Dwarf mondo grass has dense, dark green leaves. This makes this particular mondo grass ideal for growing between pavers in the garden or yard. This grass plant will add more color and life to your garden pathway. It has a slow growth rate, and it will take 2 to 3 years for it to spread up to 4 inches.
The plant can only grow to a maximum of 6 inches and will stay small even after years. Dwarf mondo grass is also low-maintenance and can grow even in shaded areas with little water. If you need help growing dwarf mondo grass between pavers in your garden, we’ve got your back. This article will provide you with a step-by-step guide that you can follow. Let’s start planting!
How to plant dwarf mondo grass between pavers
There are two ways you can get dwarf mondo grass plants for your walkway. You can either grow them from seeds or, if you want a ready-to-transplant dwarf mondo grass, you can buy starter plants that already have root systems. If you’re growing from seed, harvest the fruit in late October. Place the seeds in a bowl of warm water for two days, and then plant them about 0.4 inches deep in sterile potting soil. Keep the soil moist to help the seeds grow. The young dwarf mondo grass will be ready for planting in spring. Below are the steps for planting the dwarf mondo grass plant between the pavers.
1. Prepare the soil.
Take note that the best planting time for mondo grass is during early spring. You don’t have to worry about locations because dwarf mondo grass can tolerate shade or full sun. Pay more attention to the quality of your soil. Dwarf mondo grasses like well-drained, moist, and weed-free soil. To test if the ground is well-draining, dig a hole 12 inches wide and deep, and then fill the gap with water. After the water has drained, refill the hole. See how fast the soil dries up. Well-drained soil should drain one inch of water per hour. Dig organic matter into the ground if you think the soil type in your garden needs improvement in drainage.
2. Dig holes around the pavers.
The hole should be 3 inches wide and 6 inches deep. Or you can replicate the size of the container that your young dwarf mondo grass is growing in. The space between the holes should be 2 to 4 inches. Since dwarf mondo grass takes too long to spread, you might want to place them closer together for much better ground coverage. For poor soil types, you can add compost to each hole.
3. Begin planting the dwarf mondo grass.
Gently squeeze the outside of the pot to loosen the soil so you can easily get the dwarf mondo grass out of the pot. After this, gently loosen the roots from the potting soil using your hand. This will help the plant establish itself and spread faster after planting.
Place the dwarf mondo grass in the hole that you dug. One hole is to one plant. Repeat the same process with the rest of the grass plant until you fill up every hole that you dug. Fill the remaining room in each hole with soil.
4. Water the transplanted dwarf mondo grass.
It is important to keep the soil moist while the transplanted plant is establishing itself. Maintain moisture in the ground for two weeks after transplanting. But avoid overwatering because it can drown the plant. Root rot is a common problem among dwarf mondo grass. This happens when you overwater the plant, and the soil is not well-drained. Once established, you can water the plants once a week or more on hot days. Only water if the top 1 to 2 inches of the soil becomes dry. No watering is needed in the winter.
5. Apply fertilizer.
Fertilize the dwarf mondo grass once a year. The best time to do this is during the spring. This will help the dwarf mondo grass grow healthy and ensure that it spreads every year.
6. Trim, if needed.
As dwarf mondo grass grows, the grass blade will start to occupy the corners of the pavers. Make sure to keep the blades off the pavers. Trim the plant if necessary, using a grass clipper. You can allow 1 inch of the blades to arch over the edge of the pavers.
Dwarf Mondo Grass Between Pavers: Wrap Up
Since dwarf mondo grass/monkey grass takes almost three years to spread, you can fill up empty spaces in between your pavers by propagating the well-established young plants.
You can do this after one year of transplanting. Although dwarf mondo grasses require minimal attention, you should at least visit them and take a closer look at each of the plants to look for pests.
Early detection can help save the dwarf mondo grass and ensure that you get the lush groundcover of dense and dark leaves that you are expecting from dwarf mondo grass.
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