Q. How long have you been growing ornamental grasses?
A. We brought our first grasses in the spring of 1999.

Q. What got you interested in growing them?
A. We were looking for something unique, and Teresa saw a TV program about Kurt Bluemel’s grasses nursery in Maryland. He studied under some of the iconic European grasses pioneers, and brought the concept of ornamental grasses here to the US.

In addition to their uniquely casual beauty and elegance, the grasses appealed to us because they require virtually no chemicals or fertilizers, which meant that we could grow them here without any worries about impacting the abundant wildlife: deer, turkeys, fox, coyote, weasels, Great Blue Heron, mallards, bats, various hawks, osprey, muskrat, pheasant, and more.

Q. When is the best time to to divide grasses?
A. Most grasses can be divided well into late August, but the sooner the better. A divided grass needs to regrow root mass to survive the coming winter (i.e. “reestablish” itself), and the sooner that process begins, the better. The more weeks the grass has to regenerate root mass before winter, the better. Some varieties are pretty tolerant fairly late into fall, such as Miscanthus ‘Purpurascens’ (Flame Grass) and most of the Switch Grasses, but generally speaking, sooner is better.

Q. What is the biggest mistake or misconception people have when it comes to growing ornamental grass?
A. In the early days of the ornamental grasses industry here, many grasses proved to be aggressive spreaders, and soured many people on the idea of grasses in general. That is very unfortunate, and was simply the result of ignorance in choosing varieties. The most spectacular ornamental grasses are very well-behaved clump-forming varieties, which rarely (if ever) self-sow, and are very easy to control.

Q. Can ornamental grass be grown over a septic tank or leech field?
A. Our ornamental grasses generally only put down about a 15″ root ball, so they can be used safely over a septic tank, and in most cases over a leach field.

Q. Which grass is your personal favorite?
A. My personal favorite grass is Miscanthus sinensis ‘Malepartus.’ It is a cultivar (“cultivated variety”) developed by Ernst Pagels, one of the industry pioneers, and is superior in every respect for New England gardens. It blooms earlier than any of the other Miscanthus, is most reliably upright, has a very elegant form, and bears the most spectacular variety of fall colors. Every color of the grasses fall rainbow is visible in Malepartus – including deep blood red stems.

Q. Do you have one tip that you can share that most people may not be aware of?
A. My best tip for grasses is a technique I developed called “coring” for keeping plants vigorous or restoring them in the center as they age.

Like many perennials, grasses typically develop a “doughnut” effect as they age. The center loses vigor, and can die out to the point of rot. You end up with a ring of new green foliage around the perimeter, but nothing in the center.

Most texts advise digging out such plants, dividing them, and putting back some piece of the original to start over.

This is a lot of work, and costs you at least 3/4 of the plant you’ve been nursing along for 3-4 years.

Instead, use a Sawzall or axe to cut up the center of the plant, removing the dying portion, all the way to the bottom of the root ball.

Backfill the hole with good soil and water like a new plant. The younger growth at the outer edges will regenerate into the middle, and be very vigorous.

Better yet, don’t wait for the center to start dying. Every spring when you do your cut-back, make stimulating cuts through that center. It’s GRASS. Cutting just makes it grow faster. If you stimulate the center every spring, you’ll probably avoid the doughnut effect entirely, and never need to resort to a full coring.

Visit Bill’s website, Willowmist, for more great information on ornamental grass.

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Well, it seems things have changed a bit according to the new USDA Zone Map. Yep, things are a bit warmer than they used to be. Now that doesn’t mean you can start growing tropical plants in states like Maine, but you may be safe buying plants that survive a zone or two warmer than what you used to.

According to the zone map, I went from a zone 4b to a 5a. Of course, I am on the side of a hill with it’s own micro-climate so I am sure I am still a zone 4b, but I have noticed I can get away with planting trees and shrubs (like the Wolf Eyes Kousa Dogwood I planted a few years ago) and they survive even though they were rated for a zone or two warmer,so maybe I am in fact in zone 5.

