Cutting Chinese reed / elephant grass: Instructions and 10 tips

There are numerous Chinese reed species that decorate the garden all year round. Correct cutting is also essential for optimal care and healthy, strong growth. Here the specimen, which is often called "elephant grass", has special requirements. The plant expert explains how you can achieve the perfect cut.

Cut

Depending on the species, the Chinese grass can reach a height of up to two meters. It is particularly popular due to its broadly growing properties and dense growth, so that it is also often used as a privacy screen. It needs pruning both for strong growth after the winter season and can also be supported by cutting in recovery from illnesses. The professional instructions describe the correct procedure step by step.

time

The right time is an important factor that should always be considered when cutting grass.

winter

The Chinese grass or miscanthus, as it is botanically called, loses its freshness in late autumn as the temperature drops and the stalks slowly dry off. Some hobby gardeners decide to cut back in autumn so that parts of the plant that have dried out in stormy winds do not spread unattractively in the garden.

However, they do not consider that they can cause great damage to the Chinese grass. Cutting back in autumn would create open stalks in which moisture collects and can quickly lead to rot. While uncut, closed stalks can withstand extremely cold temperatures, frostbite is not uncommon for cut, open stalks. Therefore: never cut elephant grass in autumn or winter!

TIP: To avoid or at least minimize the flying around of dry grass, simply tie the stalks tightly together. At the same time you get a decorative accent for gray, dreary winter days.

spring

The best time to prune the miscanthus is spring. The Chinese grass is usually one of the species that start growing late after hibernation. The cut should be made shortly before, which is why April is the perfect month. If growth has already started, the new shoots that have already grown are usually also cut when pruning.

As a result, the elephant grass would no longer be able to grow so lush and dense. If it is cut too early, the plant may still be too much in winter mode and still too susceptible to possible cold spells and moisture accumulation in the open stalks. Shortly before growth begins, the metabolism is back in motion and the grass can deal better with cold and wet.

Before the cut

Before cutting, you should always examine the Chinese reed for animals that may use the grass as winter quarters or occasional shelter. These are often useful little animals that could endanger your life if you carelessly prune elephant grass. Especially for animals that are not out of the rigor, hibernation or hibernation in April, are particularly at risk. If animals are found, it is advisable to let them bring their winter phase to an end and to postpone the cut until later.

For example, the Chinese reed is a popular home for the following animals:

• Hedgehog
• Harvest mice
• Ladybug
• Lacewing

Cutting tool

Before you can start, you have to select the right cutting tool and have it ready. Depending on the size of the Chinese reed, hedge trimmers are the best option for cutting. Anyone who owns an electric hedge trimmer saves a lot of effort, especially with large specimens. But basically the Chinese grass can also be cut with conventional secateurs.

But the smaller this is, the more effort awaits you and the more time you need. In addition, the scissor cut usually does not offer you a straight cutting plane and the risk of injury is significantly higher. This is because you have to reach over or through the stalks that have already been cut with your hand. These are usually quite sharp-edged and can cause painful wounds. If you use a knife, it should be sharp and long-bladed.

cleanliness

A key factor is using clean cutting tools. The Chinese reed is very robust against diseases, but this plant is not safe from fungal infections either. In many cases, fungi are transferred via contaminated cutting tools. It is therefore important that you disinfect it before using it. Simply put it in 70 percent or 80 percent alcohol (isopropanol) for two minutes and let it air dry for a few minutes. Alternatively, you can also use a disinfectant spray such as Sagrotan.

Protective measures

The dried stalks can be very sharp-edged and small pieces fly through the air when they are cut. It is therefore important that you protect yourself adequately against injuries and that you use gloves and protective goggles when cutting.

Binding material

To make cutting as easy as possible, it is advisable to prepare some ribbons, especially if it is a large and / or tall Chinese grass. Divide the stalks into several tufts and tie them together lightly. In this way, you can cut off the stalks more easily and have placed them in handy parts, which makes it easier to dispose of / transport them with little effort.

TIP: Incidentally, Chinese reed leftovers can be chopped up and then used as litter for rabbit or guinea pig cages.

Cutting process

The elephant grass is usually shortened with a so-called radical cut. A partial cut is only recommended in exceptional cases.

Radical cut

The Chinese reed is usually always completely cut off to a remaining height of about eight to twelve centimeters. That is roughly the width of a hand. It is ideal if you guide the cutting tool evenly vertically through the stalks. Once you have tied these in individual sections, the cut is made from tuft to tuft.

Should spring unexpectedly surprise early with mild temperatures and the first shoots are already showing, the cut must not include. This means that the radical cut ends for all stalks at the height where the new shoots are. If there are numerous new shoots, only the outer stalks should be shortened so as not to accidentally injure or cut off new shoots. This would cause unsightly brown shoot tips.

TIP: Incidentally, after a Chinese reed radical cut, the perfect moment is given when you can set up the situation for propagation by means of root division.

Health cut

In some cases, Chinese reeds can (mostly) develop illnesses due to incorrect care or the choice of location only extend over part of the Chinese grass before slowly spreading to the rest of the plant spread. This can happen, for example, in the event of rot. Some stalks then lose their stability, lean down, become very soft or even mushy. The only thing that will help here is pruning to get the rot under control and protect the rest of the plant. Cut off the affected stalks directly above the surface of the earth and then lay them down a little Free your fingers from the earth, so that no water from the earth's surface can get into the open stalks can.

TIP: It is advisable to replace the wet soil with dry soil in this area and, above all, to identify and remedy the cause of the rot in the elephant grass. This significantly increases the chance that the Chinese reed will recover from the rot and not spread any further.