Pheasants tail grass

8000wildflowers

Hi

Looking for your experience of hard pruning/care of established pheasants tail grass (anemanthele lessoniana). I have a lot bordering our pond and they're very brown - not dead - but not very attractive as there's only a little green. 

General advice online, and from Monty Don recently on tv, seems to be to tease out the brown with your fingers, this doesn't work very well I've been trying today, it generally needs to be cut out, perhaps I've left it too late - the plants are 3 years old and I've not done this each Spring to date.

I think I'll have to hard prune it down but as it's an evergreen grass it'll be a fine line to tread not to kill it. 

Has anyone done this with pheasants tail? And if so how much did you cut?

I'll post up a pic if it helps, but I'll need to power the computer up.

Thanks

nutcutlet

These seed around and I dump the old brown ones and let the youngsters take over.

I think you'd have to cut it right back to make it look good again, unless you remove each brown blade, one at a time

 

 

punkdoc

These are not the type of grasses you should cut down to the ground, it is quite likely to kill them.

I do as Nut says, and replace the old ones, with self sown seedlings.

8000wildflowers

Hi Nut, Punk, thanks for your comments.

Problem is, I have 60 of them surrounding a pond which would be quite a long process to replace with seedlings. Pic enclosed.

I've been trying to remove the brown to make way for the green - one blade at a time as Nut mentioned - and it's soul destroying! Understand they can't be cut right down like the deciduous grasses, but do you think I could cut down by half or two thirds?

 

 

8000wildflowers

Hi Verdun, looks like you were posting already whilst I was loading a pic 

Mine definitely look 'tatty', maybe I'll try cutting to halfway and see what happens. Thanks.

nutcutlet

I see what you mean.I'd just hack and see what happens. I like the flowers so always have seedlings. My garden has a relaxed style and I like to see flowers have seeds and seedlings.

8000wildflowers

Thanks both, hack (half) away it is then 

gigikhoo321

Hi, I know it has been a while, but what did you end up doing and what was the outcome.  I have same issue.  After 3rd year, it became very large and brown.  I am dying to cut it down to the ground...Thanks!

Fairygirl

Wrong time of year for cutting them back, better to wait until spring.
They need yearly maintenance, so if you haven't tidied them annually, it's best to replace, as per the previous advice on this thread. Once they get predominantly brown, it's tricky to rejuvenate them. Some grasses are easier than others to maintain