Lee Burkhill: Award Winning Designer & BBC 1's Garden Rescue Presenters Official Blog
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Quote from gardenaculou on 12th April 2026, 10:25 am
Hi all
I was away from home in March/early April and am now tackling the Spring garden. My Calamagrostis, which were newly planted last March and have done really well, are sprouting a lot of green leaves in amongst all the dead leaves from last year. I know they are supposed to be cut back BEFORE the new leaves grow but would it hurt either to cut it all back now or just leave it as is, or do I have to get in there and individually cut back the brown stuff? The new growth is about 18" already and very green. Many thanks if anyone can help (it's my first time growing these)
Hi all
I was away from home in March/early April and am now tackling the Spring garden. My Calamagrostis, which were newly planted last March and have done really well, are sprouting a lot of green leaves in amongst all the dead leaves from last year. I know they are supposed to be cut back BEFORE the new leaves grow but would it hurt either to cut it all back now or just leave it as is, or do I have to get in there and individually cut back the brown stuff? The new growth is about 18" already and very green. Many thanks if anyone can help (it's my first time growing these)
Thanks for getting in touch about your Calamagrostis. The quick answer is, not if you're quick. Cut it back to about 3 inches from the ground and the green growth will regenerate.
Why You Can Still Cut it Back Now
Don't worry too much about having missed the ideal window. Calamagrostis is one of the more forgiving ornamental grasses when it comes to timing and it will bounce back well from a cut even with 18 inches of new growth already showing. The new green shoots emerging from the base are coming from the crown of the plant rather than from the old stems, so cutting everything back together now won't harm them. They'll look a little set back for a week or two but by early summer you'll have a fresh, clean flush of growth that will look far better than a tangled mix of old brown and new green.
How to Do it Cleanly
Use a sharp pair of secateurs or, for a quicker job on an established clump, a pair of shears or even a hedgetrimmer if you have one. Tie the whole clump together loosely with a piece of string or an old belt before you cut, which makes the whole job much tidier and saves you raking up a huge amount of debris afterwards. Cut down to around 3 inches from the ground as mentioned, and don't be alarmed by how severe it looks immediately afterwards. That compact crown will be sending up strong new growth within a couple of weeks.
Going Forward in Future Years
For next year, aim to cut Calamagrostis back in late February to early March before the new growth emerges, which gives you a clean slate and avoids exactly the situation you're in now. It's worth noting that life happens and missing the window by a few weeks, as you have this year, is absolutely not a disaster with this particular grass. It's one of the reasons I rate Calamagrostis so highly as a garden plant. It's beautiful, reliable, and remarkably tolerant of the occasional bit of neglect.
For more on growing and managing ornamental grasses, including timing guides for different species, my ornamental grasses guide covers everything you need. And if you want to brush up on cutting back herbaceous perennials and grasses more broadly, my pruning guides are a good place to explore once you've tackled the garden this spring.
Thanks for getting in touch about your Calamagrostis. The quick answer is, not if you're quick. Cut it back to about 3 inches from the ground and the green growth will regenerate.
Why You Can Still Cut it Back Now
Don't worry too much about having missed the ideal window. Calamagrostis is one of the more forgiving ornamental grasses when it comes to timing and it will bounce back well from a cut even with 18 inches of new growth already showing. The new green shoots emerging from the base are coming from the crown of the plant rather than from the old stems, so cutting everything back together now won't harm them. They'll look a little set back for a week or two but by early summer you'll have a fresh, clean flush of growth that will look far better than a tangled mix of old brown and new green.
How to Do it Cleanly
Use a sharp pair of secateurs or, for a quicker job on an established clump, a pair of shears or even a hedgetrimmer if you have one. Tie the whole clump together loosely with a piece of string or an old belt before you cut, which makes the whole job much tidier and saves you raking up a huge amount of debris afterwards. Cut down to around 3 inches from the ground as mentioned, and don't be alarmed by how severe it looks immediately afterwards. That compact crown will be sending up strong new growth within a couple of weeks.
Going Forward in Future Years
For next year, aim to cut Calamagrostis back in late February to early March before the new growth emerges, which gives you a clean slate and avoids exactly the situation you're in now. It's worth noting that life happens and missing the window by a few weeks, as you have this year, is absolutely not a disaster with this particular grass. It's one of the reasons I rate Calamagrostis so highly as a garden plant. It's beautiful, reliable, and remarkably tolerant of the occasional bit of neglect.
For more on growing and managing ornamental grasses, including timing guides for different species, my ornamental grasses guide covers everything you need. And if you want to brush up on cutting back herbaceous perennials and grasses more broadly, my pruning guides are a good place to explore once you've tackled the garden this spring.
Quote from gardenaculou on 12th April 2026, 1:37 pm
Wow thank you! I googled for ages to try to find an answer but everything told me "do it early" - so thanks for the practical/actual advice I needed - I will go and do it now!!!
Wow thank you! I googled for ages to try to find an answer but everything told me "do it early" - so thanks for the practical/actual advice I needed - I will go and do it now!!!
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Lee Burkhill
Lee Burkhill, known as the Garden Ninja, is an award-winning garden designer and horticulturist with over 30 years of gardening experience and 15 years as a professional garden designer. A qualified RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) professional, Lee specialises in sustainable garden design and practical horticultural advice. He designs and presents on BBC1’s Garden Rescue and in leading gardening publications. Lee combines three decades of hands-on gardening knowledge with professional design qualifications to help gardeners create beautiful, functional outdoor spaces.
Lee Burkhill: Award Winning Designer & BBC 1's Garden Rescue Presenters Official Blog
