A sterile hybrid, Giant Miscanthus is a tall-growing grass that is most commonly planted from rhizome pieces when the soil temperatures have reached 50 F. "But there are some things to consider if you are propagating and/or planting rhizomes this spring," says Emily Heaton, an Iowa State University agronomist who works with this crop as a potential source of bioenergy. Heaton and another ISU agronomist, Nicholas Boersma, provide the following information.

Shoots of Giant Miscanthus emerging from a clump of rhizomes in a recently tilled field near Ames, Iowa. Most shoots are still in the whorl, with only a few small emerged leaves. Once more leaves have unrolled, this field should not be divided this year.

Giant Miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus) is a perennial warm-season grass used for bioenergy, and is being planted on thousands of acres in Missouri and Arkansas this spring. There are some farmers in Iowa who are planting it, just on a few acres to try it out. "Given the warm spring, and the high level of interest in Miscanthus this year, we have been getting lots of questions about propagation and planting," says Heaton.

A sterile hybrid, Giant Miscanthus is most commonly planted from rhizome pieces when the soil temperatures have reached 50 F, she says. Most farmers get their rhizomes from a commercial supplier. but those people who just want to play around with the new crop have been planting small plots that they can then dig up and propagate into larger stands at their leisure. Here are some things to consider if you are propagating and/or planting rhizomes this spring.

Rhizomes can take a while to emerge, anywhere from three days to three weeks, typically, with some not emerging until late in the season. This is frustrating, but resist the urge to dig anything up or replant until three weeks, warm temperatures and some good rain have had a chance to work.