Splitting ornamental grasses.

[KenH]

Can you split any type of ornamental grass?? Im pretty sure the answer is yes, just want to double check. Thanks.

[GLAN]

Yup, In the spring, just as it pushes the new growth.

[KenH]

Thanks, thats what I thought. I planted some dwarf fountains at my house last year and lost 1. Ill just split what I have instead of buying a new one.

[mdvaden]

I split our Miscanthus (big 6 foot) a bit over a year ago, in fall.

Use an axe on that one. The roots are too hard for a shovel.

I'm going to "halve" the rootballs every 3rd year. Back half off and fill cavity with soil in year three. Then in year 5 remove the front half.

Then repeat every 3 to 5 years, so the root mass maintains a large, but not giant size.

[Grassmechanic]

mvaden - no need to break out the axe. Take a garden spade and sharpen the end. Put the blade on an angle, and push into the grass roots with your foot. Slices through pretty easily. I did some miscanthus this spring that were so big that there was a dead spot in the middle about 3' wide.

[KenH]

Thanks guys. Thats what happens when grasses are not split. They get a big round 'dead' circle in the middle.

[capescaper]

almost all my grasses have come from customers houses when the said that they were to big

[GLAN]

tell ya something else


We take the divisions of everything in the spring, divide them down to 1 gal size. Pot them up and sell them.



Ssshhhh..............don't tell anyone.............our secret....;)

[thill]

Glan

We will be sure to keep your secret........ THANKS

[bobcrane]

Had a new client just call and ask if I could split her ornamental grasses. She says the person she used to have split them but did not remove them, just spread them out in place. This helped them to bush out more.

Have you ever heard of such a thing? If so, how do you do it?

I was wondering if he actually split them and just took the excess with him for many of the reasons mentioned in this thread. ;-)

[rinker]

Can I split 7 ft tall grasses in mid August in Michigan?

[Grassmechanic]

Can I split 7 ft tall grasses in mid August in Michigan?
Best to wait till they die back in the fall.................or wait till next spring.

[sheshovel]

Had a new client just call and ask if I could split her ornamental grasses. She says the person she used to have split them but did not remove them, just spread them out in place. This helped them to bush out more.

Have you ever heard of such a thing? If so, how do you do it?

I was wondering if he actually split them and just took the excess with him for many of the reasons mentioned in this thread. ;-)


Nope never heard of doing that. Does not make much sense to me. I mean, you have to cut them back every year anyway ..so if they are going to bush out it would be from cutting back not splitting.
You split to promote new growth and clean out old dead growth in the centers and so you can plant the grass you split somewhere else or whatever.