when should I plant my muhly grass babies?
Hi friends!
I recently (in the past month or so) planted some purple muhly grass seeds and have been raising the baby plants indoors. The small plants are about 4 to 5 inches tall now and I have them in self-watering containers in my modified "grow-trunk" with lights on a timer. (See picture below.) I started these much later in the season than I probably should have, so they will still be very small in the fall. My question is this - would it be wiser to keep them indoors through the fall and winter and plant them when the weather warms up next spring, or should I go ahead and plan them outdoors when the weather begins to cool down slightly (it's been averaging in the mid-90s every day, but should start to cool down in September)? By planting them in September and giving them TLC outdoors, do you think it would it be enough time to allow them to establish and survive the winter?? Keep in mind - Tulsa is at the lowest end of their growing zone - zone 6ish.
Does anyone have experience planting this grass later in the summer and having it survive winter outdoors? I'm open to all thoughts and suggestions! Thanks!!
And yes, I think my grow trunk is awesome... I've also got some English lavender growing from seed (that will definitely stay indoors this winter).
Comments (7)
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8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoI hate to tell you this but that is definitely not Muhly grass. It survives winter easily here and plants are available at local nurseries. Muhly grass has much finer leaves which all grow out at the base, not on stems like that. Where did you get the seeds? It looks like common crabgrass, your seed might not have been pure. Its not a heavy seeder & the seeds are a bit finicky about germinating with a low germination rate. I usually get a few volunteers from established plants and those make it through winter here in Oklahoma City.
Here are some photos, young gallon sized plants and a 4" plug.
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8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoRelated Discussions
when should I plant grass?
Comments (8)Doesn't sound like you're going to live there any time soon. Just throw down some Scotts Turf Builder Shade mix with the water saver technology (most have that now), water it, add some starter fertilizer let it grow so you don't have a mud pit. Hopefully do it when there's going to be some rain for a few days since you won't be there to water. Whatever you get you get.It may or may not survive the summer but it'll probably get torn up while you're renovating. If you're not done renovating in the fall, throw down some more seed over whatever happened to grow. When you're done remodeling, kill the old grass, redo the grading around the house so you have proper drainage. You might need to bring some top soil in for that. Do a soil test. You might need to adjust the pH, add organic matter (compost), or whatever else the soil test tells you. Then either lay sod or seed with a better seed depending on the time of year and your budget....See MoreNEWBIE Q: Is it ok that my baby roses are blooming? should I clip
Comments (8)Tiny baby roses often produce flowers that don't look much like the mature plant's flowers. So if the flowers look a little strange, don't be too concerned. The growers who probably most need to remove buds from tiny plants are those with a short growing season and harsh winters. The baby plants need all the help they can get surviving that. In contrast, Zone 9 has a long growing season and mild winters. One thing, if the roses don't really take off (slow to get growing), removing buds until they do take off can help....See MoreWhen should I plant out my ws red hot poker?
Comments (1)Anytime now. They're doing fine having germinated outside, there's no reason not to get them into the ground....See Moreshould I amend the soil when planting Silver grass?
Comments (3)Kellygelly, I think that you will probably be all right. Your new Miscanthus won't be getting all that huge in the first year or two so flopping shouldn't be an issue. By the third year when you have a giant grass (since it is getting such good dirt), it will have used up some of the nutrients in the soil. Don't add any more! Seth, I find my grasses do fine if planted in 'native soil' as long as it isn't constantly wet or in my case pure sand. The pure sand lacks most nutrients & drys out too fast in the summer. That said, I do have two or three Miscanthus seedlings growing on the side of our gravel road! My theory, if they cost nothing & start small they will grow anywhere! A....See MoreErin Powell
8 years agoErin Powell
8 years agoErin Powell
8 years agoUser
8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago
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