Blue oat grass in 5b is a beautiful grass, but be warned it is HIGHLY invasive in good growing conditions.Would recommend planting in a large pot to control it's growth. It grows to 3 to 5 feet tall, with delicate, finely textured foliage. Anything with too much nitrogen can cause the plant to overproduce foliage and underproduce flowers, leading to a leggy, poorly flowering specimen. Blue oat grass is a great option for planting in your garden, since it is not invasive and requires little regular maintenance to maintain its beautiful appearance. In spring, pull away the old dead leaves to maintain a fresh look of the grass. Generally speaking, you won’t need to water blue oat grass often or much once established. Feb 11, 2016 - Growing ornamental grasses in fun, you can decorate your house, garden, balcony or patio with them. For this reason, heavy clay-like soils are not ideal. When the plant goes into dormancy each winter, you can trim foliage down—leaving several inches above the crown of the plant. Yellow to light brown flower spikes that are two to three times the height of the foliage, May through August. Blue oat grass maintains its attractive light brown fall color through the winter. From afar, its large clumps and projected flowers are commanding and regal, but up close they bend and sway in a soft way, with long blue-gray blades radiating out from the center. We named a few, check out. This Blue Oat Grass cultivar is reported to have … It thrives in sun and heat and can take a bit of neglect in a container. Blue oat grass can be propagated by seed or division, but it should be noted that many gardeners find this plant to have a low rate of seed germination. Take the time to dig deep enough that you free the entire root ball, remembering that ornamental grasses can have a substantial root system. The most popular way to propagate an ornamental grass like this one is by division; usually this is done every three or four years in the spring before the growing season commences. Resembling Blue Fescue (Festuca Glauca) but significantly bigger, it is the best of the mid-sized blue-leaved grasses. Particularly beautiful planted in masses and paired with blue-gray Mediterranean plants. Additionally, if you fail to space these plants far enough from each other (at least three feet is recommended), they may suffer from a lack of air flow and be subject to tar spot. Blue Oat grass is finely textured and its blue foliage grows around 18" tall but in a mounded shape. Blue Oat Grass. It's a cool season ornamental grass that provides interest all year long in the landscape. Helictotrichon sempervirens ‘Saphirsprudel’: This variety is very similar in appearance to conventional blue oat grass. In addition, some plants grown in containers lack the necessary nutrients for sustained healthy growth of foliage in flowers. Exceptionally hardy, it can grow year round. The plants grow 2 to 3 feet tall, with thin spiky leaves and a clumping growth habit. Carex morrowii ‘Evergold’, ‘Eversheen’, ‘Everest’, ‘Everlime’, ‘Everillo’ (S) 12-18 inches high, 24 inches wide Green gold, green/lime, green/white, lime green, all gold. This plant typically thrives just on the rainfall it receives. You can Grow these blue oat grass companion plants are blue junipers , blue mist spirea, dwarf lobelia , blue daze ,blue spruce etc that will look good as a companion plant in most of landscapes. Feed the plants with a high nitrogen fertilizer a couple of times during the summer, and you will need to cut them back each early spring and late winter. Best in full sun and a moist, well-drained soil. Blue oat grass thrives with full sun conditions. The plant grows 2 to 3 feet tall in tufted clumps. One of the most popularly grown grasses, Miscanthus sinensis does just as well in containers. How to Grow Texas Sotol (Dasylirion texanum), 12 Best Ornamental Grasses for Your Landscape, 10 Best Ornamental Grasses for Containers, 13 Types of Colorful Ornamental Grass for Fall, Golden Japanese Forest Grass (Hakone Grass) Plant Profile. They can add a visual charm at any place if you grow them in containers. Another advantage of container gardening is the ability to shuffle plants, making new combinations over the course of a season, as plants go on and off peak. This plant is great in mass plantings along borders. These plants are also tolerant of environmental salt in the soil and are not adversely affected. Fountain grass is a natural for containers, filling the pot with its fountain-like, arching habit. Helictotrichon (Blue Oat Grass) Helictotrichon sempervirens ‘Sapphire’ has deep blue foliage that grows in a rounded clump to a height of 2’. However, it does not prefer very hot or humid summer seasons, since it is a cool season grass. If you are confused whether Blue Oat Grass or Blue Fescue are same, here are some features about those plants to help you choose better. If you do not have the moist, partially shaded conditions it thrives in, try growing it in a pot. Blue Oat Grass, botanical name Helictotrichon sempervirens, is suited to USDA zones 4-9, with full sun. It’s also non-toxic to humans, though not considered an edible plant. Beige panicles are produced June through August, eventually achieving a light brown hue by fall. Being Grown in Containers . At 6 to 12 inches tall, Japanese sweet flag adds a beautiful gold color and the familiar sweet scent that gives it its common name. For spiky, sword-like form and a variety of colors, including greens, reds, copper, and yellow, they are perhaps the most versatile container grass-like plants. The 'Morning Light' cultivar is noted for having thin green leaves with white variegated margins. While blue oat grass plants in the ground rarely need fertilizer, you may need to supplement soil nutrients when this plant is located in a container. When grown in containers, its leaves glow in the sun and … New Zealand flax is frequently used and seldom recognized. Japanese sweet flag needs regular water and some shade when grown in a container. The foliage is a light, silvery blue-green color, with tan colored panicles and blooms. Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil. In such cases, it’s not necessary to cut back any growth and you can enjoy the foliage of the plant throughout the season. Growing ornamental grasses in containers is a great way to feature grasses without the worry of them spreading or taking over the garden. Helictotrichon sempervirens • Zones 4 to 8 Planted in a border or container, or used as a stand-alone accent, gardening with ornamental grasses like the blue oat grass makes a big statement in any backyard. Prefers full sun and well-drained locations and can be grown in containers. These gradually turn to wispy brown plumage as fall approaches—imitating the appearance of oats. Blue oat grass is famously low maintenance, but it’s beneficial to occasionally clear dead growth from each plant. Erica Puisis is an animal enthusiast with first-hand experience in equine and canine health and behavior. 'Aurealoa' is a cultivar that has golden-striped leaves that change to gorgeous copper-orange tones in the autumn. The actual hardiness of a container-grown ornamental grass depends upon its exposure, the material of the container, weather fluctuations during the winter months, and how well you winterize it. Other varieties to try include Pennisetum 'Burgundy Giant' and Pennisetum orientale. Sedges are not really grasses, but this one is included because sedges do not get the notice they deserve. Containers of blue oat grass bring a cooling blue-gray to the garden, as well as a gentle rustling sound and a texture that makes you want to reach out and touch the plant. Caring for ornamental grasses in containers is basically the same as any other outdoor potted plant. If you determine that the plant is faring poorly in the soil conditions, you could opt for an organic fertilizer that will be easily utilized by the plant—like compost, leaf mold, etc. Julie Thompson-Adolf is a master gardener and author with 13+ years of experience with year-round organic gardening, seed starting and saving, growing heirloom plants, perennials, and annuals, and sustainable and urban farming. So, what are the best ornamental grasses for containers? Pests and disease are generally not a problem for blue oat grass plants, though they can develop rust in overly humid conditions. 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