Just a further thought, don't give your grass any fertiliser/food - too much nitrogen makes the stems lax and prone to falling over, particularly when in flower.
Oh right! I think that could be the problem then. I've recently gave my bananas and gunneras their last feed of the year and I thought I'd put the last of the pellets around the miscanthus, probably about 10 handfuls.
Rain, wind, animals ... oh, and that fertiliser - 10 handfulls !!!
I know I know with my other plants like my musa basjoos for example they get about the same amount every month. My gunneras get a hell of a lot more than 10 handfuls a month and that's on top of the grass clippings and other bits of plant I dig up or snap off. I thought big grass equals lots of food. In my defence I am a total novice when it comes to grasses.
Ignoring the grass, that still seems like an awful lot of fertiliser. bananas, yes, but I wouldn't feed the others more than once a year.
I've found with the gunneras they can never get enough food or water. This year I've increased the feed for my tinctoria and its now huge, it's a totally different plant from previous years. My manicata is only young so I'm not feeding it as heavily but it still gets a monthly feed and is growing very well. They're the plants that get the most feed though, my bamboos get a feed twice a season and my paulownias the same.
I don't know anyone that feeds gunneras either. If the soil and the general conditions are right they just grow. I've never fed any grass. I agree with @punkdoc re the banana, which is a totally different plant, but grasses shouldn't need any food
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@Fairygirl Hello, I must say I'm surprised people you know don't feed their gunneras considering their reputation as being very heavy feeders and drinkers. I think I've learnt my lesson where feeding miscanthus is concerned though!!!
Using large quantities of fertiliser will encourage your plants to become unnaturally large and more vulnerable to pests, diseases and weather extremes, with vigour becoming exhausted as a result. Plus the eventual run off of over used fertilisers into rivers and waterways has a detrimental effect on the environment and wildlife.
It’s better to improve your soil for greedy feeders by incorporating plenty of organic matter during the growing season and then add the occasional handful of blood fish and bone if necessary in spring and mid summer, but leaving grasses and most perennials and plants which prefer impoverished soil to grow without any additional feed.
Thank you for that @CatDouch. Someone else showed one yesterday and it looked rather lovely. The M.sin Starlight is gorgeous too. A bit like Tina Turner hair!
I have only three grasses at the minute and they are all mooched from other people. Festuca glauca, Stipa tenuissima and a bronze mystery item from another poster several years ago. Mellors brought me some seeds from his friend's garden so they've been sown and will be another surprise. I like the tall wafty ones like Stipa gigantea Golden Oat Grass.
As I said @ezelott, when the soil and conditions are right, as well as the site, they don't need fed. @Plantminded is correct in saying if the soil is in good health by adding organic matter, that's far better than constantly feeding artificially, which can just promote lots of soft, weak growth which is more vulnerable to all sorts of problems. We have clay soil here and lots of rain, so they need nothing else to help them grow and keep them happy.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
My miscanthus malpartus is taking all of the water and nutrients from the adjacent apple tree. It's going to have to come out and I'm not looking forward to that.
How close is the grass to your apple tree @didyw and how large is the grass? I’m curious to know as I never water or feed any of my grasses once established as they seem happy in impoverished soil and are drought tolerant.
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I've never fed any grass. I agree with @punkdoc re the banana, which is a totally different plant, but grasses shouldn't need any food
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Using large quantities of fertiliser will encourage your plants to become unnaturally large and more vulnerable to pests, diseases and weather extremes, with vigour becoming exhausted as a result. Plus the eventual run off of over used fertilisers into rivers and waterways has a detrimental effect on the environment and wildlife.
It’s better to improve your soil for greedy feeders by incorporating plenty of organic matter during the growing season and then add the occasional handful of blood fish and bone if necessary in spring and mid summer, but leaving grasses and most perennials and plants which prefer impoverished soil to grow without any additional feed.
I have only three grasses at the minute and they are all mooched from other people. Festuca glauca, Stipa tenuissima and a bronze mystery item from another poster several years ago. Mellors brought me some seeds from his friend's garden so they've been sown and will be another surprise. I like the tall wafty ones like Stipa gigantea Golden Oat Grass.
@Plantminded is correct in saying if the soil is in good health by adding organic matter, that's far better than constantly feeding artificially, which can just promote lots of soft, weak growth which is more vulnerable to all sorts of problems.
We have clay soil here and lots of rain, so they need nothing else to help them grow and keep them happy.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...