Miscanthus Giganteus from cuttings

[Weasel]

Scott44 from Habitat Talk was kind enough to send me a load of miscanthus cuttings. These are the ones that can get 12' tall.

Within a few days, some of them started to sprout new growth.

Within a week or so, they really started to take off and sprout roots as well.

I moved the more developed ones with roots into some soil and will add more as they're ready.

I'll keep you posted on my progress. I'm hoping to get some good roots established and plant these in September. I will prep their final spot in the next few weeks while I'm getting my switchgrass plot prepped.

This is what I hope to see in a few years.

 

[Chainsaw]

This is very interesting Weasel. I was thinking I would need to dig it up and divide rhizomes and such to create more instead of just taking cuttings--will try. Am looking forward to your results.

Did you just put the cuttings in water or did you need to use any root developer chemicals/hormones?

 

[Weasel]

Just plain old water, didn't bother with the rooting hormone.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Anyone tried to grow this down south?

bill

 

[CAS_HNTR]

Interesting.....interesting indeed! I planted a few hundred rhizomes last year for a screen. I kept some back and planted them on my veggie garden to propagate/split each year as well, but this will allow me an additional method to propagate.

From my first year growth it appears that the thick "stalk" shown on your cuttings isn't really present. More like just really long grass with a thin stalk. The reason I say this is that it looks like cuttings would have to come from a plant that is on year 2 or more from a rhizome start. If you transplanted the hole plant by digging, I'm sure there would be no lag in maturity as with most ornamentals.

I am excited to see how my screen looks in the next few years.......its about 100 total yards long, so it ought to look SWEET!!

 

[Fish]

I did this very thing by following directions from Habitat Talk. I only did a half dozen to test the method. Now, two months later, tbose cuttings have filled one gallon pots with roots and 3-5 stalks. Im sure with a fall planting this year they'll provide some screening by next fall.

I imagine that a guy doing this on a large scale could have a great screen in 1-2 years.

 

[Weasel]

Anyone tried to grow this down south?

bill

Bill they have a hardiness zone range of 4 to 9. If you are on the edge of that range, plant a few test plants.

I did this very thing by following directions from Habitat Talk. I only did a half dozen to test the method. Now, two months later, tbose cuttings have filled one gallon pots with roots and 3-5 stalks. Im sure with a fall planting this year they'll provide some screening by next fall.

I imagine that a guy doing this on a large scale could have a great screen in 1-2 years.

Sounds great Fish. The ones I've moved to soil are growing great. Still waiting on a bunch to sprout roots so I can move them to soil.

 

[Fish]

Mine took about 3 weeks to form a mat of roots in water. I went straight to one gallon pots with them and saw shoot growth starting over the next 1-2 weeks.
They will fill your little pots in short order.

 

[Weasel]

They will fill your little pots in short order.

I bet. I have some RootMaker RootTrapper containers ready to move them.