How to Transplant Elephant Grass

Pennisetum purpureum goes by several common names, including elephant grass, Uganda grass and merker grass. As the name suggests, it occurs naturally on the African savanna, where it is a food source for elephants and other grazing wildlife. The species is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental grass or for use in erosion control, and it is generally grown from transplants taken from a mature, established specimen. Transplanting elephant grass presents few challenges because the rhizomes run just below the surface and are easy to dig up, but the transplants do require moderate watering for a few weeks after planting to prosper.

Things You'll Need

Garden hose
Trowel

6-inch pots
Garden soil

Instructions

- 1
  Water the elephant grass to be transplanted to a depth of 3 inches the evening before moving it. Run a garden hose at low volume against the base of the plant for approximately 15 minutes.
- 2
  Dig up the elephant grass the next day. Dig around the base of the plant using a garden trowel. Remove soil to a depth of at least 4 inches so that an adequate portion of roots and rhizomes will come up with the plant.
- 3
  Lift the elephant grass from the ground. Crumble away some of the soil from around the roots.
- 4
  Transplant the elephant grass plant into a 6-inch pot filled with standard garden soil. Fill the bottom half of the pot with soil. Place the elephant grass on the surface and backfill around the edges until the new soil is flush with the base of the grass.
- 5
  Water the elephant grass plant to a depth of 3 inches immediately after potting it. Wait until the soil dries out at a depth of 1 inch before watering again. Maintain moisture at a depth of 1 inch from then on.
- 6
  Keep the elephant grass transplants in their pots for four to six weeks so they can form a new, vigorous root system without interference from gophers or moles.
- 7
  Transplant the elephant grass from the pots to a permanent planting site once they put on new foliage growth. Space the elephant grass transplants at least 4 feet apart in their bed to allow them room to spread.

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