How to Micropropagate Miscanthus

Miscanthus is a tall grass plant — very similar to corn — that is being grown as an alternative to corn for transformation into bio-fuels. The plant is easy to grow and can produce significantly more biomass per acre than corn. The grass is asexual and propagates by rhizome creation and division. Micropropagation is the human induced asexual propagation of a plant using plant tissue. Using the rhizomes created by miscanthus, new plants may be propagated pretty easily

Miscanthus plant
Hand trowel
Shovel
Water

Instructions

- 1
  Collect rhizomes from a parent plant. If the plant is a year old, you should be able to separate around 10 rhizomes from the base. If the plant is 2 years old, you may be able to get up to 25 rhizomes for replanting.
- 2
  Wash off the rhizomes thoroughly and refrigerate them if you are not going to plant them immediately.
- 3
  Plant your rhizomes in spring after the danger of frost has passed. Rhizomes should be planted 4 inches deep and spaced 3 feet apart in rows separated by 3 feet.
- 4
  Water the soil thoroughly after planting. Continue to keep soil moist throughout the first year of the new plant's life.
- 5
  Weed the soil around the new miscanthus rhizomes regularly through spring and summer to help encourage miscanthus growth.

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