How to Plant Grasses for a Privacy Hedge

Planting a privacy hedge is one way to block the views of your yard from neighbors, to create a secluded area within your landscaping, or screen in private areas such as around a pool or patio. While there are many shrubs and hedge bushes, you can make a softer looking privacy hedge by using tall grasses. To plant grasses for a privacy hedge you'll need to take into account the amount of light the area you want to plant receives and plant a variety of grasses close enough together to form a screen.

Tape measure

Potted grasses

Shovel

Compost

Measure the length of space where you want to create your privacy hedge. Note the amount of sun the area receives. An area with more than six hours of sun or more is considered to be in full sun, while a spot that receives less than six hours of sunlight is a partial shade location. Areas receiving no direct sun are only suitable for shade plants.

Shop for ornamental grasses at your local greenhouse, to find plants that grow well in your region. Two exceptionally tall grasses that extend beyond 10 feet in height are giant reed and Pampas grass. Plants that top out at about 7 feet include feather reed grass and big bluestem.

Look over the plant tag to see the spacing requirements of the ornamental tall grass you selected. Divide the length of your privacy area by the spacing requirement of the plant and multiply by two to find how many plants you need to create a two-row screen. For example, a 20 foot long hedge using plants that need to be spaced 3 feet apart would require 12 plants.

Dig the ground along the length of area where you want to plant your hedge. Make the width of your dug area twice as wide as the spacing requirement for the grass variety you selected. Spread compost over the dirt 3 inches deep and dig the soil again to mix it in.

Set potted plants along the "back" edge of your hedge area starting at one end of the length across to the other spacing each pot, as far apart as the plants require. Place the second row along the "front" edge of the screen area so the plants are staggered to rest directly ahead of the spaces between the back row of plants.

Dig a hole below each potted grass plant twice as wide as the pot. Slip the pot off the root-ball of the grass and set the plant into the dug hole. Fill the gaps in with soil and firm up the soil around the base of the plant. Continue until all your grasses are planted.

Water the grass twice a week for the first month or two, to keep the soil moist as the plants grow roots and become established. Switch to watering once a week after you see new growth appear on the grasses.

Feed the grasses with fertilizer suitable for the variety you purchased as often as recommended to fill in the gaps between plants with growth and create the privacy-hedge look faster.