Aussie Finch Forum

I am looking to buy some new guinea grass or Johnson grass or both in pots from an upcoming bird sale. Iv grown green panic In pots before, but wanted to know what others knew about these 2 grasses? Do they seed regularly? Can I buy one pot and devide the grass into other pots to start new grasses?? I herd that Johnson grass does die off for some parts of the year but then grows again. I noticed on another recent thread that some members had Johnson and guinea grass, would like to hear from them on how there grasses are going?? Jarryd

These 2 grasses make up about 80% of my birds green seed intake. They both start seeding early summer and are just finished seeding now. The panic grows as a clump and can be divided up into several pots. I haven't tried growing johnson grass in pots and I don't think it would really thrive in a pot. It seems to spread underground with new shoots popping up several feet away from the main plant. During the colder months, the johnson grass does die off but it will pop up again when the weather warms.

Johnson Grass
Started off with one little plant 18 months ago and now have 9 pots of it, some are half wine barrels! As Matt said it grows via runners, when a pot gets full I take some of the newer shoots and pot them on. All the pots are dying back now with just the occasional seed head. It has done well so far in pots but the test will be if it bounces back after this winter.

Guinea Grass
Just bought a couple of pots of this and planted them in a half wine barrel. Seller said just to let them grow on for a while. He also said where he put the seeding head in the aviary he gets plants growing from the seed that makes it to the floor. When I bought them they were just leaves, they have had some seeding heads on them since but I bent the seeding head over and put straw on top to stop the local sparrows having takeway, and hopefully the seeds will take and make more plants.

Is there any chance of some photos of these grasses you have descibed.
I have seen them in the safe plants topic.
But a close up of the seed heads and general plant would be good.
I've noticed the grasses tend to have different common names depending on whose talking about it.
Is it only at bird sale these plants are availiable? Or can you get them from a plant nursery.
Nobody seems to have the swamp foxtail.

Pictures of the plants and the seed heads would be good because as triplea said different names in different places. In the midwest everyone uses a grass we just know as "Geraldton Grass" no idea what the proper name is but that's what half the state call it. And both my parents have given away multliple plants of it to people from all over the states over the last 35 years so goodness knows how far a field it has spread by now. The other plant we use round here is just refered to as "pussy tail bush" but use the wild one not the domestic garden plant cause it is sterile.
LML

This is what I was told was Johnson Grass Above Johnson grass just planted this year.

Above Johnson grass last years plant, looking a bit tatty now.

Above The seeding head looks like a fat leaf

Above Opened up

I usually give it to the birds as seen in the last pic, cant leave it any longer or the wild birds get it, so I cant say what it looks like if it gets to ripen.

Guinea grass

This seems to be an altogether finer grass, the leaves, the seed heads are all a lot more delicate looking than the Johnson grass. The base of the stems have purple coloured hairs
The seed heads are more open and again purple tinted. This seed head has dried dried out but the difference can still be seen.
Above is the swamp foxtail (pennisetum alopecuriodes) that I have in the garden. I have offered it to the birds but Im not sure they eat it, more for entertainment value, stripping the heads bare. The leaves are a plain green and the seed heads are yellow/white, although they are purple to start with.
The is the Purple Fountain grass (pennisetum setaceum rubrum) also in the garden, this plant was in the aviary last year, the emblemas used it as a nest site, again more entertainment. The leaves are very deep purple and the seed heads take on the purple too.

Im just going by what others have told me and the tags on the plants I buy from the nursery.

Well that is damn fine service.
Take two thankyous out of petty cash.

Thanks Diane

No problem.

Im trying to grow millet, but havent had any luck yet. Will try again in the Spring.
I also throw a handful of seed into small plant pots and when they have sprouted put them in the aviary. The birds like them too.

The ones Diane has i call the same.Heres a link which has a few more,And also a very good read.
http://www.finchsociety.org/fsa/grass/grass.htm