Miscanthus (Miscanthus) or fan fan belongs to the Cereal family. The genus includes about 4 hundred species. They can be found in the tropics and subtropics, in regions with a temperate climate in Asia, Africa, Australia. Despite the fact that the plant loves heat, 3 species are cultivated in the suburbs and other regions of Russia.
Miscanthus flower - description
This is a perennial herbaceous plant reaching 80-200 cm. It has large friable turfs with creeping roots extending to a depth of 4-6 m, vertical stems.
Dense, rigid plates with scales. Grassy color, linear or lanceolate-linear, 0.8-1.8 cm wide. At the end of the season they acquire a wine, copper, brownish, canary color. The lower ones are shorter, with membranes, with or without spine.
Paniculate inflorescences in the form of a fan grow to 10-30 cm. They have elongated lateral processes with an underdeveloped common spine. Ears with a developed single flower, thin leathery scales.
Types and varieties of Miscanthus: Chinese and others
Veernik is one of the most popular ornamental cereals among experienced gardeners and amateurs. The following varieties are usually used to decorate sites:
| Title | Description | Leaves | Flowers / period of their formation |
| Giant | The origin is unknown. It is believed to be a complex hybrid. Up to 3 m. Has a spreading turf. | Cover the trunk from all sides. Dark malachite, drooping, resemble the spray of a fountain. In the center there is a white stripe. The lower ones are located up to a meter from the base. Turn brown and fall in July. | Pink, eventually acquiring a silver tint. In the end of August. In regions with short and cool summers, it may not bloom. |
| Chinese | Perennial cereal with a shortened rhizome and erect, leafy stems in the basal zone. Up to 300 cm. Cultivated for almost 150 years. | Longer than wide. With a pronounced protruding rib in the middle, rough, dense. Lower scaly with a cranked curved awn. | Single-flowered ears with an underdeveloped main axis. Summer-early autumn. |
| Sugar | With a bare trunk up to 2 m. | The length is much greater than the width. | The panicle-shaped inflorescence is snow-white or silver-crimson. July - October. |
The listed species are used not only for decoration, but also for:
- production of pellets: shoots - high-calorie biofuels (during combustion, a lot of energy is released with a minimum amount of ash, because there is little liquid in the material);
- paper production;
- feed and bedding for livestock.
Varieties of Chinese Miscanthus
The Chinese species is the most popular, and some of its varieties are successfully grown in the Moscow Region and central Russia with severe frosts. In landscape design, the following varieties are often used:
| Title | Description |
| Blondo | Forms a shrub up to 200 cm up. A distinctive feature is winter hardiness. Survives frosts to -35 ° C without additional shelter. |
| Zebrina | Variegate variety with bright green foliage with yellowish, transverse lines. Reaches 2.5 m. |
| Flamingo | Up to 8 inches, with fluffy, drooping panicles of a pinkish tone. Resistant to drought, recommended for cultivation in the southern regions. Planted singly or in groups. |
| Hino | Tall, branched, with bright emerald plates, golden transverse stripes. |
| Nippon | Up to one and a half meters in height. In autumn, greens can turn from orange to bright scarlet. Inflorescences of strawberry red. |
| Variegatus | Up to 200 cm, plates with snow-white center lines on a saturated green background. |
| Strictus | Rigid, rough foliage of a saturated emerald tone with many bright, eye-catching stripes. Ears with a single flower, with burgundy panicles. |
| Malepartus | Panicled red-brown inflorescences begin to form in June. In the fall they acquire a fiery red color. |
| Gracillimus | Up to 200 cm, rounded. Flowers of a copper hue. Plates narrowed before winter dormancy, becoming golden in color. |
| Gross fountain | With green leaves, up to 2.4 m. Leafy trunks grow vertically. Silver paniculate inflorescences. The root is fibrous, branched in different directions. |
| Wedge fountain | Lush flowering variety. Up to 1.2 m in height. The flowers are reddish brown. |
| Moning light | It grows 120-180 cm. The plates are narrowed, thin, with white lines at the edges. Panicles are pinkish-silver. |
| Fernen Osten | It has green, narrow leaves with a longitudinal whitish stripe; in the fall it acquires a light burgundy color with a tint of rust. |
Miscanthus cultivation from seeds
Sowing is done in the fall. Seeds do not need to undergo preliminary stratification, their step-by-step planting:
- Place 1-2 units of seed in separate small containers. Press lightly into the surface without deepening.
