Spring is here, the whole garden is colored in shades of green. Only the pampas grass shows no movement. Rarely is anything wrong. It is a late runner, it needs patience. When does the pampas grass usually sprout?
In a nutshell
- Culms do not sprout until May or June; minimal time differences between varieties
- Flower fronds appear even later, at the end of June at the earliest
- weaker leaf sprouting in the first year
- Blossom fronds only sprout after several years and on female plants
- strong budding in full sun with permeable, nutrient-rich soil
Table of contents
- When do leaves sprout?
- When do flowers bloom?
- Support healthy sprouting
- optimize living conditions
- frequently asked Questions
When do leaves sprout?
The first rays of sunshine of the year leave the pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) unimpressed. The second and third don't elicit a single green tip either. Only when the sunny, warm weather has stabilized does it venture out of the ground:
- Pampas grass sprout in May or June
- depending on current weather and location
- variety has little impact on timing
- are all close together
Only if there is no budding in June could this be a sign that something is wrong with the plant.
When do flowers bloom?
The ornamental grass is also because of its magnificent flower fronds popular. However, this drives the pampas grass out for the first time after several years. Female plants form many fronds, male plants none or only a few. Since the heyday only in late summer, with some varieties also in autumn, does it sprout far after the green. The first fronds of flowers can only be expected at the end of June. With many varieties, however, only in September. The sunnier the location in the garden bed or tub, the earlier and more numerous inflorescences will sprout.
Support healthy sprouting
Location and care have an enormous influence on when pampas grass sprout, whether the sprout is healthy and, above all, numerous. If there are omissions here, the budding is inhibited or may not occur at all! To avoid this scenario in the first place:
- Plant pampas grass in full sun
- choose very well drained soil
- possibly. optimize specifically, with sand, potsherds, etc. Ä.
- Enrich soil with compost
- through regular fertilization maintain high nutrient levels
- important are: potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen
- do not water too much, drought is better tolerated than wet
Tip: Every year in spring, make sure not to cut pampas grass too late and not too close to the ground. Because if green tips of the new shoots are already showing between dried-up brown stalks, there is a high risk that you will be injured.
optimize living conditions
If your pampas grass does not sprout optimally and you have identified the location as the cause, you can try to bring about an improvement.
- Cut back neighboring plants that cast shadows
- again and again throughout the season
- alternatively transplant pampas grass in a sunnier place
- in spring immediately after pruning
Tip: Wear thick gardening gloves and old clothes for any maintenance work around the pampas grass. Its blades are very sharp and can cause injury.
frequently asked Questions
This can be the case if it is a freshly planted specimen. It first has to develop a lot of roots in order to survive sub-zero temperatures. At least in the first year, you should take protective measures into the winter. This includes leaving the old fronds in place until spring. Potted specimens must be protected with plant fleece every winter.
If it's time for budding and it's not a non-flowering male plant, it could be in a shady spot. You may also have cut very late and injured the inflorescences, which are then hardly recognizable.
Pampas grass is known for rapid height growth. But after planting, give it a year to get used to it, in which it can give priority to new roots. Already in the following year it will show lush sprouting, provided that all living conditions are optimal.