The Best Time to Plant Ornamental Grass

Cool Season Grasses

• Cool-season grasses grow best in spring and fall. Blue fescue, feather reed grass and autumn moor grass are examples of cool-season grasses. Cool-season grasses can be planted in spring or fall. Spring planting should be done after the risk of frost has passed and the grass first starts greening up. Fall planting should be done four to six weeks before the first frost. This gives the plant a chance to establish its roots before winter.

Warm Season Grass

• Warm-season grasses grow best in summer. They require a warmer soil temperature to grow. Maidenhair grass, big blue stem and switchgrass are examples of warm-season grass. Warm-season grasses are best planted in early spring. This gives the plant a chance to establish before its prime growing season. Avoid transplanting warm-season grasses in fall, because they enter dormancy earlier and will have a hard time establishing roots late in the growing season

Planting Ornamental Grass

• Specimens for planting can come from containers or from splitting existing plants. The grass should be well-watered before transplanting. Grasses should be watered frequently for the first two weeks after being transplanted. Grasses should not be planted during the mid-summer heat, as high temperatures will add to the stress the plant experiences.

Cool and Warm Together

• Cool-season and warm-season grasses can be mixed in the same bed. The summer grasses perk up when the cool-season grasses slow down in mid-summer. When mixed together, there is always a plant at its peak all growing season long.Ornamental grasses are beautiful even through the winter season. The plant maintains its shape and gives the winter landscape structure. Both cool-season and warm-season grasses should only be cut back in the spring.