- How much fertilizer does Pennisetum need?
- Which fertilizers are suitable?
- How often does it need to be fertilized?
Robust and hardy, Pennisetum sprout again every spring. In late summer it forms pretty spikes of flowers that look like little brushes. Although it is relatively easy to care for, you should fertilize the ornamental grass regularly, as it requires a lot of energy to form flowers.

How much fertilizer does Pennisetum need?
Like almost all ornamental grasses, the feather bristle grass is quite undemanding and feels at home in lean soil. However, if symptoms of deficiency or a failure to flower appear, this indicates that the nutrients available in the soil are no longer sufficient. You should then supply them with a suitable means.
This is especially true for pennisetum cultivated in pots on the balcony or terrace. The amount of substrate in the bucket is limited, so there are fewer nutrients.
Which fertilizers are suitable?
The ornamental grass needs a lot of energy to form the false spikes. You can do this by:
- compost,
- liquid complete fertilizer for green plants,
- liquid perennial fertilizer
respectively.
If you have a garden pond, you can use water to water the plant. Pond water contains numerous nutrients and thus ensures vigorous growth.
By removing the water, these do not accumulate as much in the garden pond, provided you regularly replace the evaporated and removed liquid.
How often does it need to be fertilized?
Here you have to show a little tact. If the pennisetum shoots up, you have probably given too much fertilizer. In this case you can extend the intervals.
However, if the grass is struggling and does not form flowers, you should supply it with a liquid fertilizer every 14 days from May to September.
tips
If the lamp cleaner grass has been in the same place for a long time and suddenly becomes lazy, the plant is lacking nutrients. In the spring, lift the clump out of the ground and divide it. If you put some organic garden fertilizer in the planting hole, then the ornamental grass will sprout vigorously again and will usually also reliably set ears again.