Here is a link to the new USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map

One nice feature is the ability to figure out your plant zones by zip code to get your personal USDA hardiness zone.

Will you be trying new plants because of the new map?

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I finally made it to one of his yearly Backyard Growers Shindigs he puts on at his home in Ohio. It took a ton of work but was well worth it! I met fellow Backyard Growers, watched Mike demonstrate grafting Japanese Maples, did some demonstrations on my products, and got to meet Mike and fellow growers in person. It was a great time all the way around!

For the last 4 years I have tried to make it to Mike’s Shindig. Each time, something came up, mostly my work schedule. My summer schedule for my full time job is busy to say the least. Each day can be anywhere from 8 hours to 21. Yes, 21, and that isn’t including the 1 hour commute each way!

I had decided that nothing short of a catastrophe would keep me from attending this year, but I had a ton of work to do first.

First, I had to schedule a few days of vacation during the absolute busiest time of the year for my job. Done!

Next, I booked the hotel room and made sure I prepaid. My reasoning was that I was not going to forfeit the money I spent and that would be a great incentive to make sure I made the trip.

Lastly, I bought a rebuilt engine and installed in into my truck because the old one was making some awful noises. Sounds fairly simple but it was such a bear that it took me 2 months! What a pain in the ass! I ended up replacing just about every part under the hood, radiator, alternator, hoses, sensors, and more. Then I was forced to redo all the brakes and brake lines. Like I said, a ton of work.

Long story short, I had a grand total of 10 miles on the truck when I started my 12 hour trip to Ohio. Oh, I did have every tool I could carry just in case!

The day of the Shindig my son and I arrived to find Mike talking with a few folks as he was showing them around his property. When everyone arrived back at his garage, which had been set up with hot dogs, snacks, and soft drinks, I introduced myself to the group as others introduced themselves. I asked Mike what he had planned and if it would be ok to do a demonstration on the different ways misting nozzles could be installed. He was quite pleased. I think he was happy that someone other than him would be the center of attention!

My son and I set up a series of piping I had put previously designed and built that would allow me to demonstrate the different ways to install the nozzles into misting system piping. I then showed how 5 or 6 different nozzles performed as well as how to correctly install them onto the piping.

Next, I found 4 folks who wanted to learn how to program a DIG 5006-IP propagation timer. I passed 4 out and did a step by step demonstration as they followed along, asking questions when they needed help. After the demonstration, Mike came up to me and asked if I would go over it with him. I was honored! We programmed our timers together and he asked a few questions about the timer. He said he was used to mechanical timers but he could see the benefits of this timer, specifically the ability to program it with 6 different programs, unlike the mechanical which can do only one, and the battery backup that retains the program if the power goes out.

Next the majority of the group followed Mike to his field of Japanese Maples where he discussed grafting. I took some video as he was demonstrating grafting Japanese Maples so be sure to watch it!

We then went back to the garage where we all ate and had a Yankee type swap. If you have never heard of a Yankee swap, it is a great way to exchange gifts! Everyone had fun!

It was getting late and everyone began to slowly leave. My son and I were the last to leave, asking Mike if he needed help picking up and if we could give him some money to help pay for some of the great food and drinks he had provided. He declined both. We talked for a little while and my son took a few pictures of me and Mike. I then mentioned that I needed to find an auto parts store so I could do a little work on the truck before leaving the next morning for the 12 hour return trip home.

Mike and his son Dustin both did some calling and web searches for an auto parts store that would have what I needed. Mike was able to find something I could use at a nearby Napa after calling and confirming they had one on hand. Mike and Dustin both went out of their way to help me find what I needed and it was greatly appreciated.

