Miscanthus do eventually die out in the center, but at 2 years I don't think it needs dividing as yet. If you want to, by all means go for it. It will definately be easier to divide now than 5 years down the road ! ;) But they do grow by gradually expanding in a ring around the old growth.

Your foliage might be stunted some this year, but i don't believe it will harm the "fall plumage" as I jokenly call it. Grasses are tough bugers and always seem to bounce back. Next year, you won't know anything happened.

Blackie

I agree w/ B57 on the tough statement and the dieing centers. One thing that I have noticed is the centers of grasses generally are the last to show growth.

You might also experience some unattractive or dismal fall display of inflorescence due to the weed whacking but next year should be back to normal unless you split the grasses.

My ideas on this are the centers do not "heat up" in the spring until the grass has been trimmed back. The sun and warm temps heat up the edges but the centers take a little longer to thaw out.

(tongue in cheek here) your weed whacking dilemma reads like a law suit in the making. Mental anguish, loss of person property, personal damage to ones body as you work the landscape to bring it back to its "before damage" quality.

Jake

yes, Miscanthus and especially "gracimillus" are tough. i suppose you could cut the plant evenly and see if it grows back up enough to flower, it will try to grow back this year. the beautiful shape of the plant will be lost this year thou,

Miscanthus grows like a city... the thicker and newer parts are in the suburbs, each year spreading out a little more, while the city falls to urban blight eventually. two years even if bought at a 5 gallon size still sounds pretty young, with some prime years ahead