- Cover with a plastic bag or glass to create a greenhouse effect.
- Shelter daily for watering and airing. Wipe the condensate from the walls. Keep container with seedlings in a room with ambient light.
- After emergence, remove the film.
- Keep at + 19 ... +21 ° С. With a short daylight, extend it with phytolamps. The soil should always be slightly moist.
Miscanthus cultivation from seedsMiscanthus breeding
The flower is bred not only by seeds, but also by division. Such reproduction can be used no more than once every 3 years, because he does not tolerate it. The division is carried out in early spring or summer:
- Dig out the mother bush.
- Divided into parts, so that each has a developed root system and healthy petioles.
- It is better to immediately plant the delenki. However, if necessary, they can be kept in a cool place for 2-3 days.
- Bushes will not grow for a long time. To begin development, an air temperature of at least +25 ° C is required for several days in a row.
In a specialized store or nursery, you can buy already prepared seedlings. It is better to take adult specimens, as young ones may not get stronger before the onset of cold weather and die. Before buying, you need to carefully inspect the fan for damage, diseases and insect pests. It is also necessary to pay attention to the soil in the pot: it should be moderately moist, without mold and cracks.
Miscanthus planting
Landing on a garden site is carried out in the spring, when the land will no longer freeze at night (April-May). Previously, the shoots are tempered: they are taken out onto the street for 2 hours, gradually increasing the time. Before planting, bushes should spend the night in the air. At the same time they are protected from drafts, strong gusts of wind and large raindrops.
Thanks to hardening, the culture will tolerate the transplant well and begin intensive development. The flower is moved out of the pot carefully, without disturbing the earthen lump. So that he easily leaves the container, it is moderately watered the day before the transplant, the soil must have time to completely damp.
Veernik is a heat-loving plant, so you need to choose a place for it sunny, protected from drafts and cool winds. It will not bloom in the shade.
Miscanthus prefers moist, fertile land in coastal areas near water bodies. The proximity of groundwater and flooding will not harm him. The composition of the substrate does not play a significant role, but the bush grows worse in the sand, on heavy clay.
Planting is done as follows:
- Pits are dug at a distance of 20-50 cm (slightly larger in diameter than the rhizome).
- Pour in them nutritious soil mixture.
- Seedlings are placed.
- A little tamping fill the voids with the remaining substrate.
- Abundantly watered.
Miscanthus forms dense thickets so that they do not grow much, it is recommended to dig a plastic tape around the landing site. The fan has a creeping root located close to the surface, so it can not be overcome. If you do not build a fence, Miscanthus will displace other crops from the site.
Miscanthus care in the garden
Miscanthus is undemanding to maintain. Its cultivation is possible even for an inexperienced gardener. But for the culture to develop well, not to lose its decorative effect, to bloom, care in the open ground should be correct:
| Manipulation | Recommendations |
| Watering | In the first year of growth, you need a plentiful and constant for rooting. Then moisten the soil regularly. In a dry period, water from a hose so that the drops fall not only on the root, but also on the greens. |
| Loosening | After each watering. Weed grass spoils the appearance, takes away the strength of young plants. Mulch the trunk circle with peat 3 cm thick. |
| Top dressing | In the 1st season after landing, it is not needed. Be paid in from the 2nd year regularly, but in minimal amounts, otherwise it is only to the detriment. For example, from nitrogen-containing fertilizers, the crop grows. Enough 3 feedings for the spring-summer period:
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| Garter | Only for tall species, so that gusts of wind do not break the shoots. |
| Wintering | Winter-hardy varieties calmly tolerate frosts without shelter. The rest must be protected from the cold. It is necessary to prepare for wintering before the onset of the first frost, otherwise they will die:
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Miscanthus Diseases and Pests
Miscanthus is resistant to various lesions, has excellent health. To date, diseases and insect pests that can destroy it have not been identified. If there are, then in isolated cases, as an exception to the rule.
