How to Grow and Care for Chinese Silver Grass

It is best planted in the spring from root divisions or potted nursery plants and will grow very quickly.

Light

Chinese silver grass prefers a position in full sun for optimal growth.

Aim for a spot in your landscape that boasts at least six to eight hours of sunlight daily.

Chinese silver grass grows in a variety of different soil types with great success.

Soil that remains too wet or waterlogged can lead to root rot, which also impacts growth.

Chinese grass thrives in soil that is consistently moist, but not waterlogged.

Although it prefers moisture, the plant tolerates periods of drought once fully established.

When dormant, Chinese silver grass is hardy down to minus 5 degrees.

This plant may have a difficult time flowering in the colder end of its hardiness range.

For the amount to use, follow the product label instructions.

The process is best done in late spring after any danger of frost has passed.

In the fall, sow the seeds on the surface of a moist, fertile soil mixture.

Keep the seeds covered in a greenhouse-like environment for their first winter.

Transplant them to their permanent position in late spring or early summer of the following year.

ensure to harden off the seedlings before planting in the garden.

Keep in mind, it will take a full year before the plants produce flowers.

The amount of space needed will vary depending on the mature size of the cultivar you’ve selected.

Chinese silver grass will grow adequately in a well-draining pot filled with standard potting mix.

Division and repotting will be necessary every year or two when this fast-growing plant becomes root-bound in its pot.

Be prepared to water more frequently when growing Chinese silver grass in a container.

Spraying with a horticultural oil may offer some relief.

Miscanthus blight is a fungal disease that attacks the grass blades.

Another fungal disease, leaf rust, may also occur.

Keep an eye on your plants and see to it to routinely pluck out volunteer seedlings that sprout up.

Dried grasses can catch fire explosively if touched by flying embers.

Shady conditions cause excessively long, leggy growth as the stalks reach for sunlight.

The flower stalks also keep well in cutting arrangements.

This plant will live for many decades, spreading gradually through expanding rhizomes.

Chinese silver grass, like many other ornamental grasses, is safe for pets.

Miscanthus is a large genuswith several species that are common landscape plants.

This 6- to 8-foot native prairie grass has a fiery copper-red color in the fall.

Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States.