Miscanthus: species and varieties, planting and care in the open field, reproduction with photo

In the process of arranging the site, there is a desire to beautifully decorate 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 the open field require a careful approach. The fan shoots of this plant are also used by florists to form dry arrangements.

Description

Miscanthus is a cereal, found naturally in subtropical and tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australia. The popularity of the plant is associated with its long decorative effect, as the flower retains its attractiveness until late autumn.

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

Varieties and species

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

Chinese;
sugarflower;
giant.

Chinese

The species is characterized by high resistance to winter cold. The plant forms powerful stems up to 3 m high, quite rarely located on a short rhizome. The leaves are scaly 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 up to 29 ° C, without requiring warming for the winter. The height of the plant reaches 2 m. Flowers on panicles of Flamingo Miscanthus are larger and pink.

Klein Fountain

Miscanthus of this variety does not grow taller than 1 m. Panicles of standard size have a brownish tint.

Malepartus

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

Rothsilber

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

Zebrina

Sometimes this variety is called Miscanthus Zebrinus. The name is associated with yellow or cream transverse stripes on narrow leaves. Plant height 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 a variegated white-green color. 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. Leaves with green and white stripes are 1.5 cm wide. 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 slow growth rate has a maximum height of 1.5 m. Long narrow leaves are covered with cream stripes. Panicles bloom in August, turning the plant wine red.

Purpurescence

The height of this variety is not more than 1.5 m. The leaves turn from grayish-green in autumn to red-orange. Narrow inflorescences in September have a purple hue, which gradually changes to white.

Gracilimus

Gracillimus performs well in shade, where it grows to over 2m. The thin leaves and rounded bush attract decorators. Bushes bloom in late September, which suggests cultivation in the southern regions, panicles have a reddish tint. Rother Pfeil

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

Moning Light

Miscanthus variety Morning Light, or Morning Light, 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

The greens of this variety acquire a crimson hue by the beginning of autumn, while the color of the brushes at the ends of the stems is cream. Graziella is well adapted to the composition of the soil, tolerates winter calmly and is tolerant of drought, but intolerant of shading. Plant height is small - about 1.5 m.

Silberfeder

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

Little Zebra

This variety is rather undersized, since the height of the stems does not exceed 1.2 m. Green leaves have yellow transverse stripes. At the beginning of flowering panicles are painted in a reddish-violet color, closer to October they become cream.

Ash Fall

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

Adagio

Miscanthus Adagio refers to undersized types of cereal. Plant height is about 80 cm. Narrow grayish-silvery leaves turn yellow in autumn. Inflorescences appear in August and gradually turn from pink to creamy white.

Sugarflower

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

Giant

The species is hybrid, but its exact origin is unknown. Straight stems have no strength and often need support. Long leaves hang from the shoots and have a dark green tint. In the center of each is a longitudinal white rib. The great advantage of the giant miscanthus is the ability to withstand frosts up to 34 ° С.

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 fertilize, loosen and clean the soil in a timely manner. Growing heat-loving varieties, you should also take care of frost protection

Selecting a place and landing dates

A suitable place for planting miscanthus should be well lit, even a slight shadow will not allow the plant to fully bloom. The site should be located in a lowland so that moisture lingers at the roots. The best option would be the coastline of reservoirs. The plant must be protected from drafts and blowing wind. The optimal time for planting miscanthus comes at the end of March, and ends in mid-May. The snow should be completely gone by this time, and the earth should warm up well.

Soil preparation

The soil for miscanthus must meet the following specifications:

neutral or slightly acidic;
medium density;
sandy, loamy, peaty, soddy.

Before planting miscanthus, the site must be dug up, freed from weeds, and organic fertilizers applied.

How to plant

Technology for planting miscanthus in open ground:

Plentifully water the seedlings in containers with warm water.
Prepare planting holes about 0.2m deep and at least 1m apart.
Limit the walls of the pits with slate or boards to control the growth of the bush.
If necessary, lay drainage at the bottom of the hole.
Mix the excavated soil with peat, sod, compost or manure.
Seedlings, together with the earth from the containers, are placed in planting pits.
Fill the hole space with earth mixture.
The ground is being rammed a little.
Plants are watered abundantly under the root.

Irrigation

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

Feeding

Additional nutrition should be applied sparingly and only in the 2nd year after planting. The first feeding is carried out during the period of growth activation, usually in mid-May. Fertilizers should be chosen on the basis of nitrogen compounds, simple urea will do. At the beginning of June, nutrients are re-applied, it is preferable to use a solution of humates. Toward the end of summer, the soil is fertilized with a potash-phosphorus mixture.

Fencing

Miscanthus varieties prone to profuse growth can be limited around the perimeter. The roots of the plant do not go deep, so stopping their growth is easy enough. For this, metal sheets are suitable, deepened by about 20-25 cm.

Weeding

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

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

Reproduction

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

seed;
vegetative, by dividing the bush.

Dividing the bush

The vegetative method is most often used for propagating 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 began.

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

Seeds

Propagation of miscanthus by seeds is difficult in the conditions of 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 it is not easy to collect small seeds.The use of the seed method of reproduction is also difficult because the bush acquires a beautiful appearance after at least 3 years. Pre-treatment of grain is not required, but at first seedlings are grown from them in single planting containers.

Diseases and pests

Miscanthus has strong immunity and is not susceptible to disease. Pests of horticultural 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 start of the growing season and at its end.

Use

Miscanthus is actively used in landscaping home gardens. Florists include dry panicles in bouquets and arrangements. And some countries are actively growing miscanthus for industrial purposes in order to use it as a biofuel.

In landscape design

Decorators use miscanthus to decorate the banks of water bodies. Tall plants are planted to form a dense backdrop for bright undersized flowers. Single shrubs are used to give accents to lawns, as well as a natural fence. It is sometimes planted mixed 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. High efficiency has been proven by numerous studies, as a result of which a wave of construction of corresponding power plants took place in Europe and China . Also, the cultivation of miscanthus has a positive effect on the quality of the soil, cleaning it from radiation and heavy metals.

Reviews

Ekaterina: “I took Miscanthus from a friend, it has been growing with me for the third year. Undemanding, but appreciates water and fertilizer.”

Evgeny: “In our suburbs, Chinese miscanthus grows for about 12 years, blooms in August-September with silvery panicles. It tolerates winter well and did not freeze even in the absence of snow.”

Elena: “I have 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. Dried panicles also last a very long time and look good.”