How to overwinter grasses

Why overwinter grasses? By overwintering cool-season grasses, you’ll be ready for early-spring customers. You can get a head start on finishing warm-season grasses when they are overwintered in a cold frame or hot house. Annual grasses overwintered in a hot house allow you to have full plants with good color at the earliest possible time.

Tip #1
Keep containerized grasses on the dry side. During winter, warm-season grasses go dormant, and cool-season plants slow their growth, so their water needs are minimal. Grasses are susceptible to rotting and root damage if overwatered.

Pay close attention to watering during the winter months. Do not overwater!

Tip #2
Cool-season grasses work well in a cold frame or in a house kept just above freezing.

Cool season grass Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue' is content in February in the Hoffman Nursery cold farms.

Tip #3
Do you have a hot house? If so, get a head start with annual grasses. The colorful, tender Pennisetum selections are in demand early in the season—perfect for decorative containers and annual color beds.

Annual grasses overwintered in a heated house show lush growth early.

Tip #4
If you overwinter outside, you may need to cover outdoor containers during rainfall or severe cold to prevent rot or damage. Panicum species and cultivars can do well outside of a cold frame with some monitoring.

Containerized plants overwintered outside may need protection from the elements. Cover when needed.

Tip #5
The majority of grasses, including the popular Calamagrostis, Chasmanthium, Miscanthus, Muhlenbergia, and Schizachyrium overwinter best in a cold frame.

Cold frames protect uninsulated roots in above-ground containers and prevent rain from oversoaking plants.

For more information: Hoffman Nursery