After finally making it to one of Mike’s Shindigs, I will surely make an effort to attend another. Every person I met felt like a family member because I knew them from the Grower’s Board, that special board Mike has where detailed information, tips, and advice from Mike himself can be found. All that and the buy/sell board where plants can be bought for next to nothing. I just saw a post on the board from Mike that he just purchased almost $3000.00 worth of Japanese Maple trees from a board member. I can’t wait to see his field  full of them the next time I attend his shindig!

Want to learn more about Backyard Growers or just want to get some great gardening information? Visit Mike’s website today and sign up for the free newsletter!

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Well, you could do what professional nurseries do and cover them with plastic. What kind of plastic? White.

Here is a picture I took of a local nursery that put their potted plants to bed for the winter:

They simply covered them with the white plastic and placed a few heavy items on the edges of the plastic to help hold it down. Once the snow arrives, the edges will get held down even better, making it hard for the wind to get under and potentially tearing off the plastic.

It also looks to me like they placed the pots on their sides before putting the plastic on top which is a common practice. Why do I think this? Simple, there are no large bumps in the plastic. If you look close you will see a few small bumps but nothing that is much larger than the rest.

What’s your secret to getting you plants through the winter?

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One thing to keep in mind when dividing ornamental grass is to do it during it’s active growing cycle. For warm weather grass like Gracillimus, that is during spring to mid-summer. For cool season grass, spring and early fall is the best time. Just remember to keep the divisions well watered for the first year regardless of when you do the dividing. That being said, I have successfully divided and planted some warm weather grass in early September by keeping it well watered until the ground froze, but don’t recommend doing so.

This first picture shows the clump before it was divided. Notice how large and round it is. This clump was planted just a few years ago and was about a foot or so in diameter.

This picture shows the tools I used. A sturdy shovel and a sawzall with a coarse toothed blade. Notice that the shovel is a flat bladed spade, not the curved spade that most homeowners have. The flat blade makes it much easier to cut through the clump. Truth be told, I don’t own a curved spade anymore. Once I began using the flat bladed one I realized I never wanted to use the curved one again.

Here I am undercutting the clump. I am digging down and severing any roots that are in the way. I will also be using this cut to pry up the clump I am trying to cut off.

Here I am using the sawzall to cut through the top of the clump. In the past I just kept jumping up and down on the spade but decided to try the sawzall this time because I nearly killed myself cutting through the clump with just the shovel.

And now for a friendly warning about dividing ornamental grass: be very careful! The next picture will show you just how sharp the edges of the leaves can be. The wound was surprisingly deep for being done by a blade of grass!

This picture shows the root system that was cut using the sawzall. You can see just how dense the roots are and can imagine how tough it is to divide a clump like this with just a shovel. As I mentioned before, I did exactly that the last time and about died from the exertion! I recommend the sawzall over just using the spade to cut through these hard, dense roots.

This picture shows how much of the original clump I removed. It turned out to be about 1/3 of the original clump. I just filled in the hole with soil so the clump would begin to grow into it.

Next, I divided the large divisions I just removed into smaller pieces using the sawzall.

The next picture shows just how big these divisions are. Each one is almost as large as the original clump of grass I planted a few years ago!

This last picture shows the 4 large clumps I ended up with that I planted in various locations on my property. In just a few years, each one will be just as big as the original plant I removed them from. I can’t wait!

Do you have any tips on dividing ornamental grasses?

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Interested in getting more information from Mike McGroarty, including how to make money selling plants? Visit his awesome website!

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Congrats Trisha, I will contact you for a mailing address and get the book out ASAP.

As I stated in the original post about the contest, I sent a text to my son while he was at work and asked him to pick a number between one and three. He asked why. When I told him he was choosing a winner for a contest, he chose #1, which was Trisha’s comment.

Thanks everyone for leaving a comment!

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I have a brand new book on the shelf that I will send to a lucky winner. It is by James Wells and is titled: Plant Propagation Practices.

Here is what I will do for you:

I will send the book to a resident of the US or Canada at absolutely no charge.

What you need to do for me:

Leave a comment outlining your plant propagation endeavors. Your successes, your failures, your methods, etc.

