With the advent of the first frost, your deciduous grasses will turn a lovely tan color. Shortly thereafter, I see commercial landscape maintenance people clipping the grasses to the ground in the name of neatness. I lament the fact that we are missing the very attribute that grasses are famous for- winter structure and interest.
The warm season grasses, such as Miscanthus and Pennisetum, are those that bloom late in the season, with the seedheads lasting throughout the winter,. On a late fall morning, take a stroll by your grasses and marvel at the seedheads with their glorious frosting of ice crystals, or jewel-like dew. This scene is doubly wondrous if the grasses are backlit by the sun. All winter long, the grasses keep their structure, with the seedheads being amazingly resilient to winds, rain, and even snow.
When the leaves have turned tan, they become papery, and rustle in the breezes, adding yet another dimension to your winter landscape.
So, when is the ideal time to cut grasses down? Certainly, if any of the stems have fallen over or are looking unsightly, then by all means, cut them. But generally, it’s best to leave the grass intact until you see the new green shoots emerging in the spring. The clumps of dried grasses will provide food and shelter for the birds and other wild life. The tops also tend to protect the plant from the ravages of winter.
The time when the new growth emerges will vary according to the spring weather, but usually it’s sometime between late February and mid March. At that time, shear the grasses off a few inches above the ground. Depending on the type of grass, and how many you have, the job can be done with hedge shears, or an electric hedge pruner. If the clumps are large, I recommend tying a bungee cord around it prior to cutting it. That makes simple work of carrying the bundle all at once to its destination.
The clipping of the foliage allows the sun to penetrate the soil, warming the roots, and getting ready for their next spectacular show.
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