Not faint-hearted takes on Goliath

(Top photo) Ornamental C. Karl Foerster grass got really big after not being divided for decades; (middle) the grass is nearly completely removed using sharp shovel and hand saw; (above) A smaller replacement to the grass dubbed Goliath.

The ornamental grass from Hell stood before us as a wall of grass. "Take me on!" It seemed to scream.

And so we did, last week, on a grass dubbed Goliath. Many gardener experts consider dividing ornamentals as "not for the faint of heart," and that's the truth.

Two of us tackled the C. Karl Foerster grass gone wild. It had been almost 20 years (2001 or so) since the pricey grass was purchased and planted in a new garden at the time. A ton of good black dirt covered the clay soil of the new garden plot, and the plant was in a sunny location. It thrived.

Since it was planted, husband Steve was not allowed to trim it in the autumn; it has been left to the critters who live here in rural Scott County. One year, for example, two bunnies made a nest in the middle of the clump of grass, and lived happily until adulthood, and our Izzy the Beagle took after them.

But it became a mammoth C. Karl Foerster. It was six feet in diameter one recent year.

This spring, armed with new knowledge from the state's top garden experts, I took on the task to divide it properly with new resolve. To divide the clump I tackled the work in April and Steve agreed to help. It's important to do this task in spring because of the garden and climate conditions.

Last week, I dug out around the clump and cleared out some of the middle. A couple of days of rain in the week helped out. On Thursday, April 25, the sun came out in the afternoon. There was no wind, and it was a perfect day to work in the yard, on the most difficult task of the spring.

Steve started cutting into the grass with a long, sharp shovel, and I cleaned out the interior to see the wide dead spot more clearly. Slowly but surely, using a trusty hand saw, the two of us cut and removed the dirt as much as possible. The excess filled about three wagons; the entire project took over two hours to complete.

I gathered up two good, small clumps and put them in a five gallon bucket as I cleaned up the site. Finding a new place to dig, I replanted these two as Goliath's replacement. I watered and fertilized the replacement plants, and a couple that I plan to share.

There is a lot more space in that garden.

According to www.bluestem.ca/calamagrostis-karl-foerster.htm, the grass called Calamagrostis, or C. Karl Foerster, "is a vertical masterpiece that provides wonderful contrast among low shrubs and perennials." It's ultimate size is directly related to the moisture it gets.

It was the first grass to gain the honor of Perennial Plant of the Year, in 2001.

I bought Karl Forester after that. I would recommend this grass to anyone but just divide it every 3-4 years.

If you wait decades, you may decide to name it Goliath.