What's eating my blue oat grass?

Blue Oat Grass is a tough, low-maintenance ornamental grass with few serious pest problems. Rust fungus is the main threat, producing orange pustules on blue-grey blades, particularly in humid or poorly ventilated sites. Aphids may appear on new growth in spring. Deer avoid it. Good drainage and a hard annual cutback prevent most issues.

Orange or reddish-brown powdery pustules on leaf blades; can cause early browning and dieback, particularly in damp summers. Cut back hard in late winter or early spring to clear infected tissue; improve air circulation; apply a preventative sulfur or myclobutanil fungicide in high-humidity periods.

Soft-bodied pests cluster on young shoots in spring, causing minor distortion and sticky honeydew deposits. Blast with a strong water jet; insecticidal soap for persistent infestations. Natural predators (ladybugs, lacewings) usually control light outbreaks.

Ragged notches and slime trails on young foliage at the crown, mainly in cool wet spring weather. Iron phosphate pellets placed around the base; remove debris where slugs shelter; hand-pick after dark or set beer traps.