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Introduction to Grasses and Bamboos

Written by Peter Horn on .

Introduction to Grasses and Bamboos Are you an aspirant of grass and bamboos for their aesthetic value and want to grow them in your garden but think it a laborious and grinding task? Let me tell you that it’s really not that burdensome that you think. In this blog, we will cover how to care for Grasses and Bamboos and Different varieties of grass and bamboos you can grow in your garden. Ideal Soil for Grasses: Soil is a medium in which grass will grow, spread, absorb nutrients, and produce new plants. So, maintain a good soil texture and health for grass is a good gesture. Ideally, loamy soil is best to grow grass as it is loose enough to give enough air spaces to roots and absorbent enough to hold a healthy amount of water. The pH range differs for each variety, but pH ranging from 6.5 to 7 is good for the growth of grasses. You can also add compost or manure to the soil to improve its health. Planting of Grasses: If you are planting grass on the new land, then there are three methods to do it:
  • Sodding: You buy rolled layers of grown grass and spread them over the soil. This method gives instant results.
  • Seeding: You buy seeds and sow them in the soil after preparing them.
  • Planting Plugs: In this method, you dug small holes in the soil and plant individual plants on each soil.
If you want instant results and have a healthy budget, go for sodding because it’s a little bit costly but gives instant results. Watering: Water the grass when they really need it, and usually, grasses don’t need water daily. Water them heavily after a week or two. Watering also depends upon the variety you have grown, soil, and growth rate you want. Fertilizers for Grasses: Add granular fertilizers just once or twice a year because grasses don’t need fertilizers too much for their growth. Try to fertilize the grasses in the fall because it will develop grasses’ roots, making them tolerant to drought and weeds. You can also add compost and manure for good growth. Weeds Removal: The application of mulch greatly reduces the chances of the growth of weeds. The grasses are themselves so competitive that they don’t allow the growth of the weeds. But in this case, if you face any heavy weed growth, you a low toxicity herbicide to control them. Cutting & Diving of Grasses: There are generally three types of grasses depending upon the season of their growth named warm-season grasses, cool-season grasses, and evergreen grass.
  • Cut cool-season grasses in early spring.
  • Cut warm-season grass by mid to late spring or in fall.
  • Divide cool-season grasses in early fall or spring.
  • Divide warm season crop anytime between spring to mid-summer.
  • Divide evergreen grasses just in spring only.
Best Grasses for your Garden: There are tons of varieties of grasses available in the market, but you can choose the variety of grass depending on your interest and compatibility with your lawn. Here are some famous grasses you can grow.
  1. Big Bluestem:
It is very drought tolerant grass that grows very tall, ranging from 3-8 ft. The color of the leaves is blue-green in summer and changes to rust in winter. Big bluestem needs full sunlight, moist condition, and average soil for its growth.
  1. Blue Gamma:
It is also drought tolerant and needs full sunlight. It is also called mosquito grass. This grass matures at 0.5-1 ft, and the flowers float over the foliage.
  1. Japanese Forest Grass:
This grass has slender stems, which gives a tiny bamboo stalk look. It needs moist, healthy, and well-drained soil for best growth. It needs water weekly and in hot seasons twice a week.
  1. Zebra Grass:
It grows 5 ft both in height and width. It has a green color with pale yellow strips giving it’s the name Zebra grass. It needs full sun exposure, and it can grow in any type of soil from sand to clay.
  1. Mexican Feather Grass:
It an evergreen grass having a stunning feathery look. It can survive in dry conditions and needs full sun exposure to part shade. It grows best in loamy and well-drained soil. Bamboos: The popularity of bamboo has increased over the years owing to its aesthetic beauty and various uses. Let me tell you the fact that bamboo is also grass and probably the tallest grass in the world. It is a fast-growing plant and has many varieties that can be grown. It is the type of plant that gets fit with any environment. Gardeners are quite hesitant to grow it in gardens considering it difficult, but they grow very easily. Caring for Bamboo:
  • Site:Bamboo likes to grow in the environment with full sun exposure and moist, well-drained, and slightly acidic soil.
  • Planting:Choose the variety you want to grow, dig a hole in the soil that is twice the bamboo root-ball’s width. Place the bamboo in the hole, spread the root, and fill the hole with soil.
  • Watering:Water the bamboo plants once a week until they become fully established. Later, you can water as you notice the soil is drying out.
  • Fertilizers:Adding some mulch, compost, or a balanced amount of fertilizers will boost the growth of bamboos.
Popular Bamboo Types for Your Garden: Here’s the list of popular bamboos for your garden. You can choose the type according to your interest.
  1. Buddha Bamboo:
It is native to China, and it is known so due to its lumpy nodes that resemble the belly of Buddha. It grows best in cool and temperate regions. It can grow to a height of 55 ft and survives best in moist and fertile soils. When its culm spreads too much, stop applying fertilizers.
  1. Umbrella Bamboo:
Umbrella bamboo is a perfect choice if you are looking for looking for a cute and non-invasive bamboo variety for your home. It is adaptable to all types of climates. Having greenish-yellow canes, this bamboo is known for its slender and long leaves. It grows to a height of 15 ft and prefers partial shady areas. It needs moist and well-drained soil for its growth.
  1. Dwarf Green Stripe Bamboo:
It is native to Japan and China but also found in European countries. The adorable aspect of this bamboo is in their leaves, which are green striped and look really stunning in summer. These are deciduous bamboos and tolerate high temperatures also.
  1. China Gold:
A stunning bamboo with stunning green striped lemon-yellow culms. The upper calm of this bamboo is heavily branched, making it a screening bamboo. But it can be used as an ornamental plant by just pruning its lower branches to show off the yellow canes. It grows to a height of 6m.
  1. Hedge Bamboo:
Hedges bamboos are evergreen bamboos with amazing bluish-green culms. This bluish color is most prominent in young plants, and as the plant grows, it loses that bluish tinge and attains a yellowish-green color. It prefers a warmer climate, and growth stops during winter. It can grow up to 20 ft as they are not invasive and have canes about two inches in width.