Cutting Back Ornamental Grass
Forum Archives
DebbieTT
Location: Washington, Kitsap Peninsula
Posted: Feb-05-2005 at 5:45pm
I wasn't sure if I should put this in the pruning forum as I consider the cutting back of ornamental grass, a hack job not a pruning job. Especially after yesterday watching someone go at their grass with a machete.
I usually cut them back with my felco pruners, but after watching how quickly the man hacked down his miscanthus with a machete, I thought that looked like a better way to go.
How does everyone cut back their ornamental grasses? Do you do the machete?
Debbie (getting ready to do this chore soon.)
Lisa A
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Feb-06-2005 at 12:03pm
Wow, cool, a machete! I could cut my ornamental grass and feel like some jungle adventurer without even traveling out of my garden.
Where do you buy machetes? And how do you use one? Do you have to swing to cut (like they show in those jungle adventure movies?) or do you saw through the grass blades?
mdvaden
Location: Oregon, Western
Posted: Feb-06-2005 at 12:31pm
For my miscanthus, I either use my gas powered Echo hedge shears or my electric hedge shears. It takes about 30 seconds to 2 minutes to zip through at a moderate pace.
Sometimes I have family pull sideways while I cut to the stalks fall in one area.
I've also tied twine to a few stalks and walked around the plant a couple to times to tie and cinch the bundle first.
M.D. Vaden
Phlox
Location: Washington, Southwestern
Posted: Feb-06-2005 at 4:29pm
All of mine are still quite small so I can just use scissors. In my small yard I'm gonna have to be carful where I plant grasses and what kind.
I have a question though, do all ornimental grasses need to be cut down? I was wondering about my New Zealand Flax, or is it not considered a grass?
I don't know if you put your question in the right forum Debbie but I'm glad you asked.
Garden Spider
Location: Washington, Puget Sound Corridor
Posted: Feb-06-2005 at 4:43pm
So far, the only ornamental grass I needed to cut was the Japanese Forest Grass. It's still so small, I just used the grass clippers on it.
I don't know if any of the other ornamental grasses survived the winter yet.
Darn, I hate these grasses that die off and turn brown over the winter. The only thing I hate more is the always brown grasses, like Carex buchananii. I couldn't tell if it was alive or dead, figured it was dead and tossed it out, then learned that it might have still been alive. I need green stuff--brown stuff will just get composted, if I have to make a life-or-death determination.
Barb
mdvaden
Location: Oregon, Western
Posted: Feb-06-2005 at 7:33pm
For me, New Zealand flax seems to do fine by leaving it stand. I only cut the dying or nasty leaves with my hand pruners.
If you click 'web site' in my signature, I think a photo is on my home page with me and that plant. It will enlarge. Anyway, that photo was taken in a mid-February after those plants completed a second growing season from being 1 gallon plants.
M.D. Vaden
JeanneK
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Feb-07-2005 at 8:08am
I second the notion to spare your flax the ax! Phormiums are not grass. As long as the leaves are healthy, leave them alone. Cut only the dead leaves, Phlox. Barb, I am sure all of your grasses have survived, they are just in dormancy. You will probably see new sprouts soon.
Jeanne
DebbieTT
Location: Washington, Kitsap Peninsula
Posted: Feb-07-2005 at 9:26am
Is using an ax on a phormium, like using a chainsaw to prune a bonsai? LOL on the overkill!
The machete was used to hack the grasses down like hacking your way through a jungle. If I remember right, trying to find a machete for a garden tool is not easy. I am trying to remember where we ended up buying ours at, and only remember it was not an easy tool to find. Although I can't use it very well, dh made out many blackberries with it.
Screaming Eagle
Location: Puget Sound corridor
Posted: Feb-07-2005 at 10:40am
I use manual hedge shears on my miscanthus (I only have one so electric would be overkill for me) I think it takes about 4-5 snips. I haven't had the heart yet becuase it still look pretty and it's front and center in my yard.
JeanneK
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Feb-07-2005 at 1:41pm
LOL, Debbie. Would definitely be overkill! I was rhyming! I don't think that an axe (even a really sharp one) would give you the effect you would want anyway.
Theresa, if your miscanthus still looks good, I say leave it. I usually take a live and let live approach. Most of the time I am just lazy.
Jeanne
tommyb
Location: Oregon, Willamette Valley
Posted: Feb-07-2005 at 4:37pm
On my spring pilgrimage to Jeff Vier's place in Hubbard I noticed a bunch of machetes.
Jeff Viers Nursery Supply
4560 Pacific Hwy
Hubbard, OR 97032 - 9734
(503) 981-1569
I don't think they're into websites or 800 numbers, but they do have potato hooks!!
You folks sure have a lot of grass to deal with, does the DEA know about ya??
Tom
Lisa A
Location: Oregon, Greater Portland Metro
Posted: Feb-07-2005 at 10:21pm
LOL, Tom! I think we're safe since we're talking *ornamental* grass, not the other kind.
Thanks for the tip about where to find machetes in the Portland area.
cjmiller
Location: Oregon, Willamette Valley
Posted: Feb-08-2005 at 9:44am
I thought somewhere I read in the forum to 'comb' through the grass with your fingers to remove the dead blades, and that seems to work fine for some of the grasses, but not for all of them.
What about the bunny tail grass? does it need shearing if it still looks pretty good?
Carol
Red Hare
Location: Oregon coast
Posted: Mar-08-2005 at 12:03pm
I got my machete at the local hardware store in the gardening tool section. Had a nice assortment. People steered clear of me while I tried them out for balance. But I use manual hedge trimmers for giving haircuts in my garden. I might try the string idea that Mario gave - it would give a really cool looking cut, wouldn't it? Very architectural.
I need one of those potato hooks - I assume it lets you dig up potatoes without cutting into them. Where is Hubbard? (I must get out of town more often!)
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton