[mdvaden]

One of my favorite ornamental grasses are the big miscanthus. Tried out something for the first time on our own this weekend. Pre-bundling the stems before taking the hedge trimmers out. I tied to a handful of stems, walked around a few times and bundled the tops. The make a cut with the echo trimmers. Tops layed like felling a tree. Used natural twine.

I divide mine for extras or for gifts to friends and other gardeners. The best way I found is to chop the center through with an axe - too hard for a shovel. But a sharp shovel cuts the outside of the ball perfect. But always an axe through the middle. So I too off halves. Easily could have made the half into two quarters.

The plant in the photo is one of several I planted June of 2008 as a 5 gallon plant. In two grow seasons, reached six feet tall and six feet wide.

It's not often I need to cut these down in winter for customers, but I'm taking the twine out next time. I used to cut mine down to 6" stubs for the dormant season, but am now leaving a couple of feet just so something is there over winter. Then may make a second cut in April.

Images Copyright 2009 ~ Mario Vaden

 

[Dreams To Designs]

Besides to dig and divide, and maybe to control unwanted seeding, what would be the reasoning for cutting back ornamental grasses in the fall?

Kirk

 

[mdvaden]

Besides to dig and divide, and maybe to control unwanted seeding, what would be the reasoning for cutting back ornamental grasses in the fall?

Kirk

At least here, around late Nov - Dec the leaf blades start to disintegrate off the stems and the peices fall and blow around, looking messy. Sometimes I cut early Dec. but wanted to divide earlier this year.

Some have a nice autumn gold and I like to leave the stems and leaves as long as possible usually

 

[Dreams To Designs]

That's a shame they come apart like that,but it would be the same in any wind prone area. Most of the grasses I see cut back in the fall, end up dying out in the center from water penetration and freezing. It's a common practice here for many landscapers are their "clean look" landscapes. The beautiful winter color and form is one of an ornamental grasses best attributes.

Kirk

 

[shovelracer]

Sort of a preference thing. Some are nice in the winter, but the real tall ones just get hammered with the snow and wind up laying all over the place till the spring. I've never heard of there being any benefit waiting till spring. As far as the center dying some are more prone than others. Are you saying that there is some way of preventing this. I've never noticed a difference before, but strange thing today. Customer had several very large grasses that were planted 6-7 years ago and never grew outward or center dyed. They also told me they have never cut them, only picked up parts that broke or fell off.

 

[mdvaden]

Sort of a preference thing. Some are nice in the winter, but the real tall ones just get hammered with the snow and wind up laying all over the place till the spring. I've never heard of there being any benefit waiting till spring. As far as the center dying some are more prone than others. Are you saying that there is some way of preventing this.

At least with my own, they won't get a chance to die in the center. Like this year, I'm cutting the back half off to divide. Would do it anyway. Then fill soil back in and cover the barkdust back over too. Then next year or following, I remove the front half, and so on. Basically I'm just keeping the clump a certain size. Not sure if that's too much work for others. It takes about 30 minutes to cut 4 clumps in half, fill the holes and cover with bark. These are great grasses though, because they don't need tons of water. Here's the regular Miscanthus sinensis below in summer, autumn and early winter.

 

[Dreams To Designs]

The dig and divide method is an excellent way to rejuvenate most grasses and keep them typically smaller in size. Have also dug out the center with post hole digger and added a new grass of the same variety, where the centers have died out.

Kirk

 

[Groomer]

I let mine go until I can catch a bit of mild weather after the first of the year, when I can get out and cut everything back and start tidying things up. Usually have extreme cabin fever by then! I have some clumps that need serious dividing, that ain't gonna be fun...

 

[White Gardens]

One trick I learned from the Victory Garden TV program about Ornamental grasses.

When you get the centers that die out, take a cordless Saw Zaw and you can cut the roots faster than you can with an axe or shovel. It's cleaner, faster, and easier.

Then with the dead center cut out, you can just fill with dirt and then it will naturally fill back in over the course of a season.

The Saw Zaw works great for dividing them also.

I leave most of my ornamental grasses through the winter. The giant miscanthus though is something that my clients like to cut down in the fall though. They do tend to not hold their shape in the Midwestern winds.

 

[Kevin M.]

Are these a variety of bahia grass ? We have tons and tons of it around here and prune it very lightly come January and on the golf courses they slow burn there beds of bahia grass and it comes back thicker and looks great and the fire kilss the weeds too.

 

[mdvaden]

Are these a variety of bahia grass ? We have tons and tons of it around here and prune it very lightly come January and on the golf courses they slow burn there beds of bahia grass and it comes back thicker and looks great and the fire kilss the weeds too.

Different genus

 

[allinearth]

I like to burn mine wherever possible and safe. I figure that would be nature's way of rejuvenation and its way more fun than cutting them.