Ornamental grasses bring a natural lightness to the garden and are usually undemanding. In this article we have summarised what you need to know when planting and caring for your grasses.
21.11.2025
Most grasses should be planted in spring so that they have enough time to root in by winter. In autumn you can plant native sedges, among other varieties, which grow well even at lower temperatures.
Grasses should be relocated in spring after they have been trimmed back. This gives deciduous grass species in particular a better chance of rooting properly before the first frost.
Organic fertiliser such as compost is suitable for grasses. However, unless they are in a planter, your grasses will require practically no fertilisation if you plant them in an appropriate location. Nitrogen-rich fertilisers can even harm some grasses.
Many plants go well with grasses, especially flowering perennials: yarrow, purple echinacea, Russian sage and stonecrop are beautifully set off by grasses in the autumn. Used in conjunction with formal evergreen shrubs such as spherically trimmed boxwood, grasses bring life to the garden.
Once planted and well rooted, grasses require little care. However, you should be careful to plant ornamental grasses at the right time:
most grasses should be planted in spring, preferably between February and April. This gives the plants enough time to grow well before the first frost. Although deciduous grasses such as Chinese silver grass and feather reed grass are in full splendour in autumn and are also hardy in winter, their root growth ceases in September at the latest. Wet, cold conditions then make life particularly difficult for grasses that have not grown much. Relocating grass plants should also be done in spring for the same reason.
In autumn, you can plant grasses that continue growing at lower temperatures. Indigenous species such as sedge (carex) and fescues (festuca) cope well with moisture and cold and will be able to get sufficiently well-rooted before the start of winter.
You only need a few tools to plant grasses. The most important thing is to put on gloves and long-sleeved clothing to protect you against sharp-edged blades of grass. You should also have the following ready:
Working with high-performance power tools is fun and allows you to broaden your skills, which is great if you can rely on effective and safe protective clothing. Always wear your personal protective equipment when working with STIHL power tools. Find out more in the operating instructions for your product. Before using your power tool for the first time, fully familiarise yourself with it and ensure that it is in flawless condition before each use. On request, your STIHL dealer will be happy to prepare your power tool for its first job, and will also advise you on models and sizes of protective clothing that you can try on at your leisure. Please remember that personal protective equipment is no substitute for safe working.
You should plant grasses as soon as possible after purchase so that they get out of their cramped pots. Here we go:
Before planting, you can give the root ball of the ornamental grass a thorough soaking in a bucket of water. Leave the plant in the plant pot while doing this.
Depending on the size of the root ball, use a spade or trowel to make a hole for planting. This should be twice as wide as the root ball.
You should loosen the soil in the hole well with a garden fork, and then work in a drainage layer of sand or grit to prevent waterlogging.
Plant the grass to the same depth as it was in the plant pot. The root ball must not be buried too deep, but also should not stick out of the ground. Then fill the hole with soil, firm the grass in and water sufficiently.
Our tips for planting grasses in beds and planters will ensure you can enjoy these fuss-free garden residents for a long time to come.
Ornamental grass will only grow strongly if planted in a suitable location. Chinese silver grass and fountaingrass need full sun, while feather reed grass and moor grass can cope well with half shade, and sedge and luzula are suitable for shady locations. Before planting the grasses, consider whether the space provided in the garden offers the necessary lighting conditions
When it comes to soil conditions, the following applies: most grasses prefer free-draining soil that is not too rich in nutrients. Ornamental grasses are actually rather robust, but waterlogging causes them to rot. You should therefore lighten and loosen heavy clay soils with sand or grit before planting grasses, for better water drainage.
You should plant grasses at a distance from other plants that is approximately equal to their final height. You can also group grasses more closely together to form a privacy screen or a hedge. However, the more densely you plant grasses, the sooner you will have to divide them so that they do not choke each other. To do this, dig out the rootstock and divide it into smaller pieces. Once replanted, the grass will grow more compactly from the small piece.
Undemanding grasses usually thrive better than other plants in the limited planting space of tubs and plant boxes. However, for large grasses in particular, you should choose a pot that is two to three times the size of the root ball so that there is enough soil volume and sufficient weight for stability. Use garden soil or a specialised formulation for foliage plants when planting grass; potting soil usually contains too much fertiliser. A clay drainage layer will prevent waterlogging at the bottom of the pot.
Many grasses only reach their peak at the end of the gardening season. That’s why they are in good company with late-blooming perennials. Echinacea, stonecrop, asters and autumn anemones are beautifully offset against lush tufts of tall grasses. Interesting garden looks can be created with delicate feather grass, yarrow and woodland sage or Chinese silver grass in combination with white gaura.
And the ever-popular boxwood balls always go nicely with grasses. Evergreen topiary trees in the garden can often have a rather severe appearance, but this is refreshingly relaxed by adding grasses.
STIHL tip
Combining grasses with early-blooming flowering bulbs will create a real win-win situation in the garden. Tulips, daffodils, etc. already adorn the garden with bright colours before the grasses have had a chance to grow after being trimmed back. Once the blooms of the bulb flowers have died back, the new growth of the grasses will cover their unsightly leaves.
Grass gardens do not need a lot of maintenance, provided that the needs of the grass species have been met and the soil has been well prepared. If this is the case, the robust plants are barely susceptible to pests and diseases, and many hardly even require regular watering or fertilising if they are well rooted.
All you need to do is remember to trim back your grasses every year: in early spring, you need to cut your ornamental grass at a point just above the ground, so that the new shoots have light and room to grow.
Watering: even drought-loving grasses must be watered regularly in the first year after planting, so that they form a dense root system. In the following years, supplementary watering will only be necessary in very dry summers.
Fertilising: tall, leafy species such as Chinese silver grass welcome an application of compost as an organic fertiliser in the spring after trimming. However, too much nitrogen-rich fertiliser can damage other grasses. It will cause blue fescue or feather grass to grow too quickly and their blades will lose their stability. Grasses growing in shady locations also need no fertiliser.
Winterising: you should not cut your grass back in autumn, but only in spring. The dense, dried stems and leaves protect the rootstock from moisture and cold. Some grasses will fare better over the winter if they are tied up.
Over the years, grasses that form thick clumps, such as Chinese silver grass, become thin in the middle and at the same time spread in width. To counter this tendency and to propagate the grasses at the same time, you should divide the root ball every few years after new shoots have sprouted in the spring. To do this, use a spade to slice through the middle of the clump and lever out the root ball all around. One piece should be planted in the old spot and the others can be planted in other locations or given to other grass enthusiasts.
