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Stipa tenuissima Care

AaronBilAaronBil Posts: 100
in Plants
he hello guys, I have a few of these coming into second season and there is a lot of brown in them.
I believe the idea is to comb/rake through but it doesn’t seem enough for some reason. I’ve seen online that some people also trim and often right back in spring to nearly the base just like you would with a deciduous.
does anyone have any tips? 
Thank you

Posts

  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    When I cut mine right back, they died, so I just comb them.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I have about 30 of them - mostly self sown in an unused area.
    I cut them right back to the ground - but I wait until I see some strong new growth first.
    I checked the other day and so far no new growth.
    It should be OK for me to chop them back in a week or so I'd imagine if it stays warm.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @AaronBil Stipa tenuissima or Nassella tenuissima as it seems to be known as now is an evergreen grass.
    Correct advice would be to tease out the brown growth, here I would wait a few weeks as seems to be easier as it starts to regrow.
    Plants that are all brown may have died due to wet but I would wait a while to be sure.
    I have cut these back when they have become very untidy, I have also cut back untidy Stipa gigantea by a third, also evergreen. Something you shouldn't do but with plenty of green showing it will be fine.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I'm probably doing it all wrong but I cut mine back to about 9"  so that the dead stalks can support the new growth a little .
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • AaronBilAaronBil Posts: 100
    Thank you for all your feedback. I guess as with most plants it depends on your soil and climate. I do have a few that are 90% brown, still pretty young plants. I’ll make an assessment early may. Thanks again
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    They are quite quick growers and I tend to treat them as short term plants which seed and produce the next generation. I do this with Anemanthele lessoniana as well. Young plants look much better than resurrected old ones


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    Stipa tenuissima is semi-evergreen in my garden. I usually remove the top two or three inches with secateurs in early spring to tidy it up and allow existing stems to protect any newly emerging stems below.  I also comb through the grass with a gloved hand to remove any dead stems.  This grass needs plenty of sun and dislikes wet or waterlogged soils. They need to be well hydrated before planting though by soaking in a bucket, otherwise the rootball remains dry and the grass doesn't progress.
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • LunarSeaLunarSea Posts: 1,923
    B3 said:
    I'm probably doing it all wrong but I cut mine back to about 9"  so that the dead stalks can support the new growth a little .

    Yep that's what I did last year. They looked rather 'chopped off' for a long time but eventually they came back and looked good. Unfortunately the comb-through technique doesn't work terribly well on either this grass or gigantea and it can be a painstakingly tedious job to get them looking like 'new' again but when they start flowering all is forgiven :) 
    Clay soil - Cheshire/Derbyshire border. 

    I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    I do agree the comb through is'nt that successful. You do have to give time to tidy grasses at this time of year, any bits you miss the birds will have for their nests.
    If you have lots of deciduous grasses to cut back you can tie some string at the base then cut just above. A little less messy.
    The Pennisetums are left until early April as they are tender.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
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