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Low cost way to get a wall of 'Karl Foerster'?

Sazz101Sazz101 Posts: 248
in Plants
Hello :) Has anyone propagated Karl Foerstar from small pieces of root stock? If so, please can you tell me how long it takes to get to a nice size (big clump)? I love the plant and want a lovely show of it. It costs £12 for a 2 litre pot and my 1 pot a year investment policy isn’t getting me anywhere fast 😂  Apparently the seeds are sterile and google searches point to dividing root stock. Looks easy but since my clumps are not spreading I’m worried il ruin a good plant for lots of small plants that take 10 years to get to 2 litre size. I have a green house. Any help appreciated thank you!

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  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @Sazz101 I wonder if you saw this on Gardeners World where it looked good with a wall as a backdrop.[shown fri 9th March] I hope to move soon and there is a wall where I plan to do this too.
     I do have alot of Calamagrostis Karl Foerster in my present garden but not enough to do the job at once.  I plan to space medium size clumps out along the wall and plant Cosmos/ Verbena in the gaps for year one. Year two you should be able to lift and split as soon as they are growing well in the spring and fill the gaps.
    I purchased my original plants from an NGS open garden cheaper than GC prices you could look around locally. No short cut, sorry to say small pieces can struggle.
    I also grow C Overdam slightly shorter with me [and they do vary] lovely with dark moody leaves.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I bought 4 x 2-litre Karl F about 5 years ago to go along a few fence panels.
    After 2 years I split the 4 into 8 which is about what I need.
    One of them died, so I'll split the biggest again this year.
    Each clump is now about 60cm wide.

    Best to wait until they get underway in the Spring before splitting them.
    If you split the when dormant, they don't seem to survive.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    When I moved here over 9 years ago, the first plants I put in my garden were three 2 litre pots of C. Karl Foerster.  Within two years they were looking big enough to divide.  I left mine as I wanted the clumps to get bigger and divided them the following year. 

    About three years ago, I lifted one of the 6 year old clumps, divided it into 9 pieces and planted this "hedge" in my front garden.  It's about 3m long and 1m deep. You could easily achieve this within two or three years if you buy plants in 2 litre pots now. You'll probably need 5 of them to split into 2 after 2 years to achieve the same effect.

    The divisions need to be a reasonable size to make an impact quickly. I'd advise you to keep your plants well watered while they are establishing but unless you have really poor soil, don't feed them as they will become floppy and the flower stalks will get easily weighted down by rain.


    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • Sazz101Sazz101 Posts: 248
    @Plantminded your grass looks fantastic! I can’t believe you got that show from 3 pots. Your plants must love it there. I will aim to do something similar but I’m thinking they have been to dry as they are up against a fence. 

    Thanks for the advice @Pete.8 i was about to do exactly that, divide them now even though there’s no sign of growth.

    @GardenerSuze yes exactly that :smile: It did remind me of my cunning plan! Never heard of NGS, will google. Verbena and cosmos will look lovely. Good luck for the move!!! 
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    Thank you @Sazz101, it was just one six year old plant divided into 9!  The plants in my more sheltered back garden are already starting to show new growth after cutting them down to the ground in February.  It will be fine to divide yours as soon as you see new green shoots at the base and the soil is warmer.
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @Sazz101 Never touch any grass when dormant and split in the spring not the autumn as they stop growing and can die over winter. The NGS is the National Garden Scheme.
    You will  hopefully  find at least one near to you. There is often a plant stall too. 
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
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