Planting and caring for miscanthus in open ground, types and varieties

In the process of arranging a site, a desire arises to beautifully design the lawn, ponds and flower beds. To decorate the landscape with beautiful greenery, gardeners often choose fluffy miscanthus, the planting and care of which in open ground requires a careful approach. Fan shoots of this plant are also used by florists to form dry compositions.

Description

Miscanthus is a cereal plant, found naturally in the subtropical and tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australia. The popularity of the plant is associated with its long-lasting decorative value, since the flower remains attractive until late autumn.

Externally, the plant resembles a compact perennial 2-3 m high. The creeping rhizome produces straight stems with long leathery leaves that look like scales. At the end of the shoots there are fan-shaped panicles, consisting of short spikelets and a developed flower.

Varieties and types

There are about 40 varieties of miscanthus in the world. Not all of them are used in gardening; most are wild and are not found in Russia. The most common types are:

• Chinese;
• saccharine;
• giant.

Chinese

The species is characterized by high resistance to winter cold. The plant forms powerful stems up to 3 m high, quite sparsely located on a short rhizome. The scaly leaves are narrow and somewhat rough; a longitudinal rib divides them in half. In autumn they turn red or yellow. Panicles collected from single-flowered spikelets are pink, reddish or silver. Flowering lasts from August to October.

Flamingo

This variety perfectly tolerates frosts down to 29 ° C, without requiring winter insulation. The height of the plant reaches 2 m. The flowers on the panicles of Flamingo miscanthus are larger in size and pink in color.

Klein Fountain

Miscanthus of this variety does not grow higher than 1 m. Standard-sized panicles have a brownish tint.

Maleparthus

Known for its early flowering. The height of miscanthus is standard - about 2 m.The flowers on the panicles are burgundy, and by autumn they acquire a bright red tint. At this time, the leaves turn from green to golden orange.

Rothsilber

The main distinguishing feature of this miscanthus variety is the reddish tint of the leaves and panicles. In the fall, at the end of the growing season, they turn more orange.

Zebrina

This variety is sometimes called Miscanthus Zebrinus. The name refers to the yellow or cream transverse stripes on the narrow leaves. The height of the plant exceeds 2 m and sometimes requires additional support. The peak of flowering occurs in September, the panicles are distinguished by a brick-red palette.
Variegata

Miscanthus Variegata is distinguished by long leaves with variegated white and green colors. The height of the plant varies between 1.5-2 m. The flowers at the ends of the spikelets have a red tint.

Strictus

A fairly tall variety grows up to 2.7 m. The leaves with green and white stripes are 1.5 cm wide. The panicles at the ends of the stems are loose, the red color of the spikelets is rather pale.

Gold Bar

This variety of miscanthus with a low growth rate has a maximum height of 1.5 m. Long narrow leaves are covered with cream stripes. The panicles bloom in August, turning the plant a wine color.

Purpurescence

The height of this variety is no more than 1.5 m. The leaves change from grayish-green to red-orange in the fall. The narrow inflorescences in September have a purple tint, which gradually changes to white.

Gracilimus

The Gracillimus variety has performed well when grown in the shade, where it grows above 2 m. Thin leaves and a rounded bush attract decorators. The bushes bloom at the end of September, which suggests cultivation in the southern regions; the panicles have a reddish tint.
Rother Pfeil

The height of miscanthus of this variety reaches 1.5 m.The leaves turn purple in the fall and the inflorescences change from reddish-pink to silver. Flowering lasts from August to October.

Morning Light

The miscanthus variety Morning Light, or Morning Light, is one of the oldest. The height of the bushes is below average, only about 1.5 m. It blooms in early September, coloring the spikelets with a pinkish-red color.
Graziella

By the beginning of autumn, the greenery of this variety acquires a purple hue, while the color of the tassels at the ends of the stems is creamy. Graziella is well adapted to the composition of the soil, tolerates winter calmly and is tolerant of drought, but intolerant of shading. The height of the plant is small - about 1.5 m.

Silberfeder

The variety is characterized by wider, up to 2 cm, feathery leaves, which are pinkish in color at the beginning of the growing season, and become silver by autumn. Panicles appear on the stems in August. The bush is characterized by high resistance to frost.

Little Zebra

This variety is rather short-growing, since the height of the stems does not exceed 1.2 m. The green leaves have yellow transverse stripes. At the beginning of flowering, the panicles are colored reddish-violet; closer to October they become creamy.

Ash Foul

Medium-sized miscanthus reaches a height of 1.5-2 m, blooming in September with pinkish-red panicles. The leaves turn purple in autumn.

Adagio

Miscanthus Adagio is a low-growing grass species. The height of the plant is about 80 cm. The narrow grayish-silver leaves turn yellow in autumn. The inflorescences appear in August and gradually turn from pink to creamy white.

Sugarflower

A less tall species is Miscanthus sugarflower. Straight, smooth stems do not grow higher than 2 m, on which narrow linear leaves are located. The panicles at the ends of the shoots are pinkish or pale silver in color.The more heat-loving miscanthus begins the growing season later and blooms only in July.

Giant

The species is a hybrid, but its exact origin is unknown. Straight stems do not have strength and often need support. The long leaves hang from the shoots and have a dark green tint. In the center of each there is a longitudinal white rib. The great advantage of giant miscanthus is its ability to withstand frosts up to 34 °C.

