Searching for mowable, fine blade OG for low hedge

16 years ago

I have been playing plant detective. Can you help?

What varieties will grow an 80 foot hedge (around 3ft. high by 2ft.wide) which will fill in lush each summer.

but can be easily mowed flat each December.

What varieties are fine bladed enough to mow down with a string trimmer, mulching mower or small lawn tractor?

Zone 6-7, full sun, average soil, average to dry moisture, average drainage, non-self seeding, color and attractive flower spikes would be a bonus. Should not be so aggressive that it travels or kills my neighbor's lawn. there is no hardscape edge to keep it contained.

Last summer, I allowed a weedy-meadow-grass line to grow up in this area to deter geese from collecting.

Worked pretty good. In the winter they flew south and the grass was mowed down to preserve the lake views.

A few grasses which have been discussed on this forum sound good, Pennisetum alopecuroides, Calamagrostis Karl Foerster, Miscanthus Morning light. What might be the pros or cons of these. Or are others more suited to my list of needs?

Thanks for any information. Flower2101

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

donn_
16 years ago
Of the grasses you mentioned, I'd suggest 'Karl Foerster' although it will exceed 3' in height All will exceed 2' in width at the widest point. 'KF,' or another cultivar of Calamagrostis x acutiflora ('Avalanche' and 'Overdam' are shorter and variegated) will make the most impressive hedge, and are cool season grasses, which means they will attain full growth earlier in the year than Pennisetum or Miscanthus, which are warm season grasses. They are considered medium-width blades, but should be fairly easy to cut down with a good string trimmer, although I'd probably use either a sickle-bar on the tractor, or a gas-powered hedge trimmer. Ornamental grass blades aren't the problem with trimming them down, it's the flower stalks.
flower2101
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks Donn,
I will do further research on Avalanche and Overdam. By calling them "cool season" grasses, I hope that you mean they will start greening- up earlier in the spring, than warm season grasses. A trait I had not considered before, but valuable in my situation. I will ask the lawn guy if he uses a sickle-bar, which might broaden my grass choices.

Right now I am waiting for The Encyclopedia of Ornamental
Grasses to arrive. Perhaps there are other books or sites you can recommend.

Gratefully, flower
Related Professionals
Pittsburg Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Leominster Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Hudson Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Kalispell Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Dothan Landscape Contractors · Montgomery Landscape Contractors · Crestview Landscape Contractors · Covington Landscape Contractors · Vicksburg Landscape Contractors · Knoxville Landscape Contractors · Bronx Landscape Contractors · Gainesville Architects & Building Designers · Fall River Architects & Building Designers · Wheeling Architects & Building Designers · Eureka Architects & Building Designers
donn_
16 years ago
Greenlee's Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses is an excelllent book, but it's getting a little long in the tooth. There are so many new cultivars, which are not in the book, you need to do further research online to supplement.

Another good one is Rick Darke's Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses (ISBN 0881924644)

Finally, Darke's most recent book, and my favorite resource, The Encyclopedia of Grasses for Livable Landscapes (ISBN 9780881928174). It a fantastic large format book with tons of information and photos.

There are a multitude of online resources as well. Two of my favorites are Bluestem.ca( http://www.bluestem.ca/grass-comparison-chart.htm ) and Mobot (http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Alpha.asp?start=M&end=M ).