The Best Planting Season for Elijah Blue Grass

With its green and bluish-gray color, Elijah Blue grass (Festuca glauca "Elijah Blue") is a cool-season ornamental fescue grown as groundcover or accent plants in gardens and landscapes throughout U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 to 8. For cool-season grass seed to germinate, soil temperatures must be between 50 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Although you can plant "Elijah Blue" in the spring just after the danger of frost has passed, autumn is the best time to plant cool-season fescue cultivars.

"Elijah Blue" features long, silvery-blue blades that grow from about 6 to 12 inches high. Tufted clumps spread about 8 to 12 inches wide. Plants prefer full sun -- it deepens their blue color -- but can live in partial shade. They grow well in a variety of rocky and shallow soils and pH, can tolerate winter salt spray, heat and periods of drought. "Elijah Blue" fescue grass blades bloom in June and July with tiny flowers. Pests usually are not a problem, but overly wet soil may rot the grass’ roots. Trimming dead blades allows new leaves to grow. Tufted grass clumps should be divided every two to three years in early spring.

Fall is the ideal time for planting "Elijah Blue" and other cool-season fescue grasses. Outdoor temperatures should be lower than 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Although springtime is suitable for planting after the last frost, rising soil temperatures deter seed germination. Fescue grass seed typically germinates within 10 to 14 days in soils that are between 50 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Summer planting is not recommended for cool-season grasses because seeds must be watered continuously to keep the soil cool and moist, and fescue often enters summer dormancy.

Ornamental grass is usually perennial -- living for more than two years. "Elijah Blue" and other ornamental grasses are classified by the way they grow: upright, divergent, tufted, mounded and arching. Planting variously sized and different species of ornamental grasses in masses or in carpet-like beds adds color and shape to landscapes and gardens. Because of its potentially bright color, "Elijah Blue" is a fast-growing ornamental grass suitable for edging, groundcover and accenting other plants. It grows in thick mounds, about 8 to 12 inches tall and equally wide.

After seeds have germinated and the grass is established, most ornamental fescues require six to eight hours of daily sunlight and 1 inch of water per week. If rainfall is insufficient, you can use a hose or drip-irrigation system to water directly into grass roots. "Elijah Blue" and other ornamental grasses do not typically require much fertilizer, but soil testing helps determine the plants’ nutritional needs. Too much nitrogen in the soil may lead to weakened blades and weed growth, notes Clemson University Extension. Cut back the grasses at the end of the growing season, before new vegetation appears the following year. Pruning shears, hedgers and hand clippers are recommended.