Thanks for being informative, it really brings some umph to gardening. It always pays to see "some" animals come in and bear the fruit of the work we put in.
Thank you so much for supporting wildlife with your plantings, and also for this discussion. We have Little Bluestem in our meadow, but I have been curious about it in a garden setting and you have done a great job explaining how to use it in that manner. It's especially helpful that you talked about soil moisture levels, plus how the plant supports invertebrates and birds. Your plantings are beautiful. Well done.
I just finished a spring burn on my prairie garden (2021). It's mostly little bluestem, but has big bluestem, Indian grass, prairie dropseed, June grass, side oats grama and others as well. I have a gray water outlet that is very wet all year-round, and I'm trying fowl manna grass there. Not sure how well it will work, but I think it will be a success. Love those native grasses! We are also restoring an oak savanna. Bur oaks take a bit longer to grow than the grasses, but we still have a good deal of the ancient trees until the newer ones can get up to speed 😉
Thank you kind Sir for such an informative and visual explanation...I just purchased a clump...So excited to divide it and to plant it...You are a great teacher...
Love the video. Just planted a tiny little bluestem, it's really nice to see how big it gets. It's in an area paired with Joe pye weed, black eyed susans, liatris, butterfly weed, and yellow coneflower.
A beautiful, cool looking grass. I plan to replace my Walkers Low Catmint going up the drive with this, Prairie Dropseed, and Echinacea Pallida for a mini native prairie strip, the only area of my yard that gets full sun!
Northeastern native plant digest Just read this article last night if you’re looking for more prairie plant ideas! www.monarchgard.com/thedeepmiddle/converting-a-small-front-yard-to-prairie-beds
Great video. Thanks for sharing. I considering setting aside a portion of my yard for a mass planting of little bluestem. Couple of questions please if you have the time. 1. Would you recommend a mass planting? 2. Can you easily divide clumps of Little Bluestem? 3. Any other advice? Much thanks!!
Thanks for the comment. Regarding your questions. I don't see why you couldn't mass plant them. I've never done that but I'm sure it would look nice. You can divide them but they'll look rough for a year or two until they recover. I've also found baby offshoots that I've been able to replant in other places. I hope that helps and good luck.
Thanks for the video! I'm just about to buy a dozen of these for my front yard, but worried about flopping. I've heard they can flop over. Is this your experience?
Hi. Thanks for the comment. The only time I've noticed them flopping is after a heavy rain or if you don't cut them back in the fall and you live in an area with snow...I don't cut mine back and my plants in the front yard though dead, still are upright but one of them in my back yard does tend to flop more in winter. I think the more sun they get the less likely to flop also.
Thank you for sharing all the info on bluestem grasses. I've always loved them but never planted any in my yard. Now if I do, I will be able to put them where they will be happy. I'm wondering if there are different varieties, not just big or little, but within the little bluestem. The reason I ask is that the plants I've seen have a stiffer blade that doesn't arch and the color seems to be more blue. I'm in the Mid-Atlantic area.
Thanks for the comment. I don't think this would work but check out Buffalo grass. Buffalo grass might be a better option but I've never tried that personally.
Depending on your region, you might be able to use Carex woodii as a ground cover. Mt Cuba Center just put out a study on the various Carex species they examined and C.woodii earned top marks as a lawn substitute. Not sure how it does in terms of drought, but it's native and might be okay for your ecoregion.
Thanks for the comment. I've never tried these from seed but I have tried other native grasses and they germinated pretty easy. Not sure if that helps...
@@Jem544 It’s sad how the habitat changed so much. Down here in NC we had less of that habitat (atleast in the piedmont area) I believe. But the woodland habitat has been messed up in many areas by invasives and deforestation. I’m hoping to help out the woods on my propertt in any way I can
@@Jem544 Actually i’ll be real, the woods here are good at keeping native tree species and other plants. Most of the invasives are in fields and on road sides where there used to be trees. Like johnson grass and those grasses with purple seeds. And those pesky bradford pear trees. In the woods we have a lot of that japanese stilt?grass that takes over. Actually the reason I became interested in these grasses is because we have some broomsedge growing very well in one of our fields. It’s about to be beautiful this fall
I always put native grasses in my clients butterfly gardens if I can. They're always surprised that they attract so many butterflies.
So true about no bad plants. It’s all about location. Great episode!
Thanks for being informative, it really brings some umph to gardening. It always pays to see "some" animals come in and bear the fruit of the work we put in.
Hi. Thanks for the comment 🙂
Thank you so much for supporting wildlife with your plantings, and also for this discussion. We have Little Bluestem in our meadow, but I have been curious about it in a garden setting and you have done a great job explaining how to use it in that manner. It's especially helpful that you talked about soil moisture levels, plus how the plant supports invertebrates and birds. Your plantings are beautiful. Well done.
Thank you so much!
Thanks for the video. Always great to see other people who are enthusiastic about plants.
Thanks for the comment!
I just finished a spring burn on my prairie garden (2021). It's mostly little bluestem, but has big bluestem, Indian grass, prairie dropseed, June grass, side oats grama and others as well. I have a gray water outlet that is very wet all year-round, and I'm trying fowl manna grass there. Not sure how well it will work, but I think it will be a success. Love those native grasses! We are also restoring an oak savanna. Bur oaks take a bit longer to grow than the grasses, but we still have a good deal of the ancient trees until the newer ones can get up to speed 😉
Wow. That sounds great. Thanks for the comment and good luck with the restoration.
