Lily Grass
Planting and Caring for Lily Grass
Lily grass, formally known as Liriope, is one of the most versatile and popular “fillers” for both gardening as well as accenting bouquets. This subtle but regal looking grass is an extremely popular choice for wedding bouquets as well as decorations. This article is going to take a detailed look at growing and maintaining lily grass.
Lily grass produces grass-like leaves that grow to be about two feet long. They are soft, narrow leaves that compliment almost any type of flower arrangement or landscaping. This particular grass is native to the areas of the Philippines, Japan, and China. It is a tough plant that is capable of surviving in many different types of climates. This plant can easily be planted outdoors to add a calming aesthetic air to your garden. It can also be grown indoors to harvest for flower arrangements.
If you intend to plant your lily grass in a planting pot, a decent quality potting soil would produce the best results. Stick two fingers into the soil to create a hole large enough for the seeds. Drop the seeds in and cover with soil. Add a little water but try not to over-do it as overwatering could result in the seeds rotting. If you want to plant partially-grown grass from a nursery or a “cutting” from another plant, you will need to make sure that the hole you dig in the soil is large enough for the roots to spread out. Make sure that you don’t plant the roots too deep, either. Roots grow downward and will need plenty of room to do so. A good rule to go by is to make sure that the top of the roots are just about level with the top of the soil.
The same basic rules apply for planting your lily grass outside, only there are a few more things to consider. This plant performs best when grown in “planting zones” seven to ten. Planting zones (aka: “hardiness zones”) are what the US Department of Agriculture uses to help specify which parts of the United States, Mexico, and Canada a plant will grow best in. Most plant nurseries now include a planting zone on the description tag of the plant. If you are curious as to what planting zone your state falls into, you can pop by a local gardening nursery to inquire, or do a quick search on the Internet.
If you have determined that your zone is a good one for planting your lily grass, then the next thing to consider is the spot to plant it. This plant does best when it is planted in full sun or partial shade. It is recommended that if you intend to plant quite a lot of this grass that you space out your planting by about nine to twelve feet between batches. If you have a pretty good sized area to work with, you might want to consider where other plants may currently be in the area, or where you might want to plant flowers or trees in the future. Lily grass is very versatile, so if you decide that you need to plant more or need to pull some of the plants up, you shouldn’t have a very hard time doing so. General maintenance is not difficult for this plant—simply water it when the weather get too hot or you experience a particularly long period without any rain.
Although this particular plant is quite hardy, you should still keep your eye out for leaf diseases that may affect it. If you find that your leaves have become spotted or become blackened in some areas, seek out the advice of your local gardening nursery for products to help cure grass diseases. Best of luck planting and caring for your lily grass!