Plant woolgrass as a plug in wet mud at the soil line, not in deep standing water, and keep the mix wet from day one.
Plant in wet mud, not in deep standing water
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| When | Spring, into wet ground that will not dry | Do not set a plug into a border that dries between storms |
| Set | Same soil line as the pot, into wet mud | Do not perch the crown high and dry, or drown a new clump in deep water |
| Water over the crown | A few inches of shallow water at most | Do not stand deep water over a new clump before the roots take |
| Spacing | About eighteen to twenty-four inches | Do not jam plugs into a trough with no room to clump |
Set woolgrass at the same soil line it grew in the pot, in wet mud. A few inches of shallow water is enough; deep water over a new clump drowns the shoots. [1] [2] Space plugs about eighteen to twenty-four inches apart so each clump can fill without crowding the first year.
How deep do I plant it?
Set it at the same soil line it grew in the pot, in wet mud. A few inches of shallow water is enough for a new clump. Deep standing water is not the home.
How to plant woolgrass
Work one plug at a time: wet site, soil line, then water to settle.
- Choose wet mud, a rain garden, or a pond edge that will not dry, in full sun. [3]
- Set the plant at the same soil line it grew in the pot, into wet mud, not a light mix that dries in a day. [4]
- Keep at most a few inches of water over a new clump so the shoots stay above the surface while the roots take.
- Space plugs about eighteen to twenty-four inches apart so the colony can fill without crowding the first year.
- Water once to settle. After planting, sun and never-dry ground are on How to Grow Woolgrass.
When do I plant it?
Plant in spring, into wet ground that will not dry. Wait if the bed is still frozen or will bake dry before the roots take.
Split a clump in spring
Dividing a clump uses the same planting steps. Wait until new shoots show, then cut so each piece keeps roots and a few stems.
- Lift a crowded clump in spring, when new growth shows.
- Split pieces that each keep roots and several green shoots. Discard soft, rotting pieces.
- Replant each piece the same day in wet mud at the soil line, and keep the mix wet while it takes.
Can I divide a clump?
Yes. Split a rhizome clump in spring and replant the pieces into wet mud at the soil line. Keep them wet while they take.
What fails at planting
Planting into a mix that dries, or standing deep water over a new clump so the shoots sit drowned, is the usual reason a start never takes. Keep the crown at the soil line in wet mud. Do not plant cottongrass or cattail by mistake and call it woolgrass.
If a new clump never takes, the crown sat dry or the first-year water drowned the shoots — reset at the soil line and keep the mix wet.
FAQ
Can I grow it from seed?
A nursery plug or a divided piece is the sure start. Seed is slow and needs a wet surface through winter. Buy a plug or split what you already have.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] Prairie Moon Nursery -
https://www.prairiemoon.com/scirpus-cyperinus-wool-grass - [2] Natural Resources Conservation Service -
https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/cs_sccy.pdf - [3] Illinois Wildflowers -
https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/grasses/plants/wool_grass.htm - [4] Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center -
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=sccy
This note is part of Scirpus Guides.
More planting notes by plant are gathered in Planting Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors