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

Can this grass be saved?

Simone_in_WiltshireSimone_in_Wiltshire Posts: 1,073
in Problem solving
I’m afraid one of the foxes in our area made himself it comfortable in my good looking grass and it looks to my like marked and is now dying. It changed the colour over night. 

What do you think?





Thanks in advance. 

I ♥ my garden.

«13

Posts

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I wouldn't be too worried about it. You could poke a couple of canes through the main part, or something similar, to make it less appealing for now.
    It should perk up in spring though.
    Which grass is it?
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Simone_in_WiltshireSimone_in_Wiltshire Posts: 1,073
    Thanks Fairygirl. Unfortunately I lost the label of it, but it’s one of the evergreen grasses that are not cut normally. 

    I ♥ my garden.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    In the spring get some very sturdy gardening gloves and use your hands to rake firmly through the grass removing the straggly old ‘loose’ grass blades at the base. It’ll reward you by producing lots of fresh new grass blades. 

    Perhaps @Hostafan1 can identify it  if he’s around … he has quite a few splendid grasses. 😊 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    edited January 2023
    It looks like a Carex, which technically is a sedge rather than  a grass, but that's a bit irrelevant. If so, it'll be fine.  :)

    @GardenerSuze grows a lot of grasses, so she may be able to give helpful info.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    edited January 2023
    @Simone_in_Wiltshire I think I would be taking a guess at an ID from your photo. As Dove from above has mentioned you should just tease out evergreen grasses in the early spring.

    However I do grow Stipa gigantea which is evergreen I do cut it back early March if it is looking really scruffy. You will be cutting back some of the green growth but if it is a mess I would do it. With Stipa which grows to about 6/7ft I cut it back to about 2ft.

    If it was in my garden I would wait until end of February and go for it, the books would tell you otherwise but unless your garden has been very wet over winter and the roots
    are poor it will regrow. It is always good to be generous when splitting them too. Yours looks a good size.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • Simone_in_WiltshireSimone_in_Wiltshire Posts: 1,073
    edited January 2023
    Thank you all very much. I made be lucky and find the label on one of my pictures. It was definitely a Carex. 
    👍

    I ♥ my garden.

  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @Simone_in_Wiltshire You can cut back carex but I think I would wait until April time before taking off up to half the growth.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • Simone_in_WiltshireSimone_in_Wiltshire Posts: 1,073
    @GardenerSuze I want to replant that area and need to make a decision in March or so if that grass can stay or will be replaced which would be a shame, because it started to develop. I would have to cut most of it as it looks really like a fox has slept there. I don’t think it will grow. I will do what dove said, let’s see.  

    I ♥ my garden.

  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    One of my evergreen grasses looks a bit like that today.  Not due to a sleeping fox but the aftermath of a few days under snow and frost before Christmas I think.  I'm going to leave it until Spring to see if it recovers, then do a tidy up.  I wouldn't be too hasty to remove it yet  @Simone_in_Wiltshire. 
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @Simone_in_Wiltshire Yes plenty of time before you need to decide. Carex do need a more retentive soil than grasses in general. You may be able to split it in half if you want to in the spring. You can now be prepared knowing the different options. Suze 
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
Sign In or Register to comment.