Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
wyosue_gw

Cutting back Blue Fescue

wyosue
17 years ago

For Wyoming (zone 4) when is the best time to cut back Blue Fescue grass? Does it have to be done every year?

Thanks,

Sue in Wyoming

Comments (10)

  • donn_
    17 years ago

    The more you cut it back, the faster it grows.

    You can cut it back in late winter, before it's early spring growing season. You can then cut it back when it starts to look sloppy in the dead of summer, before it's fall growing season. If it doesn't look too bad, and you don't want to trim it, you can just tease out the dead foliage and bloom stems, using latex dipped gloves.

  • buyorsell888
    17 years ago

    I never cut mine back, I just tease the dead foliage and dead bloom stems out wearing gloves.

  • busylizzy
    17 years ago

    Early Spring, I pull the blue fescue up in a pony tail and scissor trim. Then, when the seed heads are ready to be harvested I gather them again like a pony tail and cut for starting new plants. If the plant is look shaggy I'll just touch up trim.
    Gave them urea last year, and had some osmocote around for the other perennials, Whoa did they like that! Blue, Blue Blue they were.

  • Pudge 2b
    17 years ago

    There were some years that the mice got to my Blue Fescue. When the snow melted I saw the mice had mowed the grasses right to the ground. They grew back with a vengeance and looked wonderful. Otherwise I've also cut them in early spring before growth starts.

  • rivers1202
    17 years ago

    Depends on what it looks like - I'll trim off long growth around the bottom that has turned brown and is dragging on the ground throughout the year. I always give it a close cropping in late winter - just did it, in fact, about 2 weeks ago. And by "close cropping", I mean I use a pair of very sharp garden scissors to shear it down to a nubbin...plant version of a military buzz cut. LOL. It looks a bit freakish for a short time -kinda like a hedgehog- but always grows back really fast and in a beautiful icy shade of blue. I have a grouping of 5 growing along with some 'blue spruce' sedum, and the combination produces a striking patch of blue in my garden.

    Renee

  • wildflowersinsd
    14 years ago

    Hi, new at this web, but would like some info on sowing blue fescue seed....Can a fall sowing be done in zone 4? or do I need to wait until next summer?

  • Barbara Excell
    7 years ago

    I need to know what implement to use to trim the blue fescue

  • laceyvail 6A, WV
    7 years ago

    Anything that will cut them--shears, pruners, anything that works.

  • texasranger2
    7 years ago

    I don't advise trimming them. Clean out the dead and let them fill in with new growth in spring, they go dormant in summer and look sort of peaked but come around in spring. They are also relatively short lived and prone to root damage by grubs, sometimes its best to let new plants replace old ones.

    Anything that cuts will trim grass. I use grass shears but I've used regular scissors on small grasses too although thats hard on fingers if you have a lot to trim, you'll end up with blisters.

Sponsored
Cabido Design & Build
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars34 Reviews
DC & Montgomery County's Best in Full Service, Custom Home Remodeling