How to prune wood small-reed

Late winter to early spring (February–March). Shear the clump to 3–5 inches. Manage spread by digging out rhizomes at the clump margins each spring. In a naturalistic or wildlife planting, an annual cut-back is sufficient without rhizome control.

Annually; rhizome control as needed. Wood small-reed (Calamagrostis epigejos) is a vigorous, spreading grass of disturbed ground and woodland edges. Cut it back hard to 3–5 inches in late winter before growth resumes. This species spreads aggressively by rhizome — regular cutting alone does not limit spread, so also remove unwanted runners from the clump edge.

Shear the clump to 3–5 inches. Manage spread by digging out rhizomes at the clump margins each spring. In a naturalistic or wildlife planting, an annual cut-back is sufficient without rhizome control.