Cutting back ornamental grasses

How to do it

1. 1Sort by type before you reach for the shears: deciduous grasses (Miscanthus, Calamagrostis, Panicum, Molinia) are cut to the ground, evergreen ones (Stipa, Carex, Festuca) are never cut, only combed.
2. 2Leave the deciduous ones standing until late February or early March. The dead stems shelter the crown through the worst of the winter and earn their keep in frost.
3. 3Gather the clump with string or a bungee first, then cut the whole bundle to about 10cm with shears or a hedge trimmer, so the debris comes away in one piece.
4. 4For evergreens, run a gloved hand up through the clump to comb out the dead blades, and cut any browned flowering stems right out at the base.
5. 5Feed nothing. Ornamental grasses flop when they are fed, and most look their best on lean soil.

Plants that use it

Their calendar has a job that points to this guide.