Pennisetum, which forms pretty hemispheres, belongs to the sweet grass family. Extremely easy to care for and robust, it is suitable as an attractive companion plant for flower beds and sets attractive accents with the pseudo-spikes that look like small brushes. If the leaves wither, this can have various causes, which we would like to get to the bottom of in this article.
Both too much and too little water leads to the "drying out" of the stalks
The culms seem to dry up in winter
Bright green in summer, the leaves of Pennisetum turn golden yellow in fall and dry up during the winter months. This is normal as the dead parts naturally protect the plant from ice and snow.
Therefore, never cut back the lamp cleaning grass in autumn, but only in the spring before new growth. At the beginning of the cold season, the foliage is simply tied together.
In spring, detach the tuft and shorten all stalks about a hand’s breadth above the ground. This promotes the sprouting and you can soon enjoy a magnificently thriving ornamental grass again.
Dry stalks and brown leaf tips
If these symptoms appear during the growth period, care errors are usually the cause:
- The lamp cleaning grass is too dry.
- Waterlogging has led to root rot.
- The plant suffers from a lack of nutrients.
remedy
lack of water
If the leaf tips and stalks turn brown, this is usually due to drought damage. Young plants in particular need regular watering during the summer months, because the root ball must never dry out completely.
The ornamental grass, although robust, needs just the right amount of water. You should always water when the top layer of soil feels dry. This may even be necessary twice a day, morning and evening, during hot spells.
root rot
If the soil is heavily compacted or the water cannot drain off easily, the plant will have permanently wet feet. Pennisetum is then prone to root rot. The damaged storage organs can no longer fulfill their task and the lamp cleaner grass dies of thirst.
You should therefore thin out loamy soil with plenty of sand when planting. A drainage layer that ensures good water drainage is also useful.
nutrient deficiency
The perennial-like pennisetum needs sufficient nutrients to thrive vigorously. If these are missing, the leaves discolor or dry up.
Mix the substrate with some compost when planting. In addition, it has proven useful to fertilize once a year with longer-lasting perennial fertilizer or, according to the instructions on the package, with green plant fertilizer.
tips
Properly cared for, the lamp cleaner grass grows quickly. It can double in the first year after planting. Therefore, give it enough space so that it grows into a beautiful hemisphere and develops many flowers.