How to Grow and Care for Wood Grass

Native to the prairies of North America, wood grass (Sorghastrum nutans) is a popular, ornamental grass that is also used as feed for livestock. This fast-growing grass thrives in full sunlight and tolerates most soil types, and it's also resistant to many challenges, such as drought and erosion, making wood grass an ideal for choice for milder climates.

Wood Grass Care

Providing wood grass gets plenty of full sun, this is an easy-to-grow, relatively low-maintenance addition to your garden. It adapts well to a variety of soils, and it copes with dry conditions and even occasional flooding. This plant reseeds easily and needs minimal attention once established.

Here are the main care requirements for growing wood grass:

• Make sure wood grass gets six hours of full sun a day.
• Plant in well-draining soil.
• Avoid overwatering; this is a drought-tolerant plant.
• To establish very young grass, feed lightly, otherwise avoid fertilizing.
• A warm-season grass, it prefers temperatures between 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
  

Light

The one thing that wood grass really does need to thrive is a sunny position. Without full sun for much of the day, it won't perform to its best potential. Ideally, the grass should be exposed to around six hours of direct sun every day.

Soil

This ornamental grass isn't particular about the type of soil it's planted in. Heavy clay and dry, infertile soils all still usually result in a good performance if the plant has access to the sun.

Its only preference is not to be consistently overly moist, so make sure the soil is well-drained. If this grass gets too much moisture, it can start to flop.

Water

Don't be tempted to water your wood grass too frequently. This can result in sprawling stems that aren't as strong. Once established, this plant is fairly drought tolerant and copes well in dry to medium conditions.

Temperature and Humidity

Warm-season grasses prefer a drier environment and mild temperatures. Optimum temperatures are around 85 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, but anything over 60 degrees Fahrenheit usually produces decent results.

Fertilizer

Wood grass doesn't need fertilizer to thrive. In fact, it's best avoided as it can result in the roots becoming weak and overly long. The only time you might want to consider light fertilization is when you're trying to get very young grass established.

Types of Wood Grass

There are many types of wood grass that you can grow, varying in size and flower color.

• S. nutans ‘Cheyenne’: A late-maturing varietygrowing 3 to 8 feet tall with green-blue foliage that turns amber with bronze seed heads in the fall. This is a common variety for range and pasture settings.
• S. nutans ‘Nebraska 54’: A vigorous, late maturing variety that grows up to 6 ½ feet tall, reseeds heavily, and is winter tolerant.
• S. nutans ‘Holt’: An early maturing, leafier variety that grows 3 to 5 feet tall. It has thinner leaves that turn gold in the fall.
• S. nutans ‘Sioux Blue’: A blue variety growing 3 to 5 feet tall with blue-gray foliage that turns yellow to deep orange in the fall with bronze seed heads.
• S. nutans ‘Indian Steel’: A medium-fast maturing, blue variety growing 3 to 5 feet tall with silver-blue foliage that turns yellow in the fall with bronze seed heads.
• S. nutans ‘Bluebird’: A blue dwarf variety with blue foliage growing 3 to 4 feet tall.

Pruning

Cutting back wood grass to the ground in late winter to early spring can encourage more impressive growth next year. If you want to appreciate the grass in winter or allow the remaining seed-heads to act as feed for birds and other wildlife, wait until early spring before you do this. Just make sure you've done it before any new growth begins, as you shouldn't cut the grass back in its first year of growth. If your garden is small, you may want to deadhead during the fall to prevent excess self-seeding.

Propagating Wood Grass

Wood grass does well being grown from seeds. Division is possible, but it isn't recommended. The root system is sprawling, thick, and complicated, so it can be tricky to separate successfully.

How to Grow Wood Grass From Seed

Wood grass germinates easily from seeds. This grass is a rapid grower and reaches maturity by its second year. Here’s how to plant wood grass by seed:

1. You can either sow them in the fall or stratify them before sowing them in the spring.
2. To cold stratify the seeds, refrigerate them in a sealed container or plastic bag for 4 to 5 weeks before planting them. Check the seed packet instructions for more a specific chilling time period based on the variety you’re planting.
3. To start plantings indoors, plant seeds ¼ deep in pots.
4. Place the pots in a warm location, about 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and keep the soil moist while germinating.
5. Plant outdoors when seedlings reach 2 inches tall and soil temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Space 1 foot apart.
6. To sow seeds outdoors, plant seeds ¼ inch deep after cold stratification.
   

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Wood grass can fall prey to aphids, spider mites, and spittlebugs. All can be remedied with insecticidal soap or neem oil.

Leaf spot diseases also like wood grass; this is a group of fungal diseases that can be cured by making sure the plant is neither overcrowded nor overwatered and applying a fungicide to diseased areas.

How to Get Wood Grass to Bloom

Wood grass will bloom readily in healthy conditions, especially if it's getting enough sunlight.

Blooming Months

Wood grass typically blooms between August and October.

What Do Wood Grass Flowers Look and Smell Like?

In late summer to early fall, mini golden-yellow or orange flowers grow in clusters in panicle form. The flowers turn bronze as they mature and then to grey, providing winter interest. Wood grass flowers are not fragrant.

How to Encourage More Blooms

For wood grass to offer its signature yellow cluster flowers, it's critical that the grass get enough light. This species requires full sunlight, which means at least six hours of unfiltered direct sun per day.

Caring for Wood Grass After It Blooms

Wood grass does not require any particular care after blooming. Consider pruning it in early spring.

Deadheading Wood Grass

While deadheading wood grass won't have an effect on how many flowers it produces, you may want to remove the spent flowers if you don't want wood grass to spread. If you leave the flowers alone, they are likely to mature into seeds, which will be dispersed by the wind.

Common Problems With Wood Grass

Yellow Leaves With Brown Tips

The plant may be getting too much water. Established plants are drought tolerant and prefer medium to dry moisture conditions.

Drooping Leaves

The plant may not be getting enough water, which can cause brown leaves and weak seed production in addition to drooping leaves. Although drought tolerant, it does need water that keeps the soil moist to somewhat dry.

Sprawling Stems or Floppy Plants

Over watering, over feeding, and too much shade can lead to weak sprawling stems and floppy plants. Wood grass requires full sun in well-draining, evenly moist to dry soil, and little to no fertilizer for adult plants.

From: thespruce