It is possible to add ornamental grasses to a yard or garden.Most ornamental grasses have an annual trim.Deciduous grasses need to have most of their length trimmed during their dormant phase or before their new growth starts.Grasses that are green all year need a little trimming.A little hand-pruning is enough to keep your grass looking good after that.
Step 1: Don't cut grass until late in the season.
As late in the season as possible, you want to cut back on your grass once a year.You want to trim warm season grasses between late fall and mid-spring.Cut the cool season grasses early in the spring.It's important to cut your grass in the right season.Before you start cutting it back, your grass should be brown.You should wait until mid-winter or early spring to cut it back.The insects will spend the winter in bunch grasses.Wait until the spring to cut the previous season's growth.Japanese forest grass and Japanese silver grass are examples of warm-season grasses.Cool-season grasses include fescues, blue oat grass, and autumn moor grass.
Step 2: Tie the grass in a bundle.
You can trim long grasses after gathering them into bundles.Use a piece of rope, bungee cords, or gardening twine to cinch the grass about a third of the way up the stock.You should be able to cut through multiple stocks at the same time, but not so much that you break the grass.If your grass is taller than you, you may want to tie a second length of rope to the top of the stock so that it doesn't fall down on you.
Step 3: To cut the grass, use hedging shears.
You can use handheld or powered shears.You can make final cuts and clean up after that.The grass lengths should be uniform.Wear thick pants, gardening gloves, and closed-toed shoes if you are using powered shears.
Step 4: To trim thick grasses, use a weed eater.
If your ornamental grasses are thick enough that shears won't do the job, a weed eater or bush cutter may be a good alternative.Use a model with a blade to trim your grass one bundle at a time.Most home improvement and gardening stores sell weed eaters and bush cutter.If you don't want to purchase one yourself, you can rent one.It's easier for you to lose control of the blade if you operate your weed or hedge trimmer above chest-level.
Step 5: Throw away your grass clippings.
Tall grasses can make a mess even when tied up.A green waste bin is a good place to dispose of grass bundles.You can either rake up some of the smaller clippings or put a layer of mulch around the trimmed plant to improve the soil quality.
Step 6: Cut grasses that are 3 to 6 inches tall.
You can cut any part of your grass that is under 3 feet by using hedging shears.The areas that are over 3 feet tall should be cut closer to the mark.You can make two straight cuts if it is easier for you.If you want your plant to have a more natural look, you can slowly reduce the grass heights to transition between the highest and lowest points.You can use handheld or powered hedging shears.
Step 7: Cool-season grasses should be cut down to a third of their height.
Cool season grasses do not need to be cut down as much.23 of the way down the plant is the lowest point of new growth.You should cut it back to 1 foot (30 cm) for a 3 feet tall grass.Just like with warm-season grasses, you can use handheld or powered hedging shears.
Step 8: The individual blades were prune by hand.
Even though you only cut back ornamental grass once a year, you can keep the grass looking good.Keep an eye out for brown or wilted patches, and remove them as they appear.You can cut off each blade using gardening shears.
Step 9: To remove dead foliage, comb through the grass.
It is a good idea to wear gloves and run your hands through the grass every few months.It should feel like you are touching your hair.Pull out dead foliage and keep your evergreens green.If you don't have a pair of work gloves, you can always use rubber gloves.
Step 10: Cut out dead blades.
Most of the dead foliage can be removed by combing through the grass.You can always trim the brown blades with gardening shears if they remain after combing.Remove as much dead foliage as possible by trimming at the base of the blade.
Step 11: It is a good idea to cut off flowering tips in the spring.
evergreens need an annual trim.You don't need to remove a lot of evergreens.Use gardening shears or hedge trimmers to cut flowers off the grass.The grass should still be green if you cut it back.Depending on the type of grass you have and how much it has grown out, the length that you need to cut is different.You usually go by color instead of length for evergreen grasses.