Plant and care for a sedge

Plant and care for a sedge

Plant sedge properly

Set the course with the right planting so that the graceful ornamental grass will remain in your favor for many years. The perfect time corridor for this measure extends over the mild autumn months. At the chosen location, loosen the soil thoroughly in order to dig several pits with a generous plant spacing. The grass comes into its own in small groups. During this preparatory work, the still potted root ball is soaked in water until no more air bubbles rise. Maintain the planting depth of the growing container when the potted sedge is placed in the compost-enriched soil. For mulch (€ 213.00 at Amazon *) we recommend chopped Chinese reeds or leaves. Bark mulch has proven to be unsuitable in practice.

also read

  • Cutting the sedge: less is more
  • Proper care of the sedge
  • The Japan sedge: sufficiently hardy?

Care tips

The clear care program proves the robust frugality of sedges. Zier-Gras is happy about these few donations:

  • Water the grass regularly as soon as the surface of the earth is dry
  • Water a plant in the pot from time to time when there is clear frost, even during winter
  • A start fertilization in March with compost covers the nutrient requirements
  • Before winter, tie clumps together loosely to protect the heart of the plant

Not all sedges require pruning. In early spring you can cut back an evergreen grass close to the ground. Alternatively, you can simply pluck out the retracted stalks with your hands. Don't forget your gloves.

Continue reading

Which location is suitable?

The wide range of sedge species provides the ideal grass for all light and temperature conditions. The majority of the magnificent grasses favor a sunny to partially shaded location with nutrient-rich, fresh, moist soil. If it is a sunny, dry place in the gravel bed or on the roof garden, robust species such as the crested sedge or brocade sedge are on hand. To border a pond with ornamental grass, you are well advised to use the morning star sedge.

The correct planting distance

The habitus defines the ideal distance to the neighboring bed. Place small, clumpy grasses in the ground at a distance of 25-30 cm. Medium-sized varieties with a tight, upright silhouette stand out in the planting distance of 35-40 cm. The majestic giant sedge, on the other hand, requires a planting distance of 70-80 cm.

What soil does the plant need?

If you match the soil condition to the selected type of sedge, the cultivation of the frugal plant will take place in a regulated manner. If the quality of the soil at the location does not come close to the ideal conditions, soil additives provide a remedy. Compacted earth becomes more permeable and loose with the help of sand, grit or perlite. Compost or bark humus gives soil that is too sandy a more stable consistency. For grasses in pots, we recommend high-quality potted plant soil with a low proportion of peat, optimized with lava granulate (€ 10.95 at Amazon *) or expanded clay. (€ 17.50 at Amazon *) If the pH value fluctuates between 5.5 and 6.8, the world of sedges is okay.

What is the best time to plant?

Ornamental grasses, like the sedge, take on the status of a perennial. This means that it is planting time twice a year. Although a plant in a container can basically be placed in the ground during the entire vegetation period, the general conditions favor these time windows:

  • Ornamental grass ideally plant in autumn during the months of September to October
  • Alternatively, use in spring as soon as the soil has thawed and the weather is frost-free

Cut the sedge properly

Wintergreen grasses are not cut as early as autumn for aesthetic and care reasons. In this way you deprive yourself of a magical look when the graceful grass heads are covered with glittering frost and snow. In addition, the withered blades of grass act as natural winter protection. How to cut ornamental grass correctly:

  • Cut the overwintered grass in late January / early February
  • Tie the eyrie in several small bundles and cut off near the ground
  • Always wear gloves to protect against the sharp edges of the grass

If a fresh shoot is already showing, pruning is no longer an option. Instead, you reach into the grass with your gloved hands to tear up the retracted stalks.

Continue reading

Watering the sedge

In the case of a sedge, care is in the green if the plant is never exposed to drought stress. You should therefore water the ornamental grass in summer and winter when the natural rainfall or snowfall is insufficient. Intermediate drying phases are important so that no waterlogging occurs. Experience has shown that the pot should be watered more frequently, as the root ball dries out faster due to its exposed location.

Fertilize the sedge properly

In the proper nutrient supply, you can keep the ball flat. The undemanding plant is content with a start fertilization in March / April in the form of compost. The growth is beneficial if the autumn leaves remain as mulch under the trees in the bed. In the narrowly limited substrate volume of a bucket, however, the supplies are used up within 6 to 8 weeks after planting. Here you fertilize monthly from April to August with a liquid preparation for green plants.

Overwinter

No explicit winter protection is required in the bed. As a precaution, larger clumps can be loosely tied together with sisal to protect the heart of the plant from permanent winter wetness. Before the first frost, buckets are wrapped in bubble wrap and placed on wood. Keep watering wintergreen grasses as evaporation continues here during the cold season.

Propagate sedge

The horticultural serenity in the context of the cultivation of ornamental grass continues seamlessly in terms of propagation. To grow more specimens of this picturesque plant, dig up the root ball in the fall or spring. On a firm surface, divide the sedge into two or more segments. As long as a section has at least two stalk shoots, it will continue to thrive at the new location as an independent plant.

Nice varieties

  • The Beatles: beautiful mushroom sedge with swirling grass scoops and a broad clumpy habit; Height 20-30 cm
  • Bowles Golden: Tightly upright golden sedge in light yellow for sunny and partially shaded locations; Growth height 40-70 cm
  • Variegata: Fantastically beautiful white-bordered Japan sedge for locations with little light; Growth height 30-40 cm
  • Bronze shape: The bronze-colored heads of grass adorn damp layers along the water; Growth height 30-40 cm
  • Forest sedge: Ornamental grass with ground cover qualities in the shade of mighty trees; Height 15-20 cm
  • Evergold: The Japanese gold sedge does not leave sunny beds with dry soil ungreened; Height 20-30 cm