Saving Overheated Mondo Grass

Q: I have had dwarf mondo between my stepping stones for over 15 years. This year, it’s dying. Is that from the extreme heat?

A: I think the problem is heat that dried out the soil. During the day, you have sunlight drying everything out. The stepping stones would hold heat far into the night as well. Clay soil holds and transfers heat better than loose, sandy soil. One way to proceed would be to use a narrow trowel to pull up the remaining mondo grass. Put the plants in the shade and spray with water to keep them cool and moist. Where plants were, dig trenches 8 inches deep. Into a wheelbarrow or concrete mixing tub place two parts (by volume) of existing soil, one part perlite and one part potting soil. Mix thoroughly and fill the trenches 6 inches deep. Use the remaining mixture to plant and fill in around your mondo grass plants. Make sure the soil is level with or slightly above the level of the stepping stones so rainwater isn’t directed into the trenches, where it might drown the plants.