When is the best time to plant sweet elephant grass?

Sweet elephant grass is a perennial herb with strong adaptability and rapid growth. It has multiple uses, high nutritional value, high protein and sugar content, and good palatability. It is a favorite feed for animals such as cattle, sheep, pigs, geese, rabbits, grass carp , bamboo rats and guinea pigs. It can also be used as an ornamental plant, papermaking raw material, fiberboard manufacturing, handicrafts , etc. So when is the best time to plant sweet elephant grass?

When is the best time to plant sweet elephant grass?

When the temperature rises above 14℃ in spring, sweet elephant grass can be planted. In the warm areas in the south, seedlings can be raised at any time, while in the northern regions it is best to start from April to October.

How to grow sweet elephant grass

1. Site selection and land preparation

Sweet elephant grass prefers deep, loose, fertile, sunny and well-drained soil. Before planting, deep plowing should be carried out to remove weeds and stones, make the soil small and loose, and apply sufficient farmyard manure as base fertilizer.

2. Planting time

In the frost-free southern regions, sweet elephant grass can be cultivated all year round. In northern regions with frost, the best planting time is from April to October each year.

3. Choose the seeding season

Select mature, healthy, disease- and insect-free sweet elephant grass stem nodes as seedlings. Sweet elephant grass can be propagated asexually through stem node cuttings or rhizome division and transplantation, and can be rapidly expanded.

5. Planting seeds

Insert the seed nodes at a 45-degree angle to the ground or place them flat in the ditch, with a plant spacing of 50-60 cm and a row spacing of 80-100 cm. Cover with 2-3 cm of fine soil, press gently, and then water enough at one time to ensure the soil is moist.

6. Field management

(1) Timely seedling replacement

After transplanting sweet elephant grass, continue to water it to keep it moist, and replant the areas where there are missing seedlings in time to ensure the survival rate.

(2) Intertillage and weeding

Carry out 1-2 tillage and weeding before the plants are planted in ridges to reduce weed competition, and apply fertilizer at the appropriate time.

(3) Watering and fertilizing

Sweet elephant grass loves water and needs to be watered regularly, especially during long dry spells on sunny days. At the same time, sweet elephant grass is fertilizer-loving and requires multiple topdressing at appropriate times to promote tillering and growth.

In general, the economic benefits of sweet elephant grass are very good. If you are considering planting sweet elephant grass, you can first master the planting techniques.