Michigan Gardener - Your guide Great Lakes gardening: Garden Event Calendar / Expert Advice / Plant Profiles / Tree Care

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Can I overwinter annual ornamental grasses?

August 6, 2011 •

In containers this season, I planted Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’ and ‘Burgundy Giant’ (fountain grass) as well as Phormium (New Zealand flax), which are treated as annuals. I don’t have a greenhouse, but can they be overwintered indoors? I successfully overwintered cannas last season.

Around late August, move the ornamental grasses and Phormium into a very shady spot outside and remove any other plant material from the container. Doing this will help your plants acclimate to indoor light conditions. Remember, full sun inside is about the same light as full shade outside. After a few weeks in the shade, remove any plumes from the grasses. Check both the plants and their soil for insects, and spray if needed. Find a location inside where the plants will receive as much sunlight as possible (a south or west exposure is best). Keep in mind that Phormium is a tropical plant and enjoys very warm temperatures, so be very careful to keep it away from drafts. Wait a couple of weeks and prune back the grasses to 6 inches above the soil line (not necessary with Phormium). Be sure to cut back on your watering through the low light, winter months. Next spring, after one more trim, set the plants outside in the shade again and gradually move them into the sunlight over a 2-week period.

Why is my Russian sage flopping to the ground?

August 4, 2011 •

I have 3 Russian sage plants (2 different varieties) planted in partial to full sun. They are 2 to 4 years old. They flop along the ground and will not grow upright. I remember having a Russian sage several years ago that did the same thing. What am I doing wrong?

Russian sage can flop in mid-season, once it has attained the bulk of its normal height. Partial sun conditions can cause the plant to “stretch” a bit, looking for the sun. Such excessive growth can cause the stems to become top-heavy, and then flop.

The plants like a full day of sun when they can get it. Usually 8 hours is best. They are also drought-tolerant once they become established. If they are kept warmer and drier, you’ll frequently find they tend to stay somewhat shorter and more compact, and are more able to hold themselves upright.

There are supports available that consist of a ring that has a grid in it. The plants will grow through this grid, and partially hide it while they grow. So, if you have given Russian sage all the sun that you can, and the plants still flop over, try using one of these supports, or even a regular peony ring.

What is the difference between a “cool season” grass and a “warm season” grass?

August 1, 2011 •

Warm season grasses typically grow actively in the spring and summer, will generally have attractive coloring in the fall, and will go dormant in the winter. Cool season grass experiences it’s period of active growth in the late winter or early spring. They will bloom in the early part of the summer, and then enter a period of dormancy or slow growth later in the summer into the fall. A number of grasses of this type are evergreen.

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