Thin, grass-like blades
Carpeting plant
Medium to high lighting

Dwarf hairgrass is a moderately easy plant to grow. Many aquarists use dwarf hairgrass to achieve a lawn type of effect because of its thin, grass-like leaves, though this requires medium to high lighting. Dwarf hairgrass propagates itself by sending out runner plants. If left to grow, it will form a lush carpet in your aquarium, making it a popular choice in the hobby.

Scientific Name: Eleocharis acicularis
Native To: Europe, Asia, Americas
Skill Level: Medium
Placement: Foreground carpeting plant
Recommended Light: Medium to High Light 35-50+ PAR (click to see our PAR chart)
CO₂ Requirement: Not required but preferred
Preferred Fertilizer: Easy Root Tabs and Easy Green liquid fertilizer
Propagation: Spreads via runners across the ground

***Being a natural product, sizes can vary from what is shown.***

How to Plant Dwarf Hairgrass

1. Remove the potted plant from plastic basket, and split the rock wool in half.
2. Carefully remove the plant roots from the rock wool, and make sure to remove all the small, yellow fertilizer balls. Wash off any remaining debris, and gently separate the plant into multiple small clumps if possible.
3. Use planting tweezers or your fingers to push the roots of the plant deeply into the substrate until they are completely buried. Pull out the plant slightly so that the leaves are not covered with substrate.
4. If the plant keeps popping out of the ground, try inserting the plant at an angle or wrap a plant weight at the bottom of the plant to keep it anchored.
5. Make sure to add lots of root tabs if you’re using inert substrate or if your nutrient-rich substrate is depleted.

How to Grow Dwarf Hairgrass

— Dwarf hairgrass care requires medium skill level, so start by using medium to high lighting between 20-50+ PAR.
— Why is my dwarf hairgrass melting? Plants are grown out of the water at the farm. Once the plants arrive to us, we begin the process of converting them to their underwater form. The plant you receive may be half-converted and still need time to adjust to life under water. To help the plant recover faster and grow new leaves that are accustomed to your water parameters, leave the roots planted in the ground and make sure to provide nutrient-rich planted tank substrate or Easy Root Tabs.
— Why is my dwarf hairgrass turning yellow? If your plant is getting enough light, it may be a nutrient deficiency. If the leaves are yellowing or turning pale after a couple of months, please add more root tabs.
— How to trim dwarf hairgrass: If the plant has dying or melting leaves, cut them off at the base of the leaf. If you wish to prune your dwarf hairgrass carpet to look like a field of grass, use curved scissors to cut all of the leaves to an even height, much like mowing a lawn.

How to Propagate Dwarf Hairgrass

Once it becomes well-established, dwarf hair grass self-propagates by sending out runners all across the substrate, which can eventually provide ground cover for an entire aquarium. The new baby plants can be trimmed off and replanted or left to grow out naturally.