This prairie grass has small, teardrop-shaped flower seeds that appear in the summer with purplish-reddish tips.
It turns to shades of yellow in the fall and lightens further in the winter.
It remains upright unless under heavy snow.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Benefits of Switchgrass
This low-maintenance plant is resistant to disease and not bothered by pests.
With its spreadingrhizomatous rootsand clump-forming habit, switchgrass is ideal for use in sloped areas prone to erosion.
Switchgrass is also grown for hay and cattle feed, feeding deer, and providing cover for prairie animals.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
It is heralded as the next leading biofuel crop in the United States.
Fuel made from switchgrass seems more efficient than corn.
Switchgrass Care
Here are the main cultural considerations for growing switchgrass.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Light
Switchgrass prefers a full sun position.
This will ensure vigorous growth, tall and upright stalks, and the most interesting color.
It does, however, prefer a moist, sandy, or clay variety.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Water
Adrought-tolerantspecies, switchgrass can handle dry and hot conditions well.
For best growth, though, it prefers to be kept moist.
It can even handle light flooding; sometimes it’s used successfully in boggy areas around ponds.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Fertilizer
Once established, rhizomatous switchgrass rarely needs additional feeding with a fertilizer.
Too many nutrients can cause the grass stalks to droop.
Types of Switchgrass
There is a wide variety of switchgrass cultivars.
Division is best done in the late spring as the roots need warm soil to establish.
Seedlings form quickly, usually within a few weeks.
Regular watering is enough to give them a good start.
However, this plant takes time for its rhizomes to establish.
It has a long taproot that will grow 10 feet long or more.
When potting, you must also give the grass more water than specimens in the ground.
Overwintering
No special care is needed for overwintering switchgrass.
Fungal diseases, however, are much more common.
These might include rust, leaf spot, and smut.
A fungicide can be beneficial in keeping large-scale problems with fungal diseases at bay.
The soil must be at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer to germinate or grow.
Yellowing Leaves
Frequent, heavy rain or overwatering can lead to yellowing.
If you see the grass turning yellow, cut back on watering.
Another potential cause of yellowing is nutritional imbalances.
Check your pH levels; also, the fertilizer salts might be off-kilter.
Yellowing can often turn around with a liquid feed of fertilizer 10-10-20 that contains iron.
It tends to get floppy in a shady location or if it gets too much fertilizer.
In this case, staking the grass is a good idea.
The next generation of biofuels could come from these five crops.
