Plus and minus of rot resistant ornamental grasses
Green thumbs up
to the staying power of maiden grass, a.k.a. Chinese silver
grass (Miscanthus sinensis) in the winter landscape. Even
after it's flattened by snow and ice it comes back upright after a
thaw. This strength and rot resistance makes it a good material for
thatched roofs.
Green thumbs down
to too much staying power. If you compost your ornamental
grasses, chop the Miscanthus unless you want to keep
looking at whole stems for years. Decomposing microorganisms will
find more places to work if there are more cut surfaces, and in the
meanwhile the shorter pieces blend better with the mulch.
If you spread it as mulch, don't leave it whole unless you
want to find it that way next spring, and for years to
come!
6 cuts later:
