How to Grow Switch Grass

Hi this is Yolanda Vanveen and in this segment we're going to talk about how to grow switch grass. Switch grass, also known as panicum virgatum, is a beautiful native American grass. We use it as an ornamental grass and it's great for erosion control. But it's one of the true native grasses to the Americas. And now with all of the imported grasses and the wild and invasive weeds, it is not near as dominant as it was because a couple hundred years ago, it was the major grass in the United States. And it's great for erosion control, it's grown on hillsides because it has thick grass and they're finding that it can be used for ethanol as well. So it has many purposes. And it's easy to grow, just like any other ornamental grass or the grass in your lawn. As long as it has a sunny spot with good drainage, it will do really well. You want to start the seeds in the spring after the last frost or start it from some actual rizones or find it in a pot already growing and then you can start it in your lawn or in your garden as an ornamental grass. But it's a beautiful plant to have and it's great for wildlife too because many birds and native birds to the Americas actually live in the thick grass out in the wild. So if you have a wild area or you have a wild native garden, it's a perfect plant and it's a great, great grass for your garden.