@@Jem544 Thanks, and I'll let you know how the fowl manna grass works out in the wet areas 😊
@@aYTperson We are in SW Wisconsin.
Wish you had Videos of it
@@kevinbrashear175 We likely do have videos. What are you looking for a video of?
Thank you kind Sir for such an informative and visual explanation...I just purchased a clump...So excited to divide it and to plant it...You are a great teacher...
Thank you. I appreciate the kind words.
I hear Bumblebees like to nest near the base of native grasses, too.
Really well done, and great info. I recently found out about this plant and I need to introduce this into my property.
Thanks for the comment. It's one of my absolute favorite grasses!
nice job learned a lot
Thanks for the comment 😊
I’d love to incorporate this into my garden.
Love the video. Just planted a tiny little bluestem, it's really nice to see how big it gets. It's in an area paired with Joe pye weed, black eyed susans, liatris, butterfly weed, and yellow coneflower.
Thanks for the comment. It won't take long for it to fill in. I love this plant.
A beautiful, cool looking grass. I plan to replace my Walkers Low Catmint going up the drive with this, Prairie Dropseed, and Echinacea Pallida for a mini native prairie strip, the only area of my yard that gets full sun!
I'm doing a mini prairie as well.
Northeastern native plant digest Just read this article last night if you’re looking for more prairie plant ideas!
www.monarchgard.com/thedeepmiddle/converting-a-small-front-yard-to-prairie-beds
Beautiful grass
Just planted one as well. Such a nice grass
Thanks for the comment. They're one of my favorites in the garden.
Nice video. I love mine too
Thanks. I'm going to keep adding in more each season.
Great video. Thanks for sharing. I considering setting aside a portion of my yard for a mass planting of little bluestem. Couple of questions please if you have the time. 1. Would you recommend a mass planting? 2. Can you easily divide clumps of Little Bluestem? 3. Any other advice? Much thanks!!
Thanks for the comment. Regarding your questions. I don't see why you couldn't mass plant them. I've never done that but I'm sure it would look nice. You can divide them but they'll look rough for a year or two until they recover. I've also found baby offshoots that I've been able to replant in other places. I hope that helps and good luck.
@@Jem544 Thank you very much for your thoughts!
Thanks for the video! I'm just about to buy a dozen of these for my front yard, but worried about flopping. I've heard they can flop over. Is this your experience?
Hi. Thanks for the comment. The only time I've noticed them flopping is after a heavy rain or if you don't cut them back in the fall and you live in an area with snow...I don't cut mine back and my plants in the front yard though dead, still are upright but one of them in my back yard does tend to flop more in winter. I think the more sun they get the less likely to flop also.
Thank you for sharing all the info on bluestem grasses. I've always loved them but never planted any in my yard. Now if I do, I will be able to put them where they will be happy. I'm wondering if there are different varieties, not just big or little, but within the little bluestem. The reason I ask is that the plants I've seen have a stiffer blade that doesn't arch and the color seems to be more blue. I'm in the Mid-Atlantic area.
Hi. there are some great Cultivars out there you just have to do some searching but it's worth it.
@@Jem544 thank you, I will!
@@robinrummel1359 Hi. Just an FYI but the cultivar of the grass featured in the video is "Blue Paradise".
@@Jem544 ok, I appreciate you letting me know. I really like the arching of the blades/stems.👍
Northeastern native plant digest Do nurseries carry the native of this one you think? Just curious if cultivars are only option for most.
Will this over compete with asters? Is little/big bluestem aggressive? The local nursery told me it'll take over my native flowers
İ haven't found it to be aggressive at all. İt's clump forming it doesn't spread by underground rhizomes.
@@Jem544 nice thank you!
How are these looking now that fall is here?
With all the rain we've had over the last few days they are flopping over but I don't mind.
can i use this as a front lawn and just mow it to like a 6 inch height? looking for a drought tolerant ground cover
Thanks for the comment. I don't think this would work but check out Buffalo grass. Buffalo grass might be a better option but I've never tried that personally.
Depending on your region, you might be able to use Carex woodii as a ground cover. Mt Cuba Center just put out a study on the various Carex species they examined and C.woodii earned top marks as a lawn substitute. Not sure how it does in terms of drought, but it's native and might be okay for your ecoregion.
Can you grow this from seed in late spring in a seed tray for transplanting?
Thanks for the comment. I've never tried these from seed but I have tried other native grasses and they germinated pretty easy. Not sure if that helps...
Do you cut these back to ground?
You can but I leave them up for the winter interest. Thanks for the comment.
Just really plan where you’ll plant it. With roots that go down 10 feet your not going to be moving it.
"ohio used to have quail"
I think there's still a small remnant left but it's really a shame that we've lost so many. Thanks for the comment
@@Jem544 It’s sad how the habitat changed so much. Down here in NC we had less of that habitat (atleast in the piedmont area) I believe. But the woodland habitat has been messed up in many areas by invasives and deforestation. I’m hoping to help out the woods on my propertt in any way I can
@@micah_lee same here in Ohio regarding invasives. Everywhere I drive I see invasives growing in the thickets by the side of the road.
@@Jem544 Actually i’ll be real, the woods here are good at keeping native tree species and other plants. Most of the invasives are in fields and on road sides where there used to be trees. Like johnson grass and those grasses with purple seeds. And those pesky bradford pear trees. In the woods we have a lot of that japanese stilt?grass that takes over. Actually the reason I became interested in these grasses is because we have some broomsedge growing very well in one of our fields. It’s about to be beautiful this fall