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'Karl Foerster' grass,1 large or 3 small?

madpenguinmadpenguin Posts: 2,543
edited May 2020 in Plants
I am now looking to get the grass Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'.
As a large plant is very expensive by post would it be feasible to buy 3 small plants in 9cm pots and plant close together in lieu of 1 large plant?
I can find small plants easily.
Just 1 small plant on its own would take a while to fill the space so 3 together seems an option.
What do you think?
“Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
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  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    When I got mine, I bought 4 plants in 2L pots for £6.99 each from one of the local nurseries. They are widely available so it may be worth a call to a local GC/nursery.
    After they'd been in the ground a year, I split them and now have a row of 8.
    You could buy 1 big one and plant it then split it into 3 next year.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • WilderbeastWilderbeast Posts: 1,415
    Just remember that the 3 small plants will rapidly turn into 3 big plants that would need dividing up, the larger plants have just had more time to grow. Otherwise yes that would work
  • madpenguinmadpenguin Posts: 2,543
    Pete.8 said:
    When I got mine, I bought 4 plants in 2L pots for £6.99 each from one of the local nurseries. They are widely available so it may be worth a call to a local GC/nursery.
    After they'd been in the ground a year, I split them and now have a row of 8.
    You could buy 1 big one and plant it then split it into 3 next year.
    It is the inability to get to a GC/nursery which has prompted me to ask!
    Postage to the Isle of Wight can be more than the plant and is not worthwhile if I only want one of something!
    I can easily get small plants online.I am not worried about having to divide up later.
    “Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Please accept my apologies.
    I was not aware that you are unable to go to a garden centre/nursery.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • madpenguinmadpenguin Posts: 2,543
    Pete.8 said:
    Please accept my apologies.
    I was not aware that you are unable to go to a garden centre/nursery.
    That's OK!  :)
    I think we still all assume we can do things in ways we used to.
    We are all having to adjust to doing things differently at least for the time being.
    “Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
  • DriftoftheseasonsDriftoftheseasons Posts: 28
    I do that quite a lot - planting 3 x 9cm plants together as if they were 2L plant or similar. For the most part it works quite well - the plants tend to sort of knit together - they won't individually grow the same way as if they were larger plants with more space around them because they're competing for nutrients and water, so I don't find the need later to split them.

    I can't claim it always works, nor that I can be sure they're growing as well as a larger plant alone would have done, but I'm mostly happy with the results I've had.
  • madpenguinmadpenguin Posts: 2,543
    I suppose it does depend on whet type of plant you are growing.
    I have now ordered 3 small plants,total cost about a third of buying 1 large plant!
    “Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
  • AstraeusAstraeus Posts: 336
    Sorry to resurrect this thread but I thought it better than starting a new one to repeat the question...

    I'm going to plant a 3m strip with calamagrostis to form a screen and wondered whether I'd be better planting six small plants or three large ones. 

    What do people generally do?
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I needed 8 Karl Foerster, so bought 4 big ones and split them.
    I done that in April a few years ago. All but one is doing well.
    Not sure if it's good to split grasses this time of year though.
    Hopefully someone can advise

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • WilderbeastWilderbeast Posts: 1,415
    Splitting potted plants is different to digging up established plants from the ground, all the roots are contained in the pot and they should be ok at anytime (so long as they are a big enough plant to split. I have this grass and I think 3 large grasses wouldn't cover the space, thats if that's all you are planning on.  Personally I'd go with the smaller plants, get them asap to establish before winter and they should do well. 
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