Elijah Blue Fescue

After back filling and lightly compacting the 50/50 mix of existing soil and compost give the Elijah Blue Fescue a good deep watering. This is not to be rushed. Most of the water you put on the plant at first will run away from the plant until the soil is soaked. A general rule of thumb is to count to 5 for every one gallon of pot size. For example a one gallon pot would be watered until you count to 5 a three gallon pot would be 15 and so on. Check the plant daily for the first week or so and then every other day there after. Water using the counting method for the first few weeks. You’ll want to water the bushes regularly after planting until they’ve been well established. We like to tell folks that when watering Elijah Blue Fescue or any plant for that matter its best not to water the foliage of the plant. Water at the base of the plant near the soil line only. Soaker Hoses can also be used to water, simply wind the hose through your new plantings and hook up to the faucet and run for 15 to 20 minutes or until plants are sufficiently watered.

Plants such as Elijah Blue Fescue grow best if they are fertilized once in the spring and again in early summer. Elijah Blue Fescue favors nutrient rich soil and ample fertilization. When selecting a fertilizer for your Elijah Blue Fescue , if soil Ph is not an issue a simple balanced fertilizer can be used such as Espoma Flower-tone. Chemical fertilizers or organic matter can also be used successfully. Since an organic method of applying manure and/or compost around the roots, produces excellent results and also improves the condition of the soil, this would be an excellent first line of attack. Organic additions to the soil can also be combined with a shot of chemical fertilizer for maximum effect. If you choose to use chemical fertilizers on your Elijah Blue Fescue, applying a balanced fertilizer such as Jacks Classic once a year in the spring is probably the simplest solution. There are many slow-release fertilizers on the market.

We highly recommend that you mulch your Elijah Blue Fescue with either a ground hardwood mulch or a ground cypress mulch depending on your local availability. Any type of mulch will do but cypress or hardwood mulch will be of a higher quality and provide better nutrition overall as they breakdown. Mulching helps to keep weeds away which will compete with your new investment for water and nutrients. A 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch is sufficient but remember to take care not to cover any part of the stem of the plant with mulch. Its better to leave a one inch gap of space between the mulch and the base or trunk of the plant.

Depending on the width and height of the ornamental grass, you may need to wrap the tape or string in 2-3 locations along the height of the grass and possibly divide the grass blades into 2-3 bundles. Elijah Blue Fescue is relatively small and can be bunched whole.