Since spring starts officially next week, I'd say your timing is excellent :-) When I was in hort school, the instructor for the class on OG's drilled into us that cutting back of pretty much any OG can/should be done "late February/early March".

I've cut back my miscanthus (and most other deciduous grasses) as low as I could easily - usually around 4-6 inches. Leaving it higher is optional. It does nothing to benefit the plant nor does cutting it lower detract from the plant. And it will not affect blooming - that is a factor of daylength and heat. Often, warm season grasses in cooler climates do not receive sufficient heat to develop flowerheads/plumes before frost cuts them back - this is very common with late blooming selections like Miscanthus 'Gracillimus'. Even in my zone 8 climate this is not a reliable bloomer because we have very mild summers. There are other selection of miscanthus that bloom earlier - you might want to seek them out.

Thanks gardengal! Now, I'm beginning to understand why it didn't bloom last year. I think I will look into other earlier bloomers.

I grew quite a few varieties of Miscanthus in your zone (Chagrin Falls area) and none of them bloomed reliably. I was in the heart of the snow belt, east of CF, and I had better luck with them if I cut them back in the late fall, and mulched the crowns with coarse woodchips followed by pine boughs.

I'm in what appears to be a perfect climate for Miscanthus now. I started cutting them back last week, and every one bloomed beautifully, beginning in mid-summer. This winter was a lovely zone 8 season, with lots of moisture, and nothing colder than 14°F. I expect a bumper year for the grasses. My gracillimus re-seeds reliably, so I have a steady crop of new babies every year. I got a couple last year with unusually fine foliage, and I have high hopes for them this year.

I cut mine back 4-6 inches, sometimes shorter, and it has bloomed every year thus far for me. The one in more shade blooms less than the one in more sun, but both clumps do bloom.

Karen