# Hairgrass won't grow tall



## ikuzo (Jul 11, 2006)

Eleocharis parvula is supposed to grow short. if you want taller hairgras you should plant Eleocharis vivipara.


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## El Exorcisto (Aug 5, 2008)

Hairgrass doesnt regrow when you mow it dow. It needs to send out new shoots all over again.


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## kotoeloncat (Apr 12, 2006)

when you say pruning, did you take a scissor and chop the top strands ?


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## Choco (Dec 8, 2007)

El Exorcisto said:


> Hairgrass doesnt regrow when you mow it dow. It needs to send out new shoots all over again.


whatt?? you serious?? so once you trimmed it down, it never grows back up again?? I thought ppl do regular trimming to keep it short since it would grow back after a while.

I have Eleocharis vivipara too, it grow long but I don't like the way it splits at the end of the shoot. I know parvula grows short, but I think it typically grows up to 3.5", which is what I am looking for.


kotoeloncat: Yea, I took a scissor and basically chop all the brunches to about 1-1.5" long. (originally it was around 3.5")


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## kotoeloncat (Apr 12, 2006)

then nope, it wont grow back

when people say trim hairgrass meaning pull them out roots and all to keep them from being too dense and restrict waterflow


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## moogoo (Dec 7, 2007)

^no i can't agree. i trim my hairgrass all the time. it will send out lots of runners and it will grow back, even where i trimmed it. and personally i like a dense lawn of hairgrass.


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## kotoeloncat (Apr 12, 2006)

moogoo said:


> ^no i can't agree. i trim my hairgrass all the time. it will send out lots of runners and it will grow back, even where i trimmed it. and personally i like a dense lawn of hairgrass.


I think he is talking about those he already chopped, not the new runners you are talking about


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## frozenbarb (Dec 16, 2006)

When you cut the top off a Hairgrass it won't grow back from where you cut it.

It is just like vals.


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## hooha (Mar 14, 2004)

If you want 4in hairgrass, look at Eleocharis tenellus or Eleocharis angustifolius


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## AaronT (Apr 11, 2004)

Whenever you trim hairgrass the blades you have trimmed will all eventually die off. New runners will be stimulated to grow and it will eventually fill back in. 

If you wanted a taller hairgrass try Eleocharis acicularis.


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## Choco (Dec 8, 2007)

AaronT said:


> Whenever you trim hairgrass the blades you have trimmed will all eventually die off. New runners will be stimulated to grow and it will eventually fill back in.
> 
> If you wanted a taller hairgrass try Eleocharis acicularis.


OMG!! i can't believe that's true....!! every site said trim the hairgrass to about 1" to promote it to send out new runners!! They never mention the shoot I trim will never grow back :icon_frow

But blade/leaves I trimmed never died....it has been 3 months + and they just kinda sit there unchanged (still green). But a lot of algae seems to grow on the tiny blade often.

I wanted eleocharis acicularis, but parvula and vivipara are the only one available here locally.


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## Bk828 (Mar 11, 2008)

Hairgrass likes nutrient rich substrate and will spread faster with it. 
You say you dose excel but what about other ferts?


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## Choco (Dec 8, 2007)

Bk828 said:


> Hairgrass likes nutrient rich substrate and will spread faster with it.
> You say you dose excel but what about other ferts?


I dose seachem flourish comprehensive occasionally (once every 2-3 weeks).

The hairgrass is on a flourite black substrate with a thin black sand top layer.
I "stuffed" 2 seachem root tabs in where the hairgrass are about 1.5 month ago. (a 3" x 12" section)

The tank used to suffer from some nutrient deficiency as shown on the HC yellowing leaves, but after I increased feeding and dose flourish, there is no sign of any deficiency on the plant anymore. (i.e. no yellow/brown leaf on HC)


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## AaronT (Apr 11, 2004)

Choco said:


> OMG!! i can't believe that's true....!! every site said trim the hairgrass to about 1" to promote it to send out new runners!! They never mention the shoot I trim will never grow back :icon_frow
> 
> But blade/leaves I trimmed never died....it has been 3 months + and they just kinda sit there unchanged (still green). But a lot of algae seems to grow on the tiny blade often.
> 
> I wanted eleocharis acicularis, but parvula and vivipara are the only one available here locally.


Yes, it's true. It takes a long time sometimes, but it will die off. It certainly won't regrow.


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## Choco (Dec 8, 2007)

AaronT said:


> Yes, it's true. It takes a long time sometimes, but it will die off. It certainly won't regrow.


:icon_cry: so should I take out the bunch that I have trimmed to about 1"? They are right on the spot where I want some taller hairgrass to be. Can I just pull sever the root from the new shoot.

I am surprised none of the sites that suggest trimming your hairgrass point out on this. THanks so much for letting me know. Well..at least I learn something new.


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## AaronT (Apr 11, 2004)

Choco said:


> :icon_cry: so should I take out the bunch that I have trimmed to about 1"? They are right on the spot where I want some taller hairgrass to be. Can I just pull sever the root from the new shoot.
> 
> I am surprised none of the sites that suggest trimming your hairgrass point out on this. THanks so much for letting me know. Well..at least I learn something new.


I've always just left it be. It will all grow back in eventually and you can siphon the old plants when they start to decay a little bit.


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## Choco (Dec 8, 2007)

So...which type of hairgrass actually does or doesn't grow back after trimming?

I have eleocharis vivpara too and i am 100% certain it grows back after you trimmed it.
What about eleocharis acicularis?


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## AaronT (Apr 11, 2004)

Eleocharis vivpara will sideshoot after you trim it, but the actual leafblades that you have cut will not get longer. E. vivipara sends out aerial runners.

No Eleocharis species of any kind will grow back after you trim it. They will all send out new runners and some species will also send out aerial plantlets.


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## MikeP_123 (Aug 31, 2008)

so what are you going to do? Another thing I have read about foreground plants (none in particular) is that they will stay shorter with more light and grow taller will less light.


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