MG question

[Bowsnbucks]

I have no knowledge of MG and what it needs to survive/flourish. My camp is on a ridge-top in a northern-tier county of Pa. It's an old farmstead with existing fields, both in plots and fallow. Zone 6 / 5 border. Would MG make it in such a place ?? We could use it for more screens/additions if you guys think it would go.

 

[j-bird]

Reach out to Bill.....or do some digging on some of his posts/threads on MG. Bill has several years of experience with MG and has been one of my MG Mentor's so to speak. I will tell you that growing them in containers from cutting is EASY....so easy I can do it! I am not sure how far north it will survive and do well. I do know it doesn't like consistent flooding and requires full sun exposure. If you are interested I tried to document my process in my property tour thread - this coming spring will be my first year of actually having it in the ground.

 

[tynimiller]

I second j-bird's post and will add you are probably not much farther north than me in the edge of the northern border of IN and I have had decent success albeit only being planted last year.

EVERY single rhizome I planted that had solid sun exposure lived...the ones that saw shade cover in the mornings due to along a Eastern tree line struggled and saw less than 60% survival....but ONE of these spots I know now was due to the spring time it being where the water/thaw collected and I have no doubt was still far too wet for survival...they like water but don't want continued saturation.

I am going to be planting about 75 more rhizomes this Spring as well and know now I will focus on the sunny areas....I may make a go at the shadier spots but will wait years when I can risk my own cuttings and not bought rhizomes.

 

[Bill]

I'm in 5a and they do just fine. You should be good for wintering over.

Good weed control goes a long way the first and second growing season. Gly and atrazine or Simazine work well for that pre plating. Keystone pest solutions sells Simazine on line.

After they sprout they can be top sprayed with simazine and 24d. They don't like crop oil in the mix. It will not kill them but it will brown them.

 

[tynimiller]

I'm in 5a and they do just fine. You should be good for wintering over.

Good weed control goes a long way the first and second growing season. Gly and atrazine or Simazine work well for that pre plating. Keystone pest solutions sells Simazine on line.

After they sprout they can be top sprayed with simazine and 24d. They don't like crop oil in the mix. It will not kill them but it will brown them.

Bill you mix the simazine and 24d or you saying one or the other will work?

 

[Bill]

Bill you mix the simazine and 24d or you saying one or the other will work?

I use Atrazine (similar but not exactly the same). But I mix them. One of the labels says not to but I haven't killed anything yet.

Also simazine/Atrazine doesn't mix well in a hand sprayer. You need to agitate it quite a bit to get it to mix well with water. And 24d does a number on rubber O rings so always rinse well.

 

[Bill]

And it's usefulness has been disputed but I use dish detergent as a sticker rather than crop oil.

I do this with clover and 24db also. You just need running water to rinse with. Dish detergent makes some suds and you want the sprayer good and clean when you're done.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Also simazine/Atrazine doesn't mix well in a hand sprayer.

Learned this the hard way......gums up the sprayer.....

bill

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I've used Dawn dish soap with gly and it works very well. I like that it makes some suds - I can see where I sprayed / missed.

We get our chemicals from Keystone Pest Solutions. Cheaper in bulk. We got gly and cleth there.

What's involved with planting MG rhizomes ?? How deep, amendments, etc. ?? Spraying a couple times before planting to clean up the spots is no problem.

 

[Bill]

What's involved with planting MG rhizomes ?? How deep, amendments, etc. ?? Spraying a couple times before planting to clean up the spots is no problem.

I need to fix the pictures in my old thread. 3 - 4 inches deep is good. When planting screens I used a subsoiler from tractor supply. Just run along and dig a trench, drop the rhizomes in and kick dirt over them. When the row is done I drive the side by side tire over the row to press it.

 

[Da U.P. 'eh]

I'm having very good success with MG in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I've been planting it for about 5 years now and it seems to be flourishing and doesn't need a lot of care. I have provided almost no care. When planting, I make a crease in the soil with a dibble bar about 3-4" deep, drop in the rhizome, close it up, and keep moving, very easy.
.
I've been buying my rhizomes from Don at Maple River Farm in Michigan. He has been great to deal with and has provided a very good product.

 

[tynimiller]

Any of you to the point where you are cutting and dividing your existing? If so at what year did you start doing that with success? I'm thinking by year 4 should be fairly easy to do it and have good survival but now I'm thinking you could do it even earlier possibly depending on plant growth of the original.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

^^^^^^ Cutting & dividing .......... Does this stuff spread and go where it wants ?? I was thinking about planting some at the edge of one of our food plots - can't have it spreading into that plot area.

 

[j-bird]

^^^^^^ Cutting & dividing .......... Does this stuff spread and go where it wants ?? I was thinking about planting some at the edge of one of our food plots - can't have it spreading into that plot area.

As I understand it it grows in size (sort of like the pampas grass you see at golf courses) but once it reaches it's max size it's done. It doesn't spread like Johnson-grass or the like. It should stay where you plant it, just keep in mind that it will grow to a couple feet in diameter or so per planting. I have mine planted on roughly a 6 foot center on the intent of having a grass wall when I am done. My plants where grown from cutting (not rhizomes) last year and then planted in the ground last summer/fall. I interested to see how quickly they grow and expand now.

 

[tynimiller]

Yeah, they have a width "limit" and will stop growing. Never have heard of it spreading outside a couple feet from center. I have a strip planted with only 4 feet apart from centers....may end up with issues if really take well, but we shall see. Can always cut and divide from them.

 

[j-bird]

I will be looking for stalk cuttings again this summer as those I planted will in no way be ready to be sub divided, but I hope to have some to sub divide and feed my other projects in 2 or 3 years. I was really surprised how well growing them from cuttings/stalks was with some guidance. If I can do it....anybody can!

 

[Bill]

I believe it was Oakseeds that recommended dividing young plants because after about the third of fourth year they are a bear to deal with. I've never actually tried to dig up a mature root ball but I would imagine it's tough work. I am going to try and take some large plugs from my mature plants this spring.

In the past any time I harvest my own rhizomes I use a 12 wood blade on the sawzall and cut sections off the side before digging. Figured I'd try some 6X10 ish plugs this way. I have a few holes to fill in my screen.

 

[Bill]

I will be looking for stalk cuttings again this summer as those I planted will in no way be ready to be sub divided, but I hope to have some to sub divide and feed my other projects in 2 or 3 years. I was really surprised how well growing them from cuttings/stalks was with some guidance. If I can do it....anybody can!

I agree cuttings are easier to deal with. But once established I think a big rhizome chunk will grow a mature plant faster. Time will tell.

 

[j-bird]

I agree cuttings are easier to deal with. But once established I think a big rhizome chunk will grow a mature plant faster. Time will tell.

I agree and growing them from cuttings isn't for everyone. I think a "plug" or even a decent rhizome would be great, but mine are not far enough along for that just yet.....I would imagine that digging up a mature root ball would be quite the handful.

 

[tynimiller]

j-bird did you discuss or share technique you used for the cutting planting?