Aussie Finch Forum

Has anyone grown new guinea palm grass from seed before ? I have just planted 12 plants along one side of my driveway.And also sprinkled about 40 to 50 seed heads amongst them.What are the chances of the seeds growing ? And due to the cold weather how long would it take to expect them to shoot months ?

Gomer you have a very good chance of growing them,they are as tough as nails and can grow extremely large and very hard to dig out if you have to.The pit pit variety is better to grow in aviaries with the narrower leaves and is not so robust.
You should start getting shoots as the weather warms up and maybe seed heads in the following year but they will be very sparse,they get more seed heads as they get older.
Anyhow,i don't recommend them for aviaries,they don't produce a great amount of seed and when large i have had newly fledged young become trapped between the fronds and die only to be found when trimming them up.
Guinea grass is alot better,and just as ornamental when keep tidy and cut back each year when seeding has finished,the more it's cut back the more seed is produced the next year.
If you want some estabished plants let me know as there are plenty to go around. Cheers Craig

Guinea Grass is a Perennial and will grow feral given halve a chance,

Thanks Guys,I had a couple in avairies and took them out for reasons you mentioned.But being on a bit of land I thought I would move them alongside the driveway for seed and I like the looks of them aswell.The area I am putting them in I only have to worry about the drive way side.I think a dose of round up or black berry poison each year should keep them at bay if needed.

I have a couple of pit pit plants which have come up from seed in my yard. Tough plants mowed regularly.

Tiaris wrote:I have a couple of pit pit plants which have come up from seed in my yard. Tough plants mowed regularly.

I agree Tiaris,i decided to plant some guinea grass behind my fish pond,i now have a lush green guinea grass lawn around the pond which attempts to seed all year round between mowings. Craig

what is the main difference between pit pit and guinea grass. Just curious to what I have growing here most is self sown in the garden , but I am not exactly sure what it is...Or is palm grass the same or different still... pete

poitta wrote:what is the main difference between pit pit and guinea grass. Just curious to what I have growing here most is self sown in the garden , but I am not exactly sure what it is...Or is palm grass the same or different still... pete

Pete,pit pit grass is a skinny version of NGPG,it has narrower leaves of around 50mm but still corrigated,NGPG leaves can be 100mm+ wide and the plant is much more dense.It doesn't look like grass,more like a palm.
Guinea grass looks like grass and is a member of the pannican family (pannican Maximum) Craig

Thanks Craig , the big stuff is defiantly guinea grass , that's what I thought , judging by the width of my other its pit pit, the leaves are no bigger than 50mm . I have seen bigger version that some call elephant grass, which probably NGPG... pete

The seed heads of Pit Pit are much larger than those of NGPG. Both tend to favour more shaded locations than other perennial seeding grasses. Pit Pit tends to grow outwards at 45 degrees whereas NGPG is more upright.