GRAMIGROW / GRASS IN A NEW LIGHT

Grass.
More than green.

A crash course full of surprises. From breakfast to the root zone: discover what grows beneath your feet.

Scroll. Discover. Be surprised. ↓

≈12.000species in the grass familyKew [1]

>25%of land surface: natural grasslands and savannas¹Kew [1]

18facts. A fresh perspective on grass.With sources ↓

¹ Global estimate from Kew. Species counts change with taxonomy.

01 / 05

The family

01 / 18

DID YOU KNOW?

Your breakfast is probably grass.

Wheat, rice and maize belong to the grass family. Grass feeds people too.

Source [1] ↗

02 / 18

DID YOU KNOW?

Bamboo is a grass too.

From a lawn blade to a bamboo stem: one plant family, very different forms.

Source [2] ↗

03 / 18

DID YOU KNOW?

Grass has flowers.

They are small and arranged in spikelets. A green grass plant can be a flowering plant too.

Source [3] ↗

04 / 18

DID YOU KNOW?

Sugar can come from grass.

Sugarcane is a grass. This family supplies more than grain and animal feed.

Source [1] ↗

02 / 05

The growth engine

05 / 18

DID YOU KNOW?

Its growth engine is not only at the top.

Growth tissue, or meristem, also occurs at leaf bases and in buds. Its location helps grass recover.

Source [4] ↗

06 / 18

DID YOU KNOW?

Mowing is not a reset button.

Recovery depends on species, growth stage and which growing points survive. Cutting too low can delay regrowth.

Source [5] ↗

07 / 18

DID YOU KNOW?

One plant can make several shoots.

Buds at the base produce new shoots: tillering. More blades do not necessarily mean more individual plants.

Source [4] ↗

08 / 18

DID YOU KNOW?

Some grasses travel sideways.

Stolons grow along the ground; rhizomes below it. Not every species uses both routes.

Source [4] ↗

Remember this.

Grass regrows from living growth tissue. What you leave behind helps determine what comes back.

03 / 05

Sun, soil & carbon

09 / 18

DID YOU KNOW?

A leaf is a tiny solar factory.

Through photosynthesis, the plant uses light to incorporate carbon from CO₂ into organic matter.

Source [6] ↗

10 / 18

DID YOU KNOW?

Not all grasses work the same way.

Maize and sugarcane use C4 photosynthesis; rice uses C3. C4 can offer advantages in hot, dry conditions.

Source [7] ↗

11 / 18

DID YOU KNOW?

The soil gets something back too.

Dead roots and other plant residues can add organic matter to soil. Soil carbon has its own balance.

Source [8] ↗

04 / 05

From plant to feedstock

12 / 18

DID YOU KNOW?

A fibre is a piece of plant architecture.

Cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin help form cell walls. Their interactions affect strength, breakdown and water binding.

Source [9] ↗

13 / 18

DID YOU KNOW?

Grass can be split into streams.

In grass biorefining, pressing can yield fibres and juice. Proteins can then be recovered from the juice.

Source [10] ↗

14 / 18

DID YOU KNOW?

Fresh weight is not fibre weight.

Water contributes to fresh grass weight. Compare feedstocks on dry matter too: what remains after removing the water.

Source [11] ↗

15 / 18

DID YOU KNOW?

Grass can become a building material too.

Plantd makes structural panels from perennial grass. A different use from growing media, with its own processing and performance requirements.

Source [12] ↗

Grass→Fibre→Material→Application

05 / 05

From feedstock to a good product

16 / 18

DID YOU KNOW?

A green feedstock is not a climate calculation.

Processing, energy, transport, service life and end of life also matter. Evaluate the entire chain.

Source [13] ↗

17 / 18

DID YOU KNOW?

Plants do not grow on the word “sustainable”.

A growing medium must balance water, air and roots. Test the product with your crop and irrigation system.

Source [14] ↗

18 / 18

DID YOU KNOW?

A cycle has to be organised.

Biobased describes the feedstock. Compostability depends on the finished product and conditions; a return route needs an agreement.

Source [15] ↗

CHECK YOUR NEW KNOWLEDGE

Three questions. Did it stick?

Is bamboo a tree or a grass?

A grass. A woody stem does not change its plant family.

Why can grass regrow after mowing?

Because growing points can survive. Species, growth stage and cutting height determine how well this works.

Is every grass-based product automatically compostable?

No. Consider the whole product, any additives, required conditions and local processing.

NEXT: FROM GRASS TO CROP

A feedstock beneath your feet. A trial in your greenhouse.

GramiGrow makes grass-fibre growing media. Explore the formats and test water management and rooting in your system.

From grass to GrassWool →Plan a crop trial →

Curious? Dig deeper.

The numbers and botany draw on the sources below. The final blocks connect that knowledge to material choices and practical crop trials.

Grass.More than green.

The family

Your breakfast is probably grass.

Bamboo is a grass too.

Grass has flowers.

Sugar can come from grass.

The growth engine

Its growth engine is not only at the top.

Mowing is not a reset button.

One plant can make several shoots.

Some grasses travel sideways.

Sun, soil & carbon

A leaf is a tiny solar factory.

Not all grasses work the same way.

The soil gets something back too.

From plant to feedstock

A fibre is a piece of plant architecture.

Grass can be split into streams.

Fresh weight is not fibre weight.

Grass can become a building material too.

From feedstock to a good product

A green feedstock is not a climate calculation.

Plants do not grow on the word “sustainable”.

A cycle has to be organised.

Three questions. Did it stick?

A feedstock beneath your feet. A trial in your greenhouse.

Curious? Dig deeper.

Grass.
More than green.