Would you like to know how far apart you should plant mondo grass? Well, we have researched this topic and have the answers for you. Knowing how far apart to plant mondo grass is crucial to ensure it fills in properly.
It would be best to plant mondo grass different distances apart depending on what species of mondo grass you're planting. For the non-dwarf species of mondo grasses, plant each clump of grass four to 12 inches apart; for dwarf species, plant each cluster two to four inches apart.
In this article, we will learn how far apart to plant mondo grass. We will also learn the answers to other interesting questions, such as why is my mondo grass dying and how do you propagate mondo grass? Keep reading to learn more.
How Far Apart To Plant Mondo Grass?
Mondo grass should be planted four to 12 inches apart. In an area where you want mondo grass, you can plant grass plugs in straight rows or alternating rows, with the distance between each grass plug being four to eight inches.
Planting mondo grass in a tight pattern with a four-inch gap between plants will shorten the time the plants take to cover the area thoroughly. A more significant gap between plants can bring down initial costs but will still fill the space after a few months.
It would be best not to use gaps larger than 12 inches to prevent the mondo grass from struggling to fill the area in a reasonable time.
More significant gaps also make the grass more susceptible to heat exhaustion. If you plant your grass too far apart in scorching climates, you may need extra shade to protect your unestablished mondo grass.
There are also dwarf mondo grasses. Dwarf mondo grasses are much smaller than their full-sized cousins and require closer planting. Dwarf mondo grasses should be planted two to four inches apart to ensure they appropriately fill an area.
How To Plant Mondo Grass
To plant mondo grass, take a trow and dig a pattern of holes in either straight rows or an alternating pattern with a four- to 12-inch space between holes. To secure the grass plugs, pile the dirt from each hole to the side for later.
Now, take your packs of mondo grass and separate the different plugs. Plant each plug in a hole so that all roots and stolons are under the soil. You can use the dirt set aside early to secure each grass plug.
Now that each plug of mondo grass is planted, take the handle of your trow and gently tap around the base of each grass. This tapping will ensure the dirt around each plant is packed tight enough to support the plant. If you skip tapping the soil, some of the mondo grass may lean over after watering.
Once the grass is fully secured, you can water it. Using a hose, gently water your freshly planted mondo grass for five to 10 minutes.
You want to thoroughly soak the ground without causing large pools of water to gather. To maintain your mondo grass, water once a day for a few minutes and check daily for signs your grass needs adjustments to watering times.
Why Is My Mondo Grass Dying?
There are three reasons your mondo grass may be dying. The three most common causes of mondo grass death are overwatering, underwatering, and overfertilizing. Let's look at the signs of each of these problems and learn how to remedy them.
Overwatering
There will be a few giveaway signs when you are overwatering your mondo grass. One sign is that the soil is soaked. It's okay for the soil to be pretty damp, but you don't want large amounts of water sitting on your grass.
If your mondo grass is sitting in water, then its roots won't be able to breathe. The water in the soil will cause your mondo grass to begin turning yellow and wilting. You're overwatering if your mondo grass turns yellow and the ground is soaked.
Mondo grass that's sick and sitting in water is also susceptible to bacteria and fungus. If you see black or white spots on your mondo grass, it's likely to have contracted a bacterial or fungal infection. These infections will often not go away on their own and must be treated with a bactericide or a fungicide.
It would be best when you overwater your mondo grass to stop watering for a few days. After the soil is given a few days to dry, your mondo grass will start to recover. If your mondo grass also has an infection, you must treat it with the proper spray.
While white spots typically mean a fungal infection and black spots suggest a bacterial infection, it's best to get a spray that treats both.
A spray that treats bacteria and fungus is best to ensure the condition is treated no matter what your grass is infected with. Here are two of the best sprays on Amazon for treating both fungal and bacterial infections.
Fungicide 3
You can find this product here on Amazon.
Monterey Fungicide & Bactericide
You can find this product here on Amazon.
Underwatering
Another reason your mondo grass may be dying is a lack of water. Signs that you aren't giving your mondo grass enough water include the ground being dry and your mondo grass wilting.
If your mondo grass needs more water, then you only need to increase the watering times each day and increase the number of days you're watering. If you're watering three times a week, try watering four times a week.
Sometimes your watering system may not adequately provide water to your mondo grass. If you are using a drip system, you may need to increase the drip rates or the number of emitters.
If you're using a sprinkler system, you may need to increase the angles of a few of your sprinkler heads to provide better water coverage.
Over Fertilizing
The third reason your mondo grass may be dying is over fertilizing. Too much fertilizer is one of the most straightforward problems to identify. Over fertilizing will almost always affect your plants a day or two after fertilizing. You will also see the edges of leaves turning brown and dying.
The leaves turning brown from fertilizing is called fertilizer burn. When plants absorb too much nitrogen, they force it into the edges of their leaves. The edges of the leaves then turn brown and die, revealing fertilizer as the culprit.
To remedy over fertilizing, you will need to flush the ground. You can flush the ground using a garden hose for a few hours. Soak the over-fertilized area for two to three hours to flush out most of the fertilizer.
After soaking the ground, avoid watering for up to a week. This period of not watering gives the soil time to dry out and prevents the myriad of problems that come from overwatering.
When Should You Fertilize Mondo Grass?
Mondo grass should be fertilized once yearly in the spring. mondo grass should be fertilized in the spring so it has all the nitrogen it needs for its growing season.
Mondo grass doesn't require a large amount of fertilizer to grow properly. It would be best to fertilize mondo grass in the spring once a year to avoid fertilizer burn.
You can also give mondo grass a small amount of fertilizer in the fall before it goes dormant. During the fall, mondo grass will store many nutrients in its roots for spring, making it a great time to fertilize.
How Do You Fertilize Mondo Grass?
Mondo grass is best fertilized by spreading granules of fertilizer. This can be done with either a spreader or with leather gloves and your hands.
To use a spreader, load granulated fertilizer into the spreader and rotate the handle to spread fertilizer in a cone shape. Be sure to move the spreader around to provide an even fertilizer distribution.
Be sure to load the recommended amount of fertilizer into your spreader. Mondo grass can be burned by fertilizer quickly, so it would be best to err towards less fertilizer than more.
To use your hands wear a pair of leather gloves and spread the fertilizer evenly around the base of your grass. It's vital that your wear gloves because fertilizer can burn your bare hands.
What Fertilizer Should You Use For Mondo Grass?
When choosing a fertilizer, it must contain all three vital nutrients for plant growth. These three nutrients are phosphorous, nitrogen, and potassium. The ratio of these nutrients is listed on fertilizers as a PNK number.
Any fertilizer close to an even mix of all the nutrients will work for most plants, including mondo grass. If you need fertilizer for mondo grass, here are two of the best available on Amazon.
Jacks All Purpose Fertilizer
You can find this product here on Amazon.
GreenView Multi-Purpose Fertilizer
You can find this product here on Amazon.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we learned that most mondo grass should be planted four to 12 inches apart, while dwarf mondo grass should be planted two to four inches apart. We also learned the most common reasons your mondo grass could be dying.
Remember, mondo grass is sensitive to fertilizer and only needs to be fertilized once a year to avoid burns.
We hope you enjoyed this article. If you want to learn more, check out some of these other posts:
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How To Keep Grass Out Of Garden Beds
