As November heralds the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter, now is the time for transplanting bunch grasses. This is a chance to connect with your garden and recognize that what you grow will multiply. Take time to meditate on where you'd like to place your energy in the coming year to multiply your blessings.
As you are transplanting bunch grasses, you may also see a further opportunity to shape your garden into a retreat for yourself and others.
Late autumn is the traditional time for transplanting bunch grasses, since the days of harsh sun have passed. With milder weather, the newly uprooted sections of grass won't dry out and the stress to their systems is minimized.
When you divide and move grasses, the first step is to choose and prepare the new location for the transplanted clump. Be sure that the growing conditions mirror the conditions in the location they're leaving (exposure and soil type are similar or otherwise suited to the needs of that particular grass). Dig each hole about three times as large as the clump's root ball and mix in some compost with the replacement soil. Be sure that the spacing of these new locations allows for the plants' projected size at maturity.
Once you have the holes prepared, you're ready to dig up and divide the grasses. Cut back the grasses to just a few inches in height. Loosen the earth around the entire grass plant with a spade; dig down at least a foot to ensure that you allow enough root system to remain attached. Set the overgrown grass clump onto the ground on its side and divide into sections about 8 inches in diameter.
As you plant each clump, pour some water into the hole to make sure that the transplant is adequately hydrated in its new home. Keep them well watered until they're established, but don't overdo it or they could rot.
Since this is the time to set about transplanting bunch grasses, keep in mind that you can keep them in a greenhouse over the winter, making sure to harden off the plants (acclimate them gradually to outside conditions) before setting them in their permanent spot in the garden come spring.
If you end up with more plant divisions than you can use, it's a great time of year to give a gift directly from your garden. A potted plant is the perfect way to usher in the season, and bunch grasses make lovely hostess gifts at Thanksgiving.
Okay, so you're thinking "...transplanting bunch grasses...I don't have any!"
We've got a few ways for you to introduce bunch grasses to your garden. Here are our picks:
Festuca Glauca, a drought-hardy blue grass that grows in compact clumps just right for the garden's edge. It frames a garden and sends the energy out that you are stable and steady in your decisions.- Blue Oat Grass and Silver Fountain Grass, magical grasses that are believed to hold prayer spirits in them. Step near to them and whisper your desires. Also, plant your intention on a piece of paper into the space you dig for them, and see miracles grow! They grow two to three feet tall and make spectacular companions to Festuca Glauca.
Zebra Grass, with its bold yellow stripes, makes a dramatic statement as it grows to an average height of 7 feet; the statement here is that you are direct and not afraid to speak your mind.- Pampas Grass is another very tall specimen, delivering white or pink plumes in late summer on stalks up to 7 feet tall; they send the message that you are whimsical and have a bold imagination. You can find this grass at Gurneys and at Michigan Bulb.
See our store for more places to buy plants and bulbs, but also check out www.BloomingBulb.com since they're offering free shipping for a limited time on their great selection of ornamental grasses.
With their variety of heights, textures, and colors, bunch grasses are appropriate choices for backdrops, foundations, edgings, and accents. They can be a powerful statement for every garden. Even if you start out with just one plant that has meaning to you, you'll be transplanting bunch grasses each year to multiply your intention and share the magic of your garden with others.
