When to plant and prune Feather Reed Grass 'Karl Foerster'
Feather Reed Grass 'Karl Foerster' flowers from mid June to early October and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Feather Reed Grass 'Karl Foerster' is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early September to late October | mid June to early October | late February to late March |
| South Coast and Channel | early September to late October | mid June to early October | late February to late March |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early September to late October | mid June to early October | late February to late March |
| South East and Home Counties | early September to late October | mid June to early October | late February to late March |
| East Anglia | early September to late October | mid June to early October | late February to late March |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early September to late October | mid June to early October | late February to late March |
| Wales and West Coast | early September to late October | mid June to early October | late February to late March |
| Northern England | early September to late October | mid June to early October | late February to late March |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early September to late October | mid June to early October | late February to late March |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early September to late October | mid June to early October | late February to late March |
| Northern Ireland | early September to late October | mid June to early October | late February to late March |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early September to late October | mid June to early October | late February to late March |
Growing notes
The most reliably upright grass for a small garden: narrow, vertical and wind-proof, so it suits a town plot where miscanthus would be too wide. Tolerates semi-shade but flowers best in full sun.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 60 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 170 cm
- Eventual spread
- 60 cm
- Hardiness
- H6
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 30 litres or more
- Balcony rating
- 3 out of 5
Pruning: what to avoid
Deciduous, so it must be cut right down in late winter or very early spring. It is one of the earliest grasses into growth, so do it by mid-March: once the new shoots are up you cannot cut the old stems out without shearing off this year's growth.
Pruning group
Deciduous: cut to the ground in late winter or early spring before new shoots appear
What usually goes wrong
- dies back completely in autumn and can look absent all winter if cut too early
- prefers not to dry out
- clumps thin out after several years and need dividing
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for feather reed grass 'karl foerster'.