7 Reasons For Pink Muhly Grass Not Blooming
Pink Muhly is among the loveliest ornamental grasses to have in your garden. The grass is easy to maintain as it’s pest-resistant and doesn’t need a lot of moisture to flourish. The scientific name for Pink Muhly is “Muhlenbergia Capillaris.” Despite being easy to grow, pink Muhly can undergo some challenges that may interrupt its smooth growth.
If your Pink Muhly grass does not show any sign of blooming, it may be facing one of the challenges we’re going to discuss. We shall also advise you on how to fix the various challenges so that your ornamental grass blooms beautifully when the time is right.
These are as follows:
1. Improper Watering
A common mistake that many gardeners make is overwatering the Pink Muhly plant. This grass is usually found in arid conditions in rocky soils. As a result, it thrives best in low-water areas. So, if you over-water the grass, you’ll be doing it more harm than good. If you’ve just grown Pink Muhly grass or transplanted it, then you can water it frequently. Otherwise, these plants require good drainage to thrive and survive the wet winters.
Even though Pink Muhly shouldn’t be watered frequently, it requires more water during hot periods, like in summer. This will help to promote healthy growth and bloom. So, if your pink ornamental grass struggled to bloom last year because of giving it little water in summer, this is the best time to water it.
However, don’t overwater it as this might lead to different diseases. Also, overwatering the plant leads to root rot, which not only makes the plant not to bloom but die altogether.
How To Fix It
Make sure that you provide adequate water to your Pink Muhly grass. Don’t overwater or underwater the grass. This plant grows best with 1 to 1.5-inches of water weekly, but you may have to water it frequently at certain times. This includes planting time, transplanting time, and when the weather is hot.
If you follow this process, then you won’t have to worry about your grass not blooming. Additionally, you should not water the plant during dormancy.
This will cause stress to the plant and affect its smooth growth.
2. Lack Of Sunlight
The Pink Muhly Grass grows best in arid areas or places with hot and dry conditions. As a result, you should ensure that your plant receives enough sunlight daily. If you have planted it in a pot, make sure that it’s positioned in an open space without shade.
A shade from your roof or other plants will deprive it of enough sunlight that it needs to blossom. However, this doesn’t mean that it will not bloom if it’s not placed in full sun.
It can still put up with the conditions, but the flowers will not look as beautiful as the same plant grown in full sun.
How To Fix It
Make sure your plant in the garden or pot receives full sun daily. This will result in faster growth and magnificent plant late in the season. It is recommended that you plant your grass in an area that receives at least 6 hours of sunlight. So, if your grass is in a shady area, you should transfer it immediately.
You will see a lot of changes in growth, and it will bloom when the right time comes.
3. Poor Soil
Another advantage of growing Pink Muhly is that it does not require rich soils to survive. After all, the plant grows in rocky or sandy soils very well. Nevertheless, the plant may struggle if the soil is not well-drained; for instance, compacted soil. If the soil is compact, your plant may struggle to grow, and it will not bloom.
Aside from that, the plant may become stunted and die. This is very important, more so, for Pink Muhly grass grown in pots. Pink Muhly need well-draining soil, which doesn’t hold moisture for long. If you plant Pink Muhly in clay soil, then expect a stunted and unhealthy plant.
And if your plant is potted, you should change the soil immediately.
How To Fix It
The best way to fix Pink Muhly that is being grown in poor soil is by changing the soil. Simply growing your pink muhly in the appropriate kind of soil is one of the simplest ways to allow it to continue flourishing longer and healthier. If you have a potted plant, you should get well-drained soil, and you will have nothing to worry about.
You should try to mimic the rocky and sandy terrain of their native homeland as closely as possible. The good news is that the plant can adapt to different soil types as long as they are well-drained.
Also, don’t use flower potting mixtures or other fluffy types of soil on your pink muhly.
4. Diseases
Unlike many plants, Pink Muhly doesn’t face many diseases or pests. But this doesn’t mean that it is free from diseases and pests ultimately. The plant can also rust. If the temperatures are extreme, the grass might suffer from the fungus.
