Carex – Leather Leaf Sedge – Carex buchananii

Dead-Heading Not Necessary

Grass

Foliage Interest

Maintenance Notes

Leather Leaf Sedge is a cool-season grass. Where temperatures get colder than zero degrees F, the plants should be treated as annuals. Once the grass turns brown it can either be removed immediately or removed in the spring. It should not be expected to live through the winter and begin growing again in the spring.

In areas where winter temperatures remain above zero degrees it should be considered a perennial and the following information should be useful. Cool-season grasses put on most of their growth in spring before temperatures begin exceeding 75 degrees Fahrenheit and in the fall when temperatures cool down. They generally maintain good color through the summer but won't grow much when it is hot.
Cut back cool season grasses in very early spring.

Cool season grasses tend to look good even as the weather cools. Leave their foliage in place until spring and then as soon as the snow is gone cut them back. Leave about 1/3 of the plant in place. Trimming cool season grasses too harshly can irreparably harm the plant.

Divide cool season grasses in spring or early fall. Cool season grasses are actively growing in spring and fall. These grasses can be transplanted at either time of the year but early spring is probably the best time to divide. If you do divide them in the fall, be careful that the freeze/thaw cycles of winter don't heave the plants out of the ground, this happened to a couple of my coral bells last winter.

Uses Notes

Versatile foliage is great used in combinations

Maintenance Category Easy

Water Category Average

Bloom Time

Flower Form Container, Grass, Landscape

pH B - pH 5.8 - 6.2

EC (2:1 Extraction Method) 0.6 - 0.9

Fertilization 100 - 150

Light Requirements Medium

Water Requirements Moderate to Moist

Rooting Out Temperature 65 - 72° Fahrenheit

Growing On Temperature 65 - 72° Fahrenheit

Holding Temperature 40 - 50° Fahrenheit

Planting and Timing Information

Spring through Fall Sales. Standard PPP.

Finishing Times [weeks]
4-5" and Quart Pot : 6-8
6" and Gallon Pot : 8-10
7-9" Pot : 12-14
10-12" and Two Gallon Pot :

Pinching and Growth Regulators

No pinching or growth regulators needed.

Pest and Disease Management

Watch for rust. General pest and disease practices as listed in notes.

Grower Tips

Mounded.