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| Hi, we have a few very attractive perennials in front of the house. I think they are called Dianthus. Grass has gotten into them. What is the correct procedure to clean the grass out? I don't think pulling the grass out is a long term solution. Any suggestions are most welcome. Thanks so much !!!
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Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by ghoghunter Zone6b SE PA (My Page) on Sun, May 20, 12 at 17:10
| Well I don't know about long term but for now you need to take a small trowel or shovel and loosen the roots of the grass and then pull it out. After you do that remain vigilant and pull out any other grass that starts to sprout up in there. Also long term a border around the bed may also help keep the grass out in the future. Joann |
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| I agree - you may lose some of the dianthus but it really is best to either dig up the entire clump and separate the grass out from the roots or do it in stages with a daisy grubber - kind of like a long screwdriver with a flat, notched blade, to dig in and then under the offending clump. Take some cuttings of the dianthus (pipings) while you are about it - very easy to do by pulling off the ends of a non-flowering stem and inserting half a dozen around the edges of a pot with a gritty compost mix. I think there is a chemical, Grass be Gone or some such available in the US but results are variable and I suspect the dianthus would not be that happy (although, to be fair, I have never come across, much less used such a product). |
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| Thanks. Is it OK to dig up the Dianthus now (flowering), or wait for until later in the season? |
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- Posted by purpleinopp 8b AL (My Page) on Mon, May 21, 12 at 11:05
| You don't need to dig up the part that has no grass. Agree with the suggestion to install a border. When you mow, do the first few passes near flower beds with the chute pointing away from the bed if there are any possible grass seeds forming in the grass. Once you get it under control, whenever you walk by (and your hands aren't full) snag any little grass sprouts out immediately when they are easy to get. Love your little girl statue and stone work! |
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| Spray it with "GRASS GETTER" works wonders. |
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| I would be cautious using Ortho Grass-B-Gon on Dianthus or other perennials with gray and/or succulent foliage. I don't know if Dianthus is listed as safe on the label or not, but this product does tend to burn things that are either gray or succulent or both, such as sedum and baby's breath. I think it may not be the active ingredient so much as some of the spreader/stickers, which probably dissolve the waxy coating on the leaves. |
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| The long-term solution is probably to not plant Dianthus anywhere near a lawn. I gave up on "Firewitch" because of this problem. |
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- Posted by linlily z5/6PA (westmay2@verizon.net) on Mon, May 21, 12 at 12:41
| Everyone else too, huh? This weekend, we just dug up a LARGE clump of Firewitch and I de-grassed it. A lot of it we had to throw out because of the amount of grass and grass roots through it. I took the plant right down to the bare roots and repotted pieces of it, minus the grass. Now my clump is smaller, and I have lots to share with friends. It was not as difficult as I thought it would be, and the potted pieces are responding well. The trick is to remove all the dirt and actually look at the roots to see what is grass and what is the dianthus plant. I tried hand pulling with the plant in place, but I think that if you leave even a piece of grass root there, it will return. I had never had this problem before, but now have some grass invading a couple of irises too. I'll be working on them next. Linda |
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| I would echo ghoghunter's suggestion to edge the beds properly so grass doesn't get in again. This doesn't need to be a border, just a sharp cut vertical edge and small V shaped trench which is properly maintained would do the job. |
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- Posted by Bumblebeez z7b Seneca SC (My Page) on Mon, May 21, 12 at 14:44
| What linlilly siad. I have a lot of various dianthus and it does occasionally get Bermuda grass in it. I'm pretty diligent with the trenches, but hey! that stuff grows fast! This spring I finally dug up a big clump, laid it on a tarp, shook out all dirt, pulled out all bermuda ( the roots are white) and replanted every single rooted piece in a variety of places.
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| very nice, bumblebeez. I guess what folks are saying is that it is OK to dig this Dianthus now, even while it is flowering? purpleinopp, here's a better pic of the girl statue - skipping rope. My wife really enjoys that one. Stays out all winter too.
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| what type of border would prevent grass seeds from blowing into beds and taking root? |
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- Posted by grinder12000 4 now 5 I guess (My Page) on Tue, May 22, 12 at 14:38
| Dianthus is listed as OK - just sayin |
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| Tom - I can certainly see why your wife likes 'girl skipping', she is absolutely charming. What kind of ornamental grass is at her feet? Jan |
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| lida_2008 - grass seeds don't blow very far and if your lawn is kept cut there shouldn't be any to blow in. Most grass invasion in flower beds is from rhizomatous grasses which creep in. A border stops them. If the bed is newly dug grass might appear not from blown in seeds or from rhizomes but from a bank of seed in the soil which, when exposed to light, starts to grow. With persistent weeding the seed bank will be depleted and the number of weeds will reduce markedly. But 'One year's seeding, seven year's weeding', is not far from the truth. |
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- Posted by ken_adrian z5 (My Page) on Tue, May 22, 12 at 17:20
| the peeps at the link.. know how to edge.. it involves a shovel.. and a lot of work ... the straight edge at the grass line is about 4 inches straight down.. which is basically.. below the roots of the grass.. it should be done once a year.. in spring.. and a little cleanup in fall ... if you cant find a utube on it.. i would be surprised .... good luck ken |
Here is a link that might be useful: link
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| Hi Jan, my wife thinks the grass under the girl statue is called "Ribbon Grass". As far as the lawn invading the Dianthus, yes, it certainly did. I have to take the full blame. The lawn really did creep in. If I was edging everything, don't think it would have happened. These planting have been in since 2004. We hired a local man last year to "clean it up". Then realized how neglected some it it was. And how nice the design is.
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