Why Fall Pruning Your Ornamental Grass Is Key For Better Growth Come Spring

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There are a number of reasons why people add ornamental grasses to their yard. Some ornamental grasses can repel pests, while others are great for providing privacy to your backyard. Whatever the reason, if you choose to plant ornamental grass in your backyard, one of the benefits you receive is they are typically low-maintenance plants. However, a little pruning can be beneficial. In fact, fall pruning your ornamental grass is the key for better growth come spring.

When it comes to fall pruning for ornamental grass, there are actually a couple of options, depending on the type of grass you have. For warm season grasses, one option is to completely cut the plant back to the base during fall. This will alleviate the somewhat shabby look of a brown, dormant clump of grass during fall and winter. It will also encourage new growth once the weather warms in spring. This will also ensure that new growth isn't encumbered by dead stalks and stems blockings its way.

Cool and evergreen grasses shouldn't be drastically pruned or cut back until late winter or early spring. During that time, you can cut two-thirds away from cool season grasses, but no more than a third of evergreens. The late winter/early spring window is also when you can cut back warm season grasses if you opt not to completely cut them down in fall, which brings us to option number two. If you have cool season or evergreen grass types, or have chosen to leave your dormant warm season grass standing as habitat, you should clip the seed heads from your ornamental grass during fall. This will prevent them from aggressively reseeding and spreading across your lawn, as some types of ornamental grass are invasive.

When it comes to clipping seeds, it is a simple matter of cutting the stem below each seed head with gardening scissors or pruning shears. The seed heads should then be destroyed or discarded so as not to create unintended clumps of ornamental grass in your lawn. 

To cut back ornamental grass, you will need a good pair of pruning shears, like the Fiskars Bypass Pruning Shears, as well as a good pair of garden gloves. It is also handy to have some twine or bungee cords when cutting back larger clumps of ornamental grass, as well as a large bag or wheelbarrow. Once the materials are gathered, begin by pulling the grass into a bunch or bundle, then wind the string or bungee cord around the bundle to hold it together. 

After you have all of your ornamental grass clumps tied into bundles, you can begin cutting. Alternatively, if you have shorter clumps of ornamental grass, you may choose to just hold the grass in a bundle with your hand while you cut. Either way, warm season grasses should be cut just a few inches from the ground. You should leave about a third of cool season grass height and only trim a bit off of the top of evergreens. As you cut each bundle down, place it in the bag or wheelbarrow. Once the main bulk of the bundle is removed, even up the cuts and remove any debris, along with dead or loose material from within the remaining clump of stubble.