Miscanthus Giaganteus propagation from cuttings.

[scott44]

Here's a couple pics of my 2yr old miscanthus, my e-wheat is falling over but the miscathus seems to be standing ok. Not much snow here but we have had our fair share of rain.

 

[Doug Galloway]

Bill,

The MG cuttings you sent are still green and growing in pots.....put them outside on warm days and bring them in when freeze is forecast.

I assume keeping them alive over winter and then transplanting a living potted plant in spring is the thing to do?

Thanks again for taking the time to send them to me!

 

[Bill]

Doug,
No problem, I just left mine outside to go dormant then put them in the attached garage. Keeps them dormant but protected from a hard freeze. I guess you could keep them going through the winter. It will give you a jump start in the spring.

Scott,
Those look thick for 2nd year plants. Looks like you have had some hard winds to break over the stalks. That shouldn't happen when they mature.

I took a pic of mine in mid Nov but forgot to post them. I'll have to dig that pic up.

 

[shawnv]

Do you need to cut it back each spring?

 

[Bill]

Do you need to cut it back each spring?

That's a good question. I don't really know if you "need" to. I've always cut or burned mine back because that what I was told to with ornamental grasses. Also the biofuel guys cut there's when they harvest. But I don't know if it's needed or not.

 

[scott44]

Here's a pic of my miscanthus today after the winter, kinda sparse but it's still standing. Hopefully it fills in the year, I have 200 rhizomes ordered for planting this year.

 

[dipper]

I dug up one of the node cuttings I planted last fall. It was in great shape with about 5"s of roots!
I'll find out what my mother plants look like this week when I dig them up. This winter was a pretty good winter to determine if mg is hardy for my area. We didn't have a ton of snow to insulate, and we had a decent amount of cold weather.
Anyone else finding life in their mg? Where are u? Failures?

 

[Honker]

I haven't been able to look this spring yet to see if they are making it but they are going on their 4th year. Keep them from getting overtaken by weeds the first year (use mulch) and they should be alright. Here it is during gun season 2014.

 

[dipper]

MG won't show signs of life here for at least another 6 weeks I'd guess. Last year it was early June before new growth was visible.

I know, so I dug them up to see if they are mush. I didn't look real close at my mother plants, but one clump on the end looked kinda mushy.
I didn't mulch my mother plants so I could really test their hardiness. I'm zone 4b technically, so I'm pushing mgs limits.

 

[Honker]

I don't usually look for mine until the corn is up an inch or two.

 

[dipper]

A guy on the QDMA forum had MG surviving in NW WI (3b/4a). The wildcard is lack of snow cover. If mine made it here, I'll declare the stuff truly zone 4a hardy. Source and cultivar of rhizome makes a difference as well IMHO

I hope so. I'm kinda getting sick of planting ew and I have spots I don't want to be screening with trees. cool stuff

 

[homegrownbucks]

I had some winter die back in western wi Jackson county but most have lived, some thriving.

 

[Jim Timber]

That's a nice row you have going Honker. How long has that been in the ground?

 

[Honker]

That's a nice row you have going Honker. How long has that been in the ground?

I planted them in 2012, so the picture shows three growing seasons of growth. They are all of 8-10 feet tall. I haven't babied them at all. I basically planted them and walked away. I did prep the row with gly and pre-emerg to give them a chance.

 

[dipper]

What pre emergent did u use?

 

[Honker]

What pre emergent did u use?

Atrazine. You can pretty much use any though because you are putting in a plant and not a seed.

 

[dipper]

I'm gonna be dealing with quack grass, it will choke out trees, so I will need to be proactive. I don't think I can get atrazine, isnt that restricted?

 

[Honker]

It is, but like I said, another pre-emerg would probably work just as well like Dual, Simazine, Outlook or anything labeled for corn. Most per-emergant herbicides only control the seed of weeds, with miscanthus you are planting a root cutting so it should not be affected. I would double check the label to verify.

 

[Bill]

MG won't show signs of life here for at least another 6 weeks I'd guess. Last year it was early June before new growth was visible.

My outside plants are not awake yet but the cuttings I potted and left in the garage are.

Dipper,
I don't know about all the herbicides Honker suggested but simazine will work like atrazine. Keystone pest supply has it mail order if no one carries it locally.

 

[scott44]

Last summer I tried taking some cuttings and got them going in water then planted them in the yard. Today I went out and looked at them anddug one up to check on the roots. There is no top growth yet but the roots really took off from last summer. Not sure how many made it but I'll post pics if and when they come up.

I mulched them with some old hay.



Pretty good root system growing, I broke some off getting it out but I would say they were 6-8" long.