistic form, even throughout the winter if you leave the dried stalks up until early spring. And what's the total yearly plant care? A haircut back to 6-12" in early spring as the new foliage emerges. And don't wait til mid-spring, or you'll remove the new foliage with the old.
But there is this: they spread and with enough sun, they probably get bigger than we want them to. So they need to be divided - every 3-5 years or so. And it's a BIG JOB. But look at the bright side - you'll have extras of these large, high-impact plants, either for your garden or for a friend or, even better, in exchange for someone else's excellent division. Freebies!
How to Move One
- The smaller the plant is when it's divided, the easier. So I try to schedule the big surgery before the plant has become seriously huge.
- I tie up the blades to make the job easier and protect my eyeballs and arms from being scratched.
- If the ground is dry, I soak around the rootball once or even twice before trying to dig it up. In the case of the miscanthus in the photo, I dug around the perimeter a bit so water would soak in and was surprised to discover the whole plant lifted easily. They'd NEVER done that before, but maybe because I'd always waited too long. So in this case, no soaking was required.
- You may need to get help lifting and moving. Again, this one was small enough to be lifted and moved by yours truly but believe me, I've gone looking around the 'hood for a neighbor to help in the lifting and moving of other grasses, preferably a neighbor who's both younger and more male than I am.
- Once I got this in its new home, I limbed it up. Okay, that's really a term for woody plants but "blade it up" doesn't really work, does it? How about removing the outer blades? It'll help with the post-move flop factor.
Voila - until maybe 2010.
How to Divide One
Now if your miscanthus needs to be divided, the steps are the same except for that bit about cutting the damn thing into 2-4 parts, and that's not a job for the delicate of constitution, let me tell you. Tools required? I've tried every cutting tool in my possession and settled on a full saw to do the job. In the ensuing wrestling match between you and the grass, don't worry about handling the thing gently. Just cut through enough to pry the pieces apart (two garden forks or other tools can assist in the prying.)
Keeping it Alive after Moving or Dividing
The time to be careful is in mulching and watering each piece adequately, and once again 2 days later. And by "adequately" I mean deeeeeeply, much more deeply than the gardening beginner thinks is really required. No spray nozzles for this job. Large, newly moved plants need gallons of water around their roots. If the move is during or just prior to warm weather (from mid-April through mid-September in my Zone 7), then give it a deep soaking every month or so throughout that first growing season. Thereafter, it can be safely ignored.
Good Information in Print
- Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses
by Rick Darke is a favorite of ornamental grass-lovers.
- Grasses for Livable Landscapes
- The Well Tended Perennial Garden
by Tracy DiSabato-Aust is the best-selling book on how to make your perennials healthier and better-looking. - Encyclopedia of Perennials
by Graham Rice is exhaustive and an outstanding general resource on the subject. - The Complete Flower Gardener
by Cutler and Ellis is another source I consult regularly.
Location Matters
I've grown Miscanthus in the Washington, D.C. area, Zone 7A. If you've grown it and have comments you'd like to see included here, send 'em along - and tell me where you garden.