Species Soft Brome
lime foliage on green-brown stems

Soft Brome

Bromus hordeaceus

Soft Brome (Bromus hordeaceus) is a grass species native to Europe, North Africa and Asia, but now found throughout the temperate world. It grows in a wide range of habitats, from disturbed ground to nutrient-rich soils. It is a clump-forming, perennial grass growing to around 1 to 2 feet tall, with flat leaves that are bright green in color. Its small panicles produce up to 800 spikelets each, these are curved and two to six flowered. The small, yellowish-brown seeds sit within the spikelets. Soft Brome is typically used for erosion control, as a turf or hay grass, and in soil improvement.

Watering:

Minimal

Propagation:

Seed Propagation,Division,Cutting

Hardiness Zone:

Leaf:

Yes

Leaf Color:

green,yellow

Growth Rate:

Low

Drought Tolerant:

Yes

Salt Tolerant:

Yes

Invasive:

Yes

Care Level:

Medium

watering

Soft Brome prefers a well-draining soil and should be watered regularly to prevent it from drying out. During the spring and summer months, it should be watered deeply once a week. Allow the top 1 to 2 inches of soil to dry out between waterings. In the cooler fall and winter months, Soft Brome should be watered once every 2 weeks or only as needed at the same 1 to 2 inches soil depth.

sunlight

Soft Brome, also known as the Praya species, can be found growing in well-drained, sunny locations in Europe and Asia. This plant species needs direct, full sunlight for 6 to 8 hours a day during peak growth periods in order to thrive. Additionally, during flowering it may require more hours of direct sunlight in order to achieve maximum flowering potential. It is important that the plant is not exposed to too much sunlight as this could cause sunburn. Additionally, ample water is necessary to promote healthy growth and development of this plant species.

pruning

Soft Brome should be pruned in autumn and early winter when it is dormant. Pruning should be thorough to ensure that only healthy shoots will produce blooms. Cut off any dead, diseased, or broken shoots at their base. Trim overgrown stems at their base using bypass pruners. Prune away any lateral stems that are growing away from the main stem. Afterward, cut back the remaining stems to about a quarter of their original length. This will encourage a full, healthy growth of foliage as well as encourage more flowering. This plant does not require overly frequent pruning, and typically no more than once or twice a year is necessary.