For instance, it is not advisable to water the plants at night. This is because the soil may stay wet for long, which may attract fungi and attack the plant. Another serious risk to your Pink Muhly and its blooms is nematodes, powdery mildew, verticillium wilt, and other soil-borne diseases.
How To Fix It
To avoid your plant from being attacked, make sure to water at the right time. The best time to water is in the morning before the sun comes out. Also, ensure that there is good air circulation around the plants.
This is crucial in hot and humid areas. You may have to thin your grass so that air circulates freely and prohibits harboring pests and diseases. If one of the plants is affected, you may have to cut and get rid of it to stop infecting others.
Dispose of the plant far away and don’t use it as manure in the garden. It can still infect other plants. Furthermore, the best way to prevent unintentionally spreading a soil-borne disease to your plants is to make sure you know where they originate from.
5. Lack Of The Right Fertilizer
Many people love to grow Pink Muhly grass because it does not feature high soil fertility needs. However, not all soils are rich in nutrients. So, before transplanting the Pink Muhly grass, you should conduct a soil pH test.
The test will allow you to find out if it’s OK to transplant the grass without adding fertilizer or if some fertilizer is a requirement. Phosphorus and nitrogen are the two essential nutrients to look out for. Avoid applying too much nitrogen as it can kill your grass.
How To Fix It
As you prepare to plant or transplant Pink Muhly grass, you should think of the fertilizers and ratios to use. Apply fertilizer as you plant or transplant the plant. The fertilizer will ensure that the grass starts off well. In spring, you should also add a slow-release fertilizer to boost the plant.
If you didn’t see the plant bloom or if the bloom was not vibrant the previous year, you can go ahead and fertilize the plant in summer. Nonetheless, make sure you use the right fertilizer for Pink Muhly and not a general fertilizer.
6. Grass Cut Extremely Short
Most of the gardeners cut back their Pink Muhly grass when they grow tall or become floppy. The only problem is that many do it at the wrong time of the year. Others cut it at the wrong size. The worst pruning error you can make is cutting your grass down to the ground. As a result, they affect or negatively impact the grass.
If you cut Pink Muhly grass at the wrong time (autumn), you will affect its flowering. Additionally, if you cut the grass too short, you can send the grass into shock. All of these will limit the plant’s growth, and it won’t bloom, for up to two or three years even if they are not completely destroyed.
How To Fix It
However, you can avoid these by cutting the grass at the right time, which is before late summer. You should also avoid cutting the plant too short so that you don’t send it into shock. To about 2 to 6 inches above the ground, trim your pink muhly. Be cautious and aim for 4 inches. What’s more, you can muhly grass plant to receive more nutrients and prevent it from competing with weeds.
This will speed up the growth, and the plant may bloom late into the season.
7. Planting At The Wrong Time
Another thing that many gardeners overlook is the planting season for Pink Muhly grass. As stated earlier, this ornamental grass thrives in hot and dry conditions. So, if you plant late in the season (during winter), the plant may struggle to grow and flourish.
This is because the drainage is usually poor, and lack of sunlight. The plant may even die.
How To Fix It
You can fix this problem by planting your grass at the right time. The best time to plant Pink Muhly grass is in early autumn or spring. If you’ve transplanted your grass in spring, add a slow-release fertilizer to the soil to boost its growth.
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After reading this post, you should ensure that your Pink Muhly grass is in good condition so that it blooms in late summer or early autumn. Make sure that you provide your plant with a conducive environment to grow. The main reasons why Pink Muhly fails to bloom are due to lack of sun, excessive watering, compacted soil and cutting the grass too short.
Pink Muhly is easy to care for, unlike other plants that require frequent watering, fertilization, and control of pests & diseases. If you provide the best conditions for this ornamental grass, you’ll not have to worry about watering, pests, or fertilizer.
With these tips, you can go ahead and fix your Pink Muhly grass seed and wait for its airy pink plumes in summer.