Anyone who finds ornamental grasses beautiful is well advised to use Chinese reed. The sweet grass is not only hardy, but also very easy to care for.
When the garden year is slowly coming to an end in autumn, the Chinese reed is only really blooming. At this point it has not only grown luxuriantly, but also offers an impressive sight with its colored inflorescences. Because Chinese reed is very well adapted to our climatic conditions. And best of all: Chinese reed does not require much care. We would like to explain to you in more detail below what is important and how to propagate Chinese reed correctly.
The special features of Chinese reed
The original home of the sweet grass is in China, Thailand, Korea and Japan. Botanically, Chinese reed (Miscanthus sinensis) is related to sugar cane. The plant is also commonly referred to as elephant grass. However, there are different varieties of ornamental grasses. So the designation is incorrect.
Depending on the variety, Chinese reed can grow between one and four meters high. The plants also have a rhizome that can reach up to 2.5 meters into the ground.
The Chinese reed becomes an eye-catcher when the panicles of flowers appear in late summer. Depending on the variety, the inflorescences are bare or hairy. The feathery panicles are then silvery to reddish in color.
An overview of the most beautiful varieties
Gardeners have bred many varieties over the last several decades. These differ in the shape and color of the leaves and in the growth height. The following table gives an overview of the most decorative types:
| Chinese reed variety | Growth | Special Features |
|---|---|---|
| Adagio | 100 to 150 cm | • dwarf Chinese reed • distinctive growth • lush flowers |
| Ghana | 140 to 170 cm | • taut flower stalks • orange leaves in autumn |
| Giraffe | 180 to 250 cm | • early flowering • yellow striped leaves • particularly stable |
| Hercules | 120 to 130 cm | • low growth •robust • red-brown autumn color |
| Graciale | 140 to 170 cm | • lush flowers • silver-white inflorescences • orange-red autumn colors |
| Small Fountain | 140 to 160 cm | • luxuriant flowering • overhanging foliage • reddish flowers • flowers later turn silvery |
| Hermann Müssel | 120 to 170 cm | • lush flowering • overhanging foliage • wide growth |
Find the right location
Although Chinese reed comes from Asia, the grasses are well adapted to our climate and can usually be cultivated without any problems. The plant prefers a sunny to partially shaded location. If the location is too shady, the grass will grow less luxuriantly and will hardly bloom.
Selecting the ideal substrate
Chinese reed prefers well drained and not too dry soil. However, the plants do not tolerate waterlogging. If you cultivate Chinese reed in tubs, you can use clay granules to improve the permeability of the substrate and prevent waterlogging in the plant pot.
A humus rich soil is also very suitable. If you plant Chinese reed on sandy soil, you have to reckon with reduced growth. The pH of the substrate should also be in the neutral range between five and eight for the plants to thrive. It is therefore worth testing the pH value in the soil. This simple soil test set is ideal for this:
Planting Chinese reed - step by step instructions
When choosing the planting time, you should note that the plants do not sprout until late in the year. In May, for example, the grasses are just beginning to develop roots. The growth process is completed about a quarter of a year later. From mid-August you should stop planting Chinese reed, because the plants would not grow properly before winter.
Also: When planting rhizomes, it always depends on the age of the mother plant. Older Chinese reed has a high proportion of dead rhizomes. This is not visible to the layperson. This makes successful cultivation difficult.
Step 1:
Before planting, you must thoroughly loosen the soil. This should be done to a depth of about 25 centimeters. Stones, root remains and weeds must be removed. Sandy soils can be upgraded by adding compost. Solid loamy soils are replaced by the addition of gravel orSand more permeable.
Step 2:
You must now dig the planting hole twice the size of the root ball. Then plant the rhizomes about eight centimeters deep in the ground.
Important:
If a green area is intensively cultivated not far from the selected location, you should install a rhizome barrier in the soil. The same applies if you design a grave with grass.
Step 3:
Now all you have to do is close the planting hole, press down the soil well and water the plant sufficiently.
Care for Chinese reed - How to do it right
❍ Pour Chinese reed:
Young plants need water regularly in the first year. Watering requires a certain amount of finesse, since no waterlogging should occur. Older plants cope better with drought and the amount of rain is often sufficient. However, during a prolonged drought, these plants should be watered thoroughly.
Tip:
You will make maintenance easier if you mulch the soil. Because that way the moisture can stay in the ground longer.
❍ Fertilize Chinese reed:
The Chinese reed does not necessarily have to be fertilized. If the demands on the location and the substrate have been observed, the plant can cope without additional fertilizer. In the spring, the plants can receive a nutrient dose if necessary. In the first year, however, additional fertilization should generally be avoided.
If young grasses are given fertilizer, the weeds will also sprout unintentionally, because the Chinese reed cannot hold its own against competing plants in the first year after planting. You should therefore pull weeds regularly.
Potted plants have a higher nutrient requirement. You should therefore supply Chinese reed in the bucket with liquid fertilizer at monthly intervals. Incidentally, you can also fertilize Chinese reed with ash from the oven. Manure or liquid manure are not suitable.
❍ Cut Chinese reed:
It is a good idea to only cut back in spring. Because some experts agree: pruning in autumn damages the plants because the water can penetrate the hollow stalks and cause rot. That's why always use the secateurs in spring and trim wilted leaves about a hand's breadth above the ground.
Tip:
Chinese reed is a decorative sight in winter. For this reason alone, you should only cut it back in the spring.
❍ Overwinter Chinese reed:
ThatChinese reed survives the winter in our latitudes unscathed. However, you should protect young plants from severe frosts with leaves and brushwood. If you tie the stalks together, they are less likely to break under the weight of snow. Beneath the snow and hoarfrost, the stalks in the wintry garden offer a bizarre sight.
Overview of care instructions
| Activity | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Set Location | • sunny to semi-shady |
| Prepare substrate | • loose • permeable • not too dry |
| planting | • Loosen the soil thoroughly • Water the plant well |
| Casting | • Water young plants regularly • Water later only in case of prolonged drought |
| Fertilize | • No fertilization necessary outdoors • Provide potted plants with liquid fertilizer every four weeks |
This is how Chinese reed can be propagated
Anyone who is already cultivating Chinese reed will not have to worry about propagating the ornamental grass. Because the plants form underground rhizomes, which quickly develop into new plants and significantly increase the area of the original plant. The Chinese reed not only stretches its rhizomes meters deep into the earth, but can also grow several meters wide. If you want to stop this, divide the rhizomes and use them to grow young plants. Just do the following:
- Dig up rhizomes.
- Look for root pieces with at least two buds.
- Separate rhizomes from mother plant.
- Split rhizomes.
- Plant rhizomes six to eight centimeters deep in the new location.
- Keep rhizomes slightly moist.
The rhizomes can also be grown in the plant pot. The planter should then be placed in a bright and warm place and watered regularly. If the growing pot is well rooted, you can plant out the Chinese reed.
Detecting and combating diseases and pests
In this regard, we can give the all-clear, because Chinese reed is an extremely robust plant. Specific diseases are not known. Pests also spare the sweet grass. However, if there is increased waterlogging, the plants are weakened and thus more susceptible to diseases and rot.