Learn the way to Plant, Develop, and Handle Ophiopogon Japonicus

In case you’re looking out for a grass-like, care-free flooring cowl that will add texture to your panorama, then look no extra than this well-liked evergreen grass, Ophiopogon japonicus, usually typically referred to as mondo grass. Mondo grass originated in Japan and China and is known as the traditional flooring cowl of many Japanese gardens.

This ornamental grass is much like black mondo grass, and in actuality, it’s a direct relative. Whereas black mondo grass is darkish and spooky-looking, the dwarf lilyturf, or just mondo grass, is a good looking delicate inexperienced hue and seems good as an accent flooring cowl.

Technically not a grass the least bit (it’s further intently related to the lily than to most grass species), it’s a good looking species that’s able to take care of points that the majority crops can’t stand – like rising beneath black walnut bushes as a result of it’s juglone-resistant. It may truly moreover take care of deeply shaded areas, is resistant to salt, and is deer- and rabbit-resistant.

A most well-liked evergreen species, it’d in all probability moreover take full photo voltaic conditions and might produce white to lilac flowers if it’s joyful enough. These flowers are tiny, nevertheless they sort in clusters alongside the side of the leaves and their bloom stands out from the narrow-bladed leaves. These flowers may even bear fruit which is ready to sort as a tiny, vivid blue berry on the bottom of the foliage. 

Overview

Plant Form Ornamental grass, lilyturf Species Ophiopogon japonicus	Native Area China, Japan, Korea Publicity Full photo voltaic to partial shade Peak 6-15”, dwarf varieties 3-4” Watering Requirements Frequent	Pests & Sicknesses Slugs, snails, fungal factors, root rot

What’s Ophiopogon Japonicus?

There are two types of Ophiopogon japonicus: a daily kind and a dwarf kind. The standard kind very merely spreads by means of stolons, which is an above-ground runner. This makes it an exquisite different for a giant area that you just need to cowl like a shady area the place standard turf grasses don’t develop as properly.

The dwarf kind would not unfold this trend and grows in dense tufts. This makes it easier to handle and better suited to borders or filling in areas between pavers throughout the yard.

Native Area

As talked about above this grass-like evergreen originated in Japan and China and is known by many widespread names equal to mondo grass, dwarf lilyturf, dwarf mondo grass, Japanese lilyturf, snake’s beard, and monkey grass. 

Traits

Mondo grass could also be acknowledged by its attractive evergreen foliage which appears as darkish green-blue strap-shaped leaves. The flowers are small with six petals and the flower color ranges from white to pale lilac flowers. It will probably usually bloom in early summer season. This flooring cowl is an evergreen that will keep inexperienced and develop year-round though its progress may gradual throughout the winter. This makes an exquisite low-maintenance border plant as it’d in all probability survive anyplace from full photo voltaic to shady areas.

It does produce small cobalt blue berries that are not toxic. Nonetheless, there are not any acknowledged culinary makes use of for them. The berries seem like blue variations of asparagus berries, which is wise because of this plant is throughout the Asparagaceae family, which is an identical family of crops as widespread asparagus.

Learn the way to Develop

Mondo grass is low to medium repairs and with the subsequent requirements met, you may get pleasure from its evergreen strap leaves together with texture to your panorama by way of summer season and winter. Most of the time, you’ll even uncover it to be care-free.

Light

Mondo grass can tolerate full photo voltaic to full shade, although the perfect web site for this grass may be partial shade. In sunny areas, the foliage will fade to a lighter inexperienced, whereas shifting this plant to shady areas will perform the darkish inexperienced leaves.

Water

As with most crops grown in hotter climates, the perfect time of day to water is throughout the morning so that the moisture has a chance to soak into the soil sooner than the heat of the day can evaporate it. Nonetheless, in case you’ve missed this window of different then the second-best alternative is to water it throughout the evening.

Take care to avoid wetting the foliage as this will likely more and more set off fungal factors. On account of their small measurement and low progress profile, it is best to water this plant with a drip irrigation system. As quickly as established, these crops are drought-tolerant and might survive the heat with out quite a bit consideration. It’s larger to underwater comparatively than overwater these crops as they’re moreover weak to root rot. Inside the winter, as their progress slows, in the reduction of the amount of moisture. 

