Can Hedge Trimmers Cut Through Fountain Grasses?

Nowadays, fountain grasses seem to be everywhere; they're an evergreen to a semi-evergreen perennial that is often used to add texture and interest to a home landscape. Whilst they don't need to be cut back very often, you will need to do so if the plant has sustained damage or if some of the blades are starting to turn brown. Fortunately, hedge trimmers are more than up to the task of cutting back your fountain grasses.

Make sure that you cut the grass back when it is dormant. If you are sure that all warm periods are over (as this can cause new growth to occur that will not last the winter), this can be done in the autumn. If you want to be on the safe side, however, you should wait to do this until spring (as there will be no chances that frost will kill off the new growth). Cut the grass back to between 6 and 10 inches from the ground for the best rejuvenation.

The most common tool for cutting back your fountain grasses are electric or petrol powered hedge trimmers. They feature serrated or toothed blades that are highly suited to cutting through the plant. You must be careful, however, that the grass does not become stuck to the blade, as this can prevent them from cutting properly. The blades are also known to pull and shred the grass rather than cut right through it.

Because of this, many homeowners are turning to smaller handheld electric trimmers instead. Whilst they do present the same problems of binding that the larger ones do, you will be able to control the machine more. This means that the cuts will be a lot more even and that it won't look as if it has been torn out of the plant by hand. Even though the grass may look a little haggard to begin with, it will quickly grow back thicker than ever.

Even though hedge trimmers can easily be used to cut through fountain grasses, it is important to remember that they may tear them instead of cutting cleanly through. The grass will quickly grow back, however, and will cover all of these cuts up. If you want to avoid this sort of mess, you should forgo the trimmer altogether and opt instead for handheld hedging shears, which will slice through the blades with ease.