Monkey Grass

[Georgia Fan]

Alright I have a spring cleanup. This yard has monkey grass which has not been touched in about 5 years. It looks really thick to me and has a brownish tint to it. This time of the year should I cut it like inchs from the ground? Thin it out? Do I cut with a weed eater? Gas Hedge trimmer? Hand held hedge trimmer?

Also do I need to water it alot after the cut? Any help would be nice.

Consider It Done

[mariner]

Feed it bananas and bugs!

[hardboiled]

Liriope. I know that but I don't know what to do with it.

[MAD MOWERS]

Cut it about 4" high. I have even cut mine with my mower. Remove as much of the brown spotted shoots. It will come back well at this time of year.
Use a pair of shears, hedge trimmers or a push mower. Do Not use a string trimmer as it will make a mess of the monkey

[hardboiled]

Feed it bananas and bugs!

Thanks mariner, thats all I needed, to come home and bust a gut after breakin my back all day!

[ElephantNest]

Liriope isn't Monkey grass, mondo is. Liriope flowers.

I use the string trimmer and cut my lirope all the way down right before spring. I did it to mine about 2.5 weeks ago, and I've gotten about a foot of growth out of them already. Cut them back to almost nothing.

With mondo, I usually cut it at about 2 inches.

[hardboiled]

Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle. I see I was wrong. I trusted someone on t.v. again. Seems to be a lot of folks are mixing them up by the search I just did. Some sights showed monkey grass flowering, another even spelled it lariope. Others have it as you have said. Thanks for the correction.

[Keith Jacobi]

Monkey grass

I use my weed-eater or mower, whichever is easiest. I cut some back for a customer on March 19th. He told me that if you do not cut it back before the new growth appears it will have brown tips all year long. I went back there on Friday and there was a few inches of new growth already; the tips were fine. You might should check to see if it has already started growing and adjust cutting heighth accordingly.

[P&C Lawn Care]

Liriope muscari is Monkey Grass, Ophiopogon japonicus is mondo grass, both flower. Mondo grass has narrower leaves than liriope.There is also Liriope spicata which is creeping lilyturf. All can be cut back to about 1" as long as there is not new growth emerging.

[ElephantNest]

Ok, google searcher.


I found some articles that said the same thing, funny how I've never, in 20+ years seen ONE mondo flower.

[Georgia Fan]

Thank ya'll for the advice. I am going to check for new growth then cut it all this week. Thanks for the advice.

Consider It Done

[P&C Lawn Care]

Usually flowers in July; tiny spikes usually hidden by foliage

[ElephantNest]

Like I said, I found the same google page you did, with the exact wording you are using. If we wanted google results, we could certainly google it oursleves.

Show me mondo flowering and I'll believe you. Mine never has.

[P&C Lawn Care]

No google search at all, I took this out of either "Know it and Grow it" (Whitcomb) or Manual of Woody Landscape Plants (Dirr). One of those had it in it, I will have to look and see. Mondo grass and Liriope (Monkey Grass) are some of the evergreen selections in my Plant Identification II class. But I know how it is, until you actually see something it is hard to believe it. I really don't remember seeing very much mondo blooming either, but I know I've seen it.

[ElephantNest]

Not saying that I don't believe you, just that I feel differently. I've even asked all of my growers today at the nurseries. One picture would shut me up. lol

I've been using both in gardens for years and years, many jobs with maintenance afterwards, and have never seen mondo flower. I agree, there are a few varieties, standard (monkey grass), black, dwarf, etc. None of which flower. What I have seen flower is the liriope.

I love to learn, prove me wrong and teach me something! 8)