Soil

This standard flooring cowl can survive in numerous soil kinds and will even be grown hydroponically. This makes it an superior alternative for a border spherical a pond as properly. It has moreover been seen at large area pet outlets being supplied as an underwater aquatic plant, nevertheless that is not advisable for this plant. It will probably survive absolutely submerged for plenty of weeks after which finally die as its not an aquatic. This plant prefers barely acidic to neutral soil with a pH of 5.5-7.

It could be grown in containers as properly as long as they’re stuffed with well-draining soil. It does notably properly on slopes as water drains away from the roots.

Temperature

Ophiopogon japonicus is delicate to frost. A light-weight-weight frost may set off damage that it’d in all probability get nicely from, nevertheless a tricky frost will severely set your crops once more. For that purpose, rising this plant in USDA hardiness zone 6-10 will assure its survival. 

Fertilizing

One different side that makes mondo grass low repairs is the reality that it doesn’t require any fertilizing the least bit. In case you need to give it a elevate, then a chief dressing of compost in early spring is perhaps ample. In another case, it survives merely very good in a lot of soil kinds and circumstances as long as the soil is well-draining. 

Repairs

Pruning should not be compulsory for this plant. It will probably develop until it reaches its mature peak after which give consideration to roots, flower manufacturing, and unfold. In distinction to traditional turf grasses, it would not should be mowed and will tolerate delicate foot website guests. You’ll solely ever have to remove ineffective or damaged foliage. 

Propagation

It is best to propagate Ophiopogon japonicus by division. In early spring dig up a clump of mondo grass and tease apart the roots until you may have plenty of sections. Replant each half with on the very least four-inch spacing they usually’ll finally unfold to fill throughout the gaps.

Mondo grass could be grown from seed, nevertheless this plant could possibly be very gradual rising so it ought to take a while to get a viable transplant when rising from seed. 

Widespread Points

As talked about, mondo grass could possibly be very low repairs, shade-loving, evergreen, deer-resistant, and a great border plant. There aren’t many pest and sickness factors with this plant, nevertheless there are some issues for which to take care of an eye fixed fastened out. 

Rising Points

Heat could also be an issue for these lily turfs, notably mirrored heat from partitions, walkways, and the like. Metropolis gardening could also be stuffed with pitfalls of this type in and spherical yard beds or containers. Due to this, it’s advisable in the midst of the summer season months to supply {{a partially}} shaded location away from exhausting scapes that will take up and radiate heat from the photo voltaic. Sustaining the soil moist all through scorching local weather might help your crops take care of a bit further heat. Shade materials arching over beds may also help in the reduction of warmth in gardens the place these are planted.

Pests

Mondo grass is rabbit and deer-resistant. Nonetheless, slugs and snails have been acknowledged to munch on the leaves typically. In case you see holes throughout the leaves and they also appear to wilt, then this may be an indicator that slugs or snails are present. Visually look at the leaves. If in case you’ve gotten chickens, it is a likelihood to set them unfastened in your mondo grass for some tasty treats. For these of us with no yard flock, the perfect plan of motion is a slug and snail bait. There are pure baits constituted of iron phosphate which could be protected to utilize spherical wildlife, people, and pets. 

Sicknesses

Fungal illnesses like anthracnose can affect these shade-loving flooring covers. This could be a fungal sickness that usually appears in the midst of the chilly and moist early spring in areas with extreme humidity. It causes leaf spots, cupping, or curling of the leaves and leaf drop. The simplest preventative measure could possibly be to verify there could also be good air circulation spherical your crops. After a lilyturf is severely contaminated it’s best to remove and destroy it to take care of the fungal an an infection from spreading to totally different lilyturfs. Light infections could also be dealt with with a copper fungicide.

Mondo grass is weak to root rot introduced on by pythium fungal strains that develop in overly-moist conditions. Since this plant is comparatively drought-tolerant, it’s larger to underwater it than overwater it and hazard root rot factors. Root rot is hard to reverse if it has already progressed too far. If the plant appears brown and mushy on the bottom then this may be a sign of it creating. Once more off on watering and let on the very least the very best inch of soil throughout the roots dry out absolutely sooner than watering as soon as extra. 

Repeatedly Requested Questions