![]() Little bluestem provides necessary overwintering habitat and resources for many insects and birds. The seeds of this grass are eaten by songbirds. ![]() Walkingsticks, the leaf-mining beetles, thrips, spittlebugs, and leafhoppers. Other insects that feed on Little Bluestem include grasshoppers, Prairie Little Bluestem serves as the larval host for several skipper species including the Dusted Little Bluestem is an excellent plant for wildlife. Remove the seed fluff to control the spread of young seedlings. White seed heads that also adds seasonal interest. In a garden setting, Little Bluestem is valued for its blue-greenĬolor in the summer and, after the first frost, it turns beautiful shades ofīrown, copper, and crimson that will remain all winter. Will likely cause the species to disappear. US, Little Bluestem is very drought-tolerant, but it can do well in moistįarmers have used this species for hay, but consecutive years of haying One of the most widely distributed species of grass in the In tallgrass prairies, companion grasses include Big In shortgrass prairies, it is often the dominant species along with Side-oats Prairie habitat that is commonly used in both landscaping and restoration Monitor the grasses to ensure adequate supply of water.Little Bluestem is an iconic warm season grass of the Water all clumps that have been replanted.No need to go crazy, just 1 – 3 handfuls will be sufficient. Another optional step that helps is to add a bit of compost into the hole when you add your back fill. Replant one of the original clumps in the hole, using some top soil or potting soil as backfill. Depending how large it is, you now need to carefully split it in half, or into four equal parts.Ignore the white line! My camera put this on, and I’m not sure why! If the clump is very large (3′ or 1 m in diameter), you can just verify that it is loose in the hole, then lower it back into the hole. You should be able to lift or pry up the entire clump. Then, stab the shovel one more time, getting under the entire clump. Repeat this step all the way around the outside of the clump. Then, gently rock the shove handle down to loosen the clump. Angle it at 30-45 degrees from vertical, and push it towards the center of the clump. Take your shovel and place it 2-4″ away from the clump. You want to make sure you can identify the entire clump. Clear away any mulch or leaf litter from the base of the plant. Locate your grass, and trim off the excess growth with clippers. Cut back the dead grass from the previous year.Moist soil will make digging out the clump much easier. The day before you want to divide/transplant your ornamental grass, you should heavily water the ground. Step by Step Guide to dividing Ornamental Grass with Pictures Camping saw, bow saw, or gardening knife.Tools and Materials required for dividing ornamental grass I like to do this every second or third year on my Big Bluestem and Little Bluestem grasses. ![]() Being nearly dormant means that there won’t be as much shock to the ornamental grass when it is cut in half! Furthermore, the soil tends to stay more moist in the Spring. Because of the cool temperatures there will not be a heat load on the plant, which means that it won’t require as much water. The best time to divide ornamental grasses is early in the Spring while temperatures are still cool. When should you divide your Ornamental Grass? Or, what time of year should you divide roots of grasses? If you see new growth around the plant, but none in the center it may be time to divide. So, if you see all of your plants ‘waking up’ from the winter, examine your ornamental grasses. If the center of the clump looks dead, then you should divide the plant. Or, if the center of the clump doesn’t appear to be making any new growth. In general, Ornamental Grasses should be divided every 3rd year. Big Bluestem Blooming How to determine if you need to divide your Ornamental Grass? This process is very similar to how you can divide other perennial flowers. In a nutshell, you are just going to dig up the entire clump, then cut the clump in half using a shovel, saw or knife. So, in order to keep the grass plant looking healthy and vigorous you should divide the base clump. Once this occurs, the ornamental grass will start to look sickly. Eventually, after 3-5 years these clumps will grow so large that the centers will die out. Over time, the base clumps of these grasses will increase in diameter. ![]() Most species of Ornamental Grass that are grown in the garden are clump-forming with fibrous roots. ![]()
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