The rules:

The contest will end Aug 22nd at 6pm Eastern time. I will total the number of comments and ask my son to choose a number from 1 to whatever the total is. The number he chooses will be the winner of the book.

Once the winner is identified I will contact them via email (so leave a GOOD address when commenting!) and after receiving a reply, will send the book to the shipping address they specify.

My decision is final unless the original winner cannot be contacted and at that time a new winner will be chosen in exactly the same way and so on until the book has been sent. Void where prohibited. Must be 18 to participate.

Good luck!

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So what is the secret to plant propagation and rooting softwood cuttings?

No secret really, just the right conditions for the type of plant you are trying to reproduce. Although what I am about to describe works for most plants, there are some that almost refuse to root as softwood cuttings. Purple-leaf Sandcherry immediately comes to mind. Sandcherry cuttings will almost always rot and die if you try to root them as softwood cuttings, so propagating them as hardwood cuttings with bottom heat may result in better rooting percentages. Discovering the proper conditions is one of the biggest challenges in plant propagation.

What is the right condition for rooting softwood cuttings?

Adequate sunlight, temperature, and humidity are three of the biggest factors that affect the rooting of a softwood cutting. Let’s touch on each just a bit.

Sunlight requirements while propagating plants

Plants require sunlight to produce energy. Along with the energy production, the sunlight does another vital role: to help the roots supply moisture to the plant and to draw moisture up into the stem. It does this by evaporating the moisture from the surface of the leaf, which causes a low pressure on the surface. This low pressure helps draw moisture up into the plants stem and up to the leaves.

Because a softwood cutting does not have roots, this process can be vital to the cuttings survival. This can be accomplished in many ways, but the two most common are using a misting system or a humidity chamber. An intermittent misting system provides moisture at a predetermined interval which keeps the leaves moist. A humidity chamber does the same thing, but the method of retaining the moisture differs. A humidity chamber retains moisture because it keeps it from evaporating because the cuttings are enclosed in a clear or opaque chamber.

Temperature requirements while propagating plants

Temperature is one of those factors while propagating plants that is often overlooked. The top of the cutting, including the leaves, should be kept cool, while the bottom of the stem should be kept warm. One way to keep the tops cool is to spray them with mist from a misting system. Another is to use shade cloth to reduce the sun’s intensity, however, you need to be careful not to reduce the amount of sunlight too much. Remember, the cuttings still need sunlight to help with the process of drawing moisture up into the cutting. The sunlight is also needed to help warm the rooting media to keep the bottom of the cutting warm.

Humidity requirements while propagating plants

Keeping the cuttings hydrated is essential to successfully root softwood cuttings. The moisture that is deposited on the cuttings leaves and rooting medium allows the cutting to live without roots. The moisture is drawn up into the cutting through the stem where it supplies the plant with moisture. Too much water in the rooting medium can cause the stems to rot and a misting system is a great way to control the amount of moisture in the rooting medium.

Another thing the moisture that is deposited on a cutting does is to keep the cutting cool. Plants go through a process called transpiration. This transpiration process is quite similar to our perspiring because it allows the plant to release water through its leaves which cools the plant off. This transpiration process is what actually draws the water up the cuttings stem and incorrect amount of water on and around the cutting can greatly affect the process.

Discovering the right conditions to get softwood cuttings to root is half the fun. Go ahead, give it a try today!

For even more great tips on rooting cuttings, visit Freeplants. Be sure to sign up for their awesome newsletter!

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Web-making caterpillars
Bagworms
Gypsy Moth Caterpillar
Sawflies
Lacebugs
Spider Mites
Japanese Beetles
Scale insects
Borers in trees and shrubs
Emerald ash Borer

This past summer, I only had trouble with Web-making caterpillars and Japanese Beetles, but I have found a secret weapon for the beetles. Stay tuned to find out how I am decimating the Japanese Beetle population on my property.

Do you have trouble with any of these insects?

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