Whether outdoors or in a bucket - over the years it may become necessary to divide the ornamental grass. How does it work correctly and what do you have to pay attention to explicitly?

Ornamental grass can be divided in spring

When are ornamental grasses divided?

Ornamental grasses should be divided in spring. A division in autumn is not advisable, but in principle also possible. In the fall, the divided specimens do not have time to root until winter. Therefore, they must be protected from frost, for example, in the form of brushwood and leaves.

First cut, then share

Before you divide an ornamental grass such as Chinese reed, pampas grass or bamboo, you should cut it back. Pruning before division is recommended, especially for larger ornamental grasses, in order to be able to handle them better. Cut them down to 10 to 20 cm.

Dig out the root ball and start with the spade

Now the entire mother plant can be dug up or excavated. Use a digging fork or a spade! After the root ball is removed from the soil, soil is roughly shaken off it. You can cut off old roots. Now the eyrie is cut through once in the middle or several times with a spade or two digging forks or, in the case of smaller ornamental grasses, with your hands.

Plant in the correct location after dividing

This is how it goes on:

  • dig planting hole
  • enrich with compost
  • Place sections in a planting hole each (preferably deeper than before)
  • fill with well-drained soil and press down
  • water well

Reasons that speak for a regular division

There are several motivations that make sharing ornamental grasses a worthwhile action. Among other:

  • to rejuvenate
  • when bare or the clumps are too old and matted
  • for propagation, for example for planting larger areas and as a privacy screen
  • to prevent unbridled spread
  • more power for flowers and better growth
  • in contrast to sowing: daughter plants are identical to the mother plant

tips

Chinese reed has such a strong clump when it is old that an ax or saw may be required to divide it.

Category:

Indoor plants