Growing

The main condition for the active growth of miscanthus is consistent preparation and careful care. It is necessary to choose suitable soil and quality seedlings for planting. It is also important to prepare the soil and then apply fertilizers, loosen and clean the soil in a timely manner. When growing heat-loving varieties, you should also take care of frost protection.

Selecting a location and landing dates

A place suitable for planting miscanthus should be well lit; even a weak shadow will not allow the plant to fully bloom. The site should be located in a low area so that moisture is retained at the roots. The best option would be the shoreline of reservoirs. The plant must be protected from drafts and blowing winds. The optimal time for planting miscanthus is at the end of March and ends in mid-May. By this time the snow should have completely melted and the ground should have warmed up well.

Soil preparation

The soil for miscanthus must meet the following characteristics:

• neutral or slightly acidic;
• medium density;
• sandy loam, loamy, peat, turf.

Before planting miscanthus, the area needs to be dug up, freed from weeds, and organic fertilizers applied.

How to plant

Technology for planting miscanthus in open ground:

1. Water the seedlings in containers generously with warm water.
2. Prepare planting holes about 0.2 m deep at a distance of at least 1 m from each other.
3. Limit the walls of the pits with slate or planks to control the growth of the bush.
4. If necessary, place drainage at the bottom of the hole.
5. Mix the extracted soil with peat, turf, compost or rotted manure.
6. Seedlings along with soil from containers are placed in planting holes.
7. Fill the hole space with earthen mixture.
8. The soil is compacted a little.
9. Plants are watered abundantly at the root.

Watering

Miscanthus requires moist soil, so watering should be frequent and abundant. The plant has powerful stems, so you can use a garden hose. Drought is detrimental to bushes; in the summer heat, watering must be done more often, but you should not increase the volume of water, as stagnation of moisture will have a bad effect on the condition of the roots.

Top dressing

Additional nutrition must be applied sparingly and only in the 2nd year after planting. The first feeding is carried out during the period of active growth, usually in mid-May. Fertilizers should be selected based on nitrogen compounds; simple urea is suitable. At the beginning of June, nutrients are reintroduced; it is preferable to use a solution of humates. Towards the end of summer, the soil is fertilized with a potassium-phosphorus mixture.

Fencing

Miscanthus varieties that are prone to abundant growth can be limited around the perimeter. The plant's roots do not go deep, so stopping their growth is quite easy. Metal sheets buried approximately 20-25 cm are suitable for this.

Weeding

After each watering, the soil at the roots of the miscanthus must be loosened and the weeds must be completely removed.It is important to weed plants frequently during the period of active growth so that weeds do not take away nutrients and slow down the growing season.

To reduce the number of weeds, the soil around the miscanthus can be mulched with dry crushed peat.

Preparing for winter

It is better to cover Miscanthus for the winter to avoid hypothermia of the roots. After the end of the growing season, the soil is generously mulched. An improvised hut is made around the plant, covered with film or other material. It should not be too dense to allow air to pass through.

Reproduction

Miscanthus grows well for several years, but over time it loses its density in the central part. In this case, it needs to be transplanted or replaced with a new one. The grass does not tolerate transplantation well, and it must be propagated with care. Miscanthus can be propagated in two ways:

• seed;
• vegetative, by dividing the bush.

Dividing the bush

The vegetative method is most often used to propagate miscanthus. It is not recommended to divide the rhizome of the bush more than once every 3 years, so that it has time to grow new roots. The procedure is carried out in late spring or early summer, when the growth of young stems has begun.

It is recommended to plant the divided parts on the same day that they are dug up, but if necessary, you can store the miscanthus in a cool place for several days before dividing and planting.

Seeds

Propagation of miscanthus by seeds is difficult in the middle zone and northern regions. The grains do not have enough summer heat to fully ripen. However, most gardeners prefer to use purchased planting material, since collecting small seeds is not easy.The use of seed propagation is also complicated by the fact that the bush acquires a beautiful appearance after at least 3 years. Pre-treatment of the grains is not required, but first they are used to grow seedlings in single planting containers.

Diseases and pests

Miscanthus has strong immunity and is not susceptible to disease. Pests of garden crops also do not find it attractive. In order to completely eliminate the possibility of infection, plants should be treated with fungicides. Preventive spraying against rot and rust is carried out in spring and autumn, before the beginning of the growing season and at its end.

Usage

Miscanthus is actively used in landscape design of personal plots. Florists include dry panicles in bouquets and arrangements. And some countries are actively growing miscanthus for industrial purposes to use it as biofuel.

In landscape design

Decorators use miscanthus to decorate the banks of ponds. Tall plants are planted to form a dense background for bright, low-growing flowers. Single shrubs are used to add accents to lawns and also as natural fencing. Sometimes it is planted in mixtures with other herbs to create colorful mixes.

Fuel for power plants

Miscanthus is classified as a biofuel crop that can release a large amount of thermal energy when burned. The high efficiency has been proven by numerous studies, the results of which have led to a wave of construction of corresponding power plants in Europe and China. Also, growing miscanthus has a positive effect on the quality of the soil, clearing it of radiation and heavy metals.

Reviews

Ekaterina: “I took Miscanthus from a friend, it has been growing for me for three years now. Unpretentious, but appreciates water and fertilizers.”

Evgeniy: “In our Moscow region, Chinese miscanthus has been growing for about 12 years, blooming in August-September with silvery panicles. It tolerates winter well and did not freeze even when there was no snow.”

Elena: “I’ve been growing the Strictus variety for almost 4 years, and I really like it. The bush is compact, does not spread and retains its beauty even in winter. Dry panicles also last a very long time and look good.”