Top tips on planting and caring for miscanthus outdoors

Miscanthus belongs to the genus of herbaceous perennials and is a close relative of sugar cane, but with a lower content of sucrose in the stems. Another name for miscanthus - fan or pampas grass. The plant is common in the subtropics and tropics of Asia, Africa and Australia.

In nature, there are about 40 species of this plant, which attract attention, first of all, with their inflorescences. Long lush twigs with graceful tops are collected in paniculate inflorescences that adorn tall, taller than a man, overgrown from August to the very autumn. In culture, this plant is one of the most popular ornamental grasses.

Miscanthus in landscape design is widely used in decorating ponds and lawns, as well as for creating dry flower arrangements.This unpretentious and hardy plant is environmentally friendly, as it grows well without pesticides.

The main types of miscanthus

Miscanthus (lat. Miscanthus) - Perennial plant of the family Meatlikovye, its height ranges from 80 cm to 3 m. It has strong creeping rhizomes that extend to a depth of 6 m. The shoots are upright, with leathery leaves, from 5 mm to 1.8 cm wide and fan-shaped panicles from 10 up to 30 cm long, consisting of spikelets. Next, we consider the main and most common types of miscanthus and their description.

Miscanthus giant

Miscanthus giganteus - the form has an erect form, reaches a height of 3 m. Leaves up to 2.5 cm wide depart in different directions from the main stem and give the effect of a large fountain. They have a characteristic color for all miscanthus: dark green, with a white stripe in the middle of the leaf. It blooms in August, but in the conditions of a short or cold summer it may not bloom. Flowering panicles first have a pinkish tint, then become silver. The lower leaves often turn brown and die off by the end of the summer, which slightly spoils the decorative appearance, so it is advisable to place the plant not in the foreground of the lawn.

The relatively winter-hardy giant miscanthus prefers the sun, although it tolerates a slight shadow. The plant looks favorably in the reservoir, suitable for use as a plant "screen" or background accent.

Miscanthus chinese

Miscanthus chinese found in the wild in China, Japan, Korea and Russia. This is a high (up to 3 m) perennial with a loose bush and a short rhizome. Leaves hard and rough, linear, 1.5 cm wide. Chinese miscanthus blooms with one-flowered spikelets up to 0.7 cm long. Chinese Miscanthus species includes more than 100 varieties, the most common of which are: Blondeau, Zebrinus, Ferner Austin, Morning Light and Strictus.

Have miscanthus Zebrinus quite attractive appearance due to the motley leaves. The leaves are narrowly linear, typically hard, rough, about 10 mm wide. In the summer leaves of green color with a cross white stripe, in the fall color of leaves from yellow to claret. It blooms in October in a reddish-bronze color, the inflorescences are collected in ears of up to 1 cm. This variety is well acclimatized on various garden soils, it is sufficiently resistant to drought and wind.

Miscanthus Strictus likes open sunny places, does not bloom in the shade and does not tolerate stagnant water. This perennial reaches 2.5 m in height, and is about 2 m wide. The leaves are long (up to 2 m), green with yellow stripes along the length of the leaf. Blooms in mid-September in a reddish-bronze color. The plant is unpretentious in the care. Miscanthus Strictus is used in single and group plantings, as well as in the creation of flower compositions.

Today, these two types of Chinese miscanthus are the most popular among florists and amateur middle-aged gardeners. Due to the beautiful and unusual coloring of burgundy-bronze and red inflorescences, the plants are widely used to create original landscape compositions.

Sugarflower miscanthus

Sugarflower miscanthus grows on wet soils from the Amur region to the south of Primorsky Krai of Russia, as well as in Northeast China, Japan and Korea. Popular name of the species - Amur silver grass. The plant reaches a height of 1.5 to 3 m, has bare stems, linear pale green drooping leaves, up to 90 cm long and 1.5 cm wide.

Blooms Miscanthus sugarsvet from July white, pink and silver paniculate inflorescences 25-40 cm in length. This type of miscanthus is quite thermophilic, begins to develop in late spring, then the entire warm summer season grows intensively.

Although the plant is rather cold-resistant, calm wintering is possible in places where miscanthus grows in nature, that is, in the subtropics and tropics. In temperate latitudes and in the middle zone in the absence of snow, it is desirable to mulch the site for the winter.

The most popular varietal of the Sugar Blossom Miscanthus is Robusta, the largest member of the genus, which is found in the wild on the banks of rivers and on wet meadows where it forms dense thickets.

