From Plants of the Southwest nursery, planted in fall 2017, but moved in July 2018.
Care: Warm season grass. Cut back to 3 inches of stubble each year in spring.
2019: Only one clump left now behind the sumacs at the corner of the garage wall. The others did not do well after moving them. I didn't realize how much water this grass needs. It's best suited for bogs and stream sides, although I had thought it a dry prairie kind of grass.
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| Sample pictures -- red tipped and with an upright presence. Couldn't get them to take, though. |
It's a warm season grass, slow to start. It wants moisture. It likes alkaline soil, so we're good there.
It wants full sun, although some say it will grow in part shade. Originally I had three along the side of the driveway in a narrow, sunny strip of gravel.
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| Fall 2017 |
I liked the strong sculptural look against the coyote fence and the simplicity of them. Liked them a lot.
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| Fall 2017 |
They looked so perfect for this spot, wavy, and upright. But in 2018 they emerged, then stopped growing. Too dry. Possibly too sunny? I did not water much all winter or spring, but watered frequently once they emerged. By July 2, nothing had happened at all, and the middle one was barely alive.
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| July 2, 2018 |
Despite being a warm season grass that emerges late in spring, then gets going with hot temperatures, these remained stunted. We had nothing but hot, hot weather all June but absolutely nothing happened. They were alive, but barely.
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| Not the look I was going for in front of the fence by mid summer. Three small stubs, not growing any taller. |
July 2 I took them out, and the roots were extensive, very deep, and bone dry despite DAILY soakings. I had been watering and watering constantly, and those grasses were as dry as could be. Switchgrass needs moist soil, and even wetter than I had thought. This spot was not good.
I can see why they struggled. I potted them up, left the containers in mostly shade by the potting bench and they recovered nicely. Eventually only one was planted next to the garage wall in the corner, but that may be too shady?