Topic: Grasses are dying

[Haggismonster]

Hi - I bought a new house last year and as the garden was waterlogged bought some grasses for round the new pond that could cope with wet conditions, however some of them have done really well and others have died off.  Several of my carex plants are thriving but my Carex Sparkler and my Juncus Spiralis have both died off - no idea why, they don't appear to be planted too closely together.... The only thing I can think of is that it was too wet and cold in winter and recently it has been really dry (the garden has actually dried up at the moment).

I also bought two Red Baron grasses and planted them on the built up area around the pond where the drainage is quite good - my rabbit escaped and ate the tips off them and they have never recovered since then (in fact I think they are now officially dead but have left them in the hope they will grow in the warmer weather), it has been very wet over the winter so I don't know if thats why the Red Barons have not survived but I would have thought that the Juncus and Carex would have done ok?  Any ideas anyone?

[ACE]

I expect 'red baron' something  is something else that has been re-named. Most red grasses are not very hardy and need protection over the winter. But your other grasses might have suffered the same as some of mine and have rotted off due to the very wet winter. Some can stand the wet and some can stand the cold, but not very many off them can stand both.

[Palustris]

Cannot off hand remember the correct name fopr Red Baron,  but it is tender. We have trouble keeping it alive over a normal winter, in a cold greenhouse. It has never survived outside here.
Juncus and Carex should survive most things, except extrems drought and extreme waterlogging, take your pick!

[Haggismonster]

Hi - yes thats probably why the Red Baron died - it rained for most of Dec/Jan!

I thought the Juncus liked waterlogged conditions though?  Thats why I bought it - the website I bought it from said that it liked boggy areas so I can't understand why its died off............... Unless it was too cold in the winter for it?

[Palustris]

Juncus do indeed like boggy conditions. Boggy for them means lots of moving water. They do not like still and thus often stagnant water. By that I mean lacking in oxygen. If you look where they grow in the wild, there is plenty of water and the ground is sodden, but the water is being constantly refreshed from above and draining out below.