Content
- Zebra grass as a decorative privacy screen on the balcony
- Sufficiently large planters to select
- Do not save with the irrigation water
- Zebra grass on the balcony properly overwinter
- Tips
Zebra grass grows quickly and densely and is therefore well suited for privacy
Zebra grass as a decorative privacy screen on the balcony
Although some plants are suitable in the garden as a hedgehog-like screen, strong varieties such as the giant bamboo are but for the culture on a balcony conceivable unsuitable. The zebra grass on the other hand, with a maximum height of about 180 cm, is an attractive and natural privacy screen for the balcony.
Sufficiently large planters to select
It is commonly known that ornamental grasses usually have fairly overgrown roots. Even the zebra grass is no exception in this respect and can only provide satisfactory growth results with sufficient space in the pot. After all, this variety of plant quickly absorbs larger areas in the field if it is not planted with a suitable root barrier. Although normal balcony boxes may be large enough for geraniums and other typical balcony plants, you should already use the zebra grass in much larger planters. This is accompanied by the fact that, when used as a privacy screen along the balcony parapet, it is essential to ensure sufficient fall protection of the included earth material, in some cases very heavy planters.
Do not save with the irrigation water
The zebra grass prefers a partially shaded to sunny location with constantly moist soil in its natural ranges. Therefore, even when caring for a container plant, the zebra grass should be thoroughly watered daily, especially in summer. All the more so, this applies to balcony locations where the strong sunlight and the unequally stronger attacking wind constantly cause dehydration of the substrate in the plant pot. Nevertheless, the zebra grass (like the vast majority of plant species) can only handle badly with roots that are constantly in the water. Therefore, despite the generally high water demand and the planter for the zebra grass on the balcony needs sufficiently large drilled drain holes for excess irrigation water.
Zebra grass on the balcony properly overwinter
Since the zebra grass is frost hardy to about minus 20 degrees Celsius, specimens planted in the garden usually have no problems even in harsh winters. This statement can not be transferred to potted plants on a balcony, unfortunately, quite simply, because the root ball here can be attacked much more easily by sub-zero temperatures than in a closed soil. You should therefore take the following precautionary measures before the start of winter:
The water supply on frost-free days is very important because hardy reed and bamboo species are often damaged in the winter not by the frost, but by drought in the root area.
Tips
As the zebra grass grows like a hornet, ringing around bare spots can occur over time. This is a natural process and may need to be compensated by digging, cutting and rearranging the plants in the plant trough.