Forum home› Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Help!

andreamoretonandreamoreton Posts: 46
in Plants
Hi I have this Plant I have brought this plant in over the winter,should I cut it back in the spring?
Thnks in advance 

Posts

  • D0rdogne_DamselD0rdogne_Damsel Posts: 4,184

    • “Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?” —Betsy Cañas Garmon
  • D0rdogne_DamselD0rdogne_Damsel Posts: 4,184
    I really am no expert, but with grasses like this I have been advised to just comb your fingers through and loosen dead growth. 

    There are other grasses though that I have seen in my local park that get cut to the ground every year and come back bigger and better. 

    Not much use am I, but I have straightened your photo @andreamoreton. :)
    • “Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?” —Betsy Cañas Garmon
  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    The label is still there. What is the name of the plant and does it give any care instructions?

    The general rule is deciduous grasses can be cut back quite hard around mid February taking care not to snip off emerging shoots while evergreen grasses should be left until about May when dead leaves and seed heads can be teased out. Using a glove is often advisable.
    Rutland, England
  • andreamoretonandreamoreton Posts: 46
    D0rdogne_Damsel said:
    I really am no expert, but with grasses like this I have been advised to just comb your fingers through and loosen dead growth. 

    There are other grasses though that I have seen in my local park that get cut to the ground every year and come back bigger and better. 

    Not much use am I, but I have straightened your photo @andreamoreton. :)
    Thanks anyway!😄

  • andreamoretonandreamoreton Posts: 46
    BenCotto said:
    The label is still there. What is the name of the plant and does it give any care instructions?

    The general rule is deciduous grasses can be cut back quite hard around mid February taking care not to snip off emerging shoots while evergreen grasses should be left until about May when dead leaves and seed heads can be teased out. Using a glove is often advisable.BenCotto said:
    The label is still there. What is the name of the plant and does it give any care instructions?

    The general rule is deciduous grasses can be cut back quite hard around mid February taking care not to snip off emerging shoots while evergreen grasses should be left until about May when dead leaves and seed heads can be teased out. Using a glove is often advisable.

    The plant is called Rubrum
    The label said cut down 
    In Spring. The grasses are 
    Lovely, so do.i need to chop the. Off.




  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    If it is Penisetum rubrum, which it looks like, then it is not hardy, so unless you have brought it inside for the winter, it is unlikely to survive.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    edited January 2022
    Bringing indoors is what probably saved it as they are considered very tender.
     I would do as @D0rdogne_Damsel suggests and just comb it through with your fingers (wearing gloves). When the weather starts to warm up say at the end of March l would begin to acclimatise it to outdoor temperatures again, putting out in a sheltered place during the day and bringing it in at night to start with  :)
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Yes - just as well you brought it in @andreamoreton. Not hardy - probably even in very mild, sheltered gardens.  :)
    Evergreen grasses are the ones you just comb through to remove old foliage, as @BenCotto says. Deciduous ones get cut back before too much new growth appears, as that can make it tricky. You can trim off the old foliage when it's ready to re pot, but the fact that it still has a lot of 'green' suggests it's been very mild where you are too, so you may just have to leave that on. Not sure what the best course of action would be in that instance, although it might be better to cut the whole thing back. Not a scenario I've ever had here as grasses never stay green over winter. 

    Then just take your time with putting it outside as @AnniD says.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Sign In or Register to comment.