Growing popcorn grass
Growing popcorn grass is a simple and fun activity for the whole family. What’s more, popcorn grass grows quickly, produces lots of greenery and is easy to look after.
What is popcorn grass
Popcorn grass is an ornamental, fluffy grass that is easy to grow at low cost. If you have a sunny wall or corner that is protected from strong winds, popcorn grass is a really good option.
Some advantages of popcorn grass:
- Grows fast: Popcorn grass grows quickly and becomes tall and lush in just a few weeks.
- Affordable: You need nothing but popcorn kernels, soil, a pot and water.
- Easy to grow: You don’t need a green thumb to succeed and the grass is relatively hardy.
- Decorative: Popcorn grass is suitable in many contexts and provides a lot of greenery thanks to its broad leaves.
How to grow popcorn grass
Fill a pot or planter with about two-thirds well-drained and nutrient-rich potting soil. Sprinkle the soil with ordinary popcorn kernels that you buy in the supermarket. Don’t be afraid to use too many as not all the kernels will germinate – it’s better to space the kernels more closely together so that the popcorn grass isn’t too sparse.
Then cover the kernels with a layer of soil about two centimetres thick. Water generously, place the pot in a sunny position and continue watering for the next few days. The soil should not dry out completely while the popcorn is germinating.
Growing popcorn grass is quick
After just a few weeks, you will see small green shoots. The grass can grow up to a couple of metres high and if you take good care of your ornamental grass, for example by adding some nutrients from time to time, it’s not impossible that even small corn cobs will grow.
Tip! If you want to speed up germination even more, you can soak the seeds for 24 hours before planting them.
Growing popcorn grass in winter
You can keep the pot indoors in a window as well as outdoors. As long as it’s sunny, bright and preferably no cooler than 15 degrees. A tip if you’re growing outdoors in spring is to bring the pot inside at night to avoid frost.
If you want to grow popcorn grass in winter, you can leave your plant indoors, as sunny as possible, preferably facing south. Sun can be a challenge during the Swedish winter, so be a little more patient and feel free to give some extra nutrition to the roots.
Indoor air can easily become dry in winter, so it can help to place a humidifier near your pot, or spray with water to keep the leaves fresh. Place your popcorn plant away from the elements.
Is popcorn grass a perennial plant?
You can get your popcorn grass to overwinter if you bring your pots inside in time before the frost comes and look after them well indoors before it’s time to move them out again. If you have planted directly in a larger planter or in the border, you will need to dig up the plants and put them in a pot.
So yes, it is possible to make popcorn grass perennial, but given how quickly new grass can be grown and how cheap it is, it may be worth investing in new plants for next year.
Is popcorn grass toxic?
Popcorn grass isn’t poisonous, and neither are the corncobs if you get any. But it doesn’t taste very good. Cats, on the other hand, like to eat it and luckily it’s not toxic to them either.
Growing popcorn grass is a simple and fun activity that will bring greenery and life to your home or garden. Good luck with it!
Author: Johanna Damm
Fact-checked by Erik Hoekstra
Last updated 2023-11-22