As everyone in Texas knows we've had the worst year for the garden. Unbelieveable drought and heat, followed this last month with days of rain. My Mexican feather grass looked good during the drought but now some is totally brown and when I touched it some pulled totally out of the ground. I guess it has rotted but was wondering if anyone knew if it will come back from roots that may still be alive underground? I thought the drainage was pretty good in those beds. Other things like rosemary,salvias etc are doing just fine.
Mexican Feather grass question
Yeah, I had a few things that made it through the drought, then died of water when we got caught up all at once back in August. (I've been amending away, but I've got really clayey soil.)
There may well be some good parts of the root system left, even if you've lost some. There are probably seeds laying around there, too, even if all the existing roots are completely shot. So if it were me, I wouldn't give up on it yet. Maybe work at the soil to see if you can get more drainage for our predicted wet winter, if you just want to be doing something. Or maybe stick a few new pieces in, but don't completely replant.
Hi teacup, we met at the RU a coupla yrs back.
I had the very same thing happen to my feather grass the first year I planted it. I thought that I had wasted a bunch of money. Mine died like you say and was gone, roots included.
I was so surprised the next yr and this one too when I noticed tiny grasses coming up in the spring and they had reseeded and now I have all the grasses I want each year. So just be on the lookout for some seedliings next year.
Are you going to the RU this yr at Aunt Anne's on Nov. 7?
Lovediggin, Sure I remember meeting you. Won't be able to go to the RU this year. ;(
I have had lots of seedlings in the past few years so I will be looking for new ones, but I was surprised at the number of mature plants that seem to be gone. I wasn't sure what the problem could be since they all were mature plants and I had never had trouble with them before. They are in different parts of the garden and surrounded by other things that I thought needed good drainage too.I guess I'll just look for babies, or plant again.Gives me another good reason to visit a nursery! (if only we had a good one here!)
Sadly, I have had plants croak this year too I think the extremes were too great. I guess I was mistaken to think feather grass was a perennial here. My experience tells me it is not. Sorry you cannot come to the RU