Best time to land

Miscanthus is an unpretentious plant, preferring sunny and warm places, therefore, its planting and further care should be carried out taking into account these requirements. Miscanthus is planted in spring when the soil warms up sufficiently - the end of March - the middle of May. Preferred well-lit and heated areas, protected from gusts of cold wind.

In a place that is blown by drafts, the leaves of the plant often break off, because of which it loses its decorative value. Even more than warm, miscanthus love moisture and water, so they need to be planted in wet, coastal areas.

Where better to plant on the site

The quality and type of soil for miscanthus are not fundamental, they grow well on various soils, except for heavy clay, excessively wet and sandy. The plant adapts well to adverse conditions, including growing on poor compacted soils. Therefore, miscanthus is usually grown on soils unsuitable for agricultural crops (non-agricultural purposes), but with a good ability to retain moisture.

The process of planting seedlings of miscanthus

For growing miscanthus, it is better to take adult seedlings, since it has a very long growing season. The plant starts to grow only when the air temperature is +25 ° C or more, so the young seedling will not have time to settle down before the onset of cold weather. An adult sapling is stronger, and with a good shelter it can survive even the cold winter without serious consequences.

In order to get a beautiful and powerful plant, you need to limit the landing site of the miscanthus around the perimeter with the help of a special stop to a small depth of 10-15 cm. limiter.

The landing pit is prepared 3 times more than the root system of the seedling. A layer of fertile soil is placed in it, then the seedling is lowered and tamped down with earth. If the land on the site is not very fertile, organic and complex fertilizers are applied before planting. After planting, the seedling must be watered well.

Care for miscanthus in the garden

To care for the miscanthus in the garden, it is not necessary to be a professional, but knowledge of the basics of its cultivation will help the beginning gardener to avoid potential problems with the plant.

How to conduct watering

Young plants of miscanthus, which require regular and abundant watering, are most vulnerable during growth. It is more convenient to do this with a hose, on the principle: the more the better.Water well in sunny weather, trying to avoid getting water on the leaves.

What and when to feed

The cultivation of miscanthus also provides for regular, but moderate feeding, because a surplus of fertilizers, such as nitrogen, leads to lodging of the plant - it loses its upright position.

It is advisable to prepare the soil before planting - in September, apply organic fertilizers. In the first year of planting the plant does not require feeding.

Later fertilized three times per season. In the middle of May, liquid nitrogen fertilizers, for example, a solution of urea. Then in the first half of summer, in June - until mid-July, the site is poured with humates or fed with compost, and closer to the end of summer, potash-phosphorus fertilizers are applied.

Weed control

Before planting the miscanthus, perennial weeds should be removed from the site. It is better to do this in the fall, before preparing and tilling the soil for planting. For the first two years of the sprouting of miscanthus, constant weed control is inevitable. In April-May, when the plant does not exceed a height of 1 m, it is necessary to carry out inter-row tillage with the use of herbicides that destroy weeds.Then, when the miskatus is strong enough, the weeds will no longer be able to break through into intense and powerful roots.

How to prepare miscanthus for winter cold

Miscanthus has good winter hardiness, but is afraid of severe frosts and gradually adapts to lower temperatures. Therefore, in the winter he needs to provide shelter. A hut of wooden planks is constructed above the plant and covered with garden tape, leaving room for air circulation on the sides.

The use of miscanthus in garden design

Miscanthus is very diverse in its use: it is not only an ornamental plant, but also fuel for power plants. In European countries, miscanthus is widely known as biomass, its crop can be harvested for 30 years in quantities up to 30 tons per 1 ha. During the burning of miscanthus, a large amount of energy is released, and a minimal amount of waste is generated due to the low moisture concentration in the raw material.

Landscape designers decorate miscanthus shores of ponds, planted them in rockeries, near lawns. All miscanthus have a long decorative - from spring to the beginning of winter. In autumn, the leaves have a beautiful color: from yellow to brownish, bronze and burgundy. Unusual inflorescences of miscanthus are used to create dry flower arrangements. This is an excellent plant for creating a “living screen” or background for other flowers and plantings.

Features of reproduction of miscanthus

Miscanthus breeds by dividing the bush, as well as seed method. Transplanting plants, necessary for the prevention of the death of shoots, combined with the division of the bush. This is done in spring or early summer, very carefully, as miscanthus is long restored in case of damage.

Seed method is somewhat more complicated and longer. The seeds of miscanthus do not need treatment before sowing, but such cultivation will take a lot of time, since a plant obtained from seeds only becomes attractive in 3-4 years. The seeds are germinated in pots with peat, and in spring, after the soil is fully heated, they are planted in open ground.