How to Grow Carex From the Seed

Select the Carex seeds for your climate. A wide variety of Carex seeds are commercially available, so you can find one that will flourish in almost any part of the United States. Most species of Carex are cool season grasses, so they may go dormant when the temperature is consistently above 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Select a planting site for Carex. Most species of Carex prefer full sun, although they can also grow well in partial shade. Carex can generally grow in a wide range of soil types, although the soil should have good drainage. Some types of Carex can tolerate heavy soil.

Fill a nursery pot at least 4 inches deep with a seed starting mix in the fall. Scatter the seeds thinly onto the mix, as sowing the seeds too thickly can cause the seedlings to be spindly.

Cover the sown Carex seeds with a thin layer of sand. Water the seeds thoroughly, and cover the nursery pot with a clear plastic bag to prevent them from drying out. Place the nursery pot away out of the sun.

Move the Carex seedlings into direct sunlight when they sprout, such as a south window or a greenhouse. Move them to individual containers when they grow two leaves. Transplant the seedlings into progressively larger containers as they grow, until they are in one-gallon containers, which should occur after the first growing season.

Plant the mature Carex plants in your garden during the late summer or early fall when they become dormant. Dig a hole twice as wide and at least as deep as the plant's root system. Remove the plant from the container and place in the hole. Fill the hole with soil, and pack the soil around the roots. Water Carex thoroughly once per week until the plant establishes its root system.