Ornamental Grass Seed Planting Directions

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Information gathered from The Royal Horticultural Society A - Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants

Ornamental grass seed planting instructions are on each packet sold. Therefore, when you receive your ornamental grass seeds, each packet will be labeled with the appropriate planting instructions for the ornamental grass you purchased. This page is dedicated to the care and maintenance of each garden ornamental grass that we sell in packets.

Blue Fescue - Grow in poor to moderately fertile, dry, well-drained soil in full sun. Divide and replant every 2 or 3 years ot maintain foliage color. Grow fescues in a border or rock garden to provide foliage contrast with alpines.

To purchase Blue Fescue seed, see: Blue Fescue

Blue Hair - Grow in dry to damp, neutral to acid soil in sun or partial shade. Incorporate garden compost before planting in dry soils. Remover flower heads before new growth begins in early spring. The flower heads of taller species are useful for fresh or dried flower arrangements.

To purchase Blue Hair seed, see: Blue Hair

Bluestem - Big Bluestem - Grow in light, fertile, well-drained, and preferably sandy soil, in full sun. A. gerardii does not tolerate excessive winter wet. Cut back old stems to the ground in early spring before growth begins. Little Bluestem - Grow in moderately fertile, sharply drained soil in full sun. Cut down old stems in early winter. The flower heads of bluestem grasses may be dried.

To purchase Bluestem seed, see: Bluestem - Little

Brome - Grow in full sun in organic rich soil.

To purchase Brome seed, see: Brome - Red

Carex - Sedges have varying growing requirements. These are grouped as follows:

To purchase Carex seed, see: Carex

  1. Moist soils in sun or partial shade. Avoid extremes of wet or dry.
  2. Fertile, moist but well-drained soil in sun or partial shade.
  3. Fertile, moist or wet soil in sun or partial shade.
  4. Moist but well-drained, alkaline soil in sun or partial shade.
  5. Neutral to acid, lime-free soil in sun or partial shade.

In summer cut out any dead leaves on evergreen species.

Cloud Grass - Grow in well-drained soil in full sun.A. canina thrives in all but very dry soils in sun or partial shade. Dead-head before seed is set.

To purchase Cloud Grass seed, see: Cloud Grass

Corynephorus - Grow in sandy, slight acidic soils in full sun.

To purchase Corynephorus seed, see: Corynephorus

Edraianthus - Grow in light, sharply drained, humus-rich, preferably alkaline soil in full sun. Resting buds are susceptible to winter wet.

To purchase Edraianthus seed, see: Edraianthus Grass Bells

Eleusine - Grow in rich, moist soil in full sun. One of the few ornamental grasses which can also be dried.

To purchase Eleusine seed, see: Eleusine Coracana

Feathertop - Grow in preferably light, moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. Cut back dead top-growth by early spring. In frost-prone areas, protect with a dry winter mulch.

To purchase Feathertop seed, see: Feathertop

Hordeum - Grow in well-drained, moderately fertile soil in full sun. Cut flower heads for drying before fully mature.

To purchase Hordeum seed, see: Hordeum Jubatum

Indian Grass - Grow in moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. Protect from excessive winter wet.

To purchase Indian Grass seed, see: Indian Grass

Isolepsis - Grow in moderately fertile, constantly moist soil in full sun or light dapple shade. Indoors, grow in loam-based potting compost (No. 2) in full light. Water freely in the growing season and apply a balanced liquid fertilizer monthly; keep moist in winter.

To purchase Isolepsis seed, see: Isolepsis Cernua

Juncus - Grow in permanently moist, acid soil in sun or partial shade. J. effusus and J. inflexus may also be grown in up to 3 inches of water or boggy soil. J. inflexus thrives in heavy, alkaline soil.

To purchase Juncus seed, see: Juncus

Lagurus - Grow in light, ideally sandy, moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. Pick flowerheads before full mature for drying.

To purchase Lagurus seed, see: Lagurus Ovatus

Lamarckia - Grow in light, sandy, well-drained soil in full sun.

To purchase Lamarckia seed, see: Lamarckia Aurea

Lemon Grass - Indoors, grow in loam-based potting compost (No. 2) in full light, with moderate humidity. In the growing season, water freely; water sparingly in winter. Repot in early spring. Outdoors, grow in fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun.

To purchase Lemon Grass seed, see: Lemon Grass

Love Grass - Grow in medium to light, poor to moderately fertile, well-drained soil in a warm, sunny site. In late winter or early spring, before new growth begins, cut back any stems and foliage left for winter interest.

To purchase Love Grass seed, see: Love Grass

Luzula - Grow in poor to moderately fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in partial or deep shade - or in full sun where the soil is reliably moist. L. nivea prefers full sun.

To purchase Luzula seed, see: Luzula

Melica - Grow in moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil. M. altissima thrives in full sun or light dappled shade; M. nutans prefers light shade; M. uniflora will tolerate full shade and drier conditions. Protect from exessive winter wet.

To purchase Melica seed, see: Melica

Mexican Feather Grass - Grow in moderately fertile, medium to light, well-drained soil in full sun. Cut back deciduous species in early winter; removed dead leaves on evergreens in early spring.

To purchase Mexican Feather Grass seed, see: Mexican Feather Grass

Miscanthus - Tolerant of most conditions but best in moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun. Protect from exessive winter wet. Where withered stems are left for winter effect, they should be cut to the ground by early spring; however, M. floridulus may lose dead foliage in strong winds.

To purchase Miscanthus seed, see: Miscanthus

Pampas Grass - Grow in fertile, well-drained soil in full sun, with ample space to develop. Protect crowns of young plants in the first winter. Cut and comb out the previous years's stems and dead foliage annually, in late winter or early spring, taking care to avoid the sharp leaf margins.

To purchase Pampas Grass seed, see: Pampas Grass - White

Panic Grass - Grow in moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun.

To purchase Panic Grass seed, see: Panic Grass

Plume - Grow in well-drained soils with a neutral pH. Needs well-drained soil. If the soil is too wet, the plant life will be shortened. Grow in full sun.

To purchase Plume seed, see: Plume

Polypogon - Grow in course, textured soils in a wide pH range. Grow best in moist to wet areas in full sun to partial shade.

To purchase Polypogon seed, see: Polypogon

Purple Millet - Grow in preferably light, moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. Cut back dead top-growth by early spring. In frost-prone areas, protect with a dry winter mulch.

To purchase Purple Millet seed, see: Purple Millet

Quaking Grass - Grow annuals and perennials in well-drained soil in full sun. Perennial species also tolerate partial shade.

To purchase Quaking Grass seed, see: Quaking Grass

Ruby Grass - Grow in moderately fertile, light, well-drained soil in full sun. In areas with light frosts, provide a deep, dry winter mulch. In colder areas, lift in late autumn and pot up in a loam-based potting compost (No. 1); keep barely moist and frost-free in winter, and plant out again in spring when danger of frost has passed.

To purchase Ruby Grass seed, see: Ruby Grass

Setaria - Indoors, grow in loam-based potting compost (No. 3) in full light; when in growth, water freely and apply a balanced liquid fertilizer every 3 weeks. Water sparingly in winter. Outdoors, grow in any well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade.

To purchase Setaria seed, see: Setaria

Stipa - Grow in moderately fertile, medium to light, well-drained soil in full sun. Cut back deciduous species in early winter; removed dead leaves on evergreens in early spring.

To purchase Stipa seed, see: Stipa

Uncinia - Grow in moderately fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in full sun or in light dapple shade.

To purchase Uncinia seed, see: Uncinia