We inherited a huge clump of pampas grass at the front of our new home
(PNW). My questions are these:

Does this stuff ever die back?

Can we shear it in the fall or winter, to help tame it?

What is the best way to remove it?

It is planted in the front of the house, in front of a double picture
window. It's huge, and I think it's pretty ugly. I wouldn't mind
getting rid of it altogether, but is there any way to do that?

Could it have affected the foundation of our home (since it is planted
at the base)?

TIA for any advice. We also have some butt-ugly evergreen things on
either side, and a red Japanese maple to move. Sigh. Luckily the
rest of the yard is gorgeous.

-L.

It depends on local weather and the exact type of grass, but in general
it turns brown in the fall and falls down in early spring. You can cut it
down anytime. You can dig up the clump and/or use non-specific week killer
like Roundup(tm) anytime it is growing.

If you want to get rid of it, I would suggest cutting it down, waiting
for a little new growth about three inches high and then hitting it with the
week killer. Hit it a week later and maybe a third time. Then plan on
digging it out when you finally get it all.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math


"Lyn" wrote in message
om...
We inherited a huge clump of pampas grass at the front of our new home
(PNW). My questions are these:

Does this stuff ever die back?

Can we shear it in the fall or winter, to help tame it?

What is the best way to remove it?

It is planted in the front of the house, in front of a double picture
window. It's huge, and I think it's pretty ugly. I wouldn't mind
getting rid of it altogether, but is there any way to do that?

Could it have affected the foundation of our home (since it is planted
at the base)?

TIA for any advice. We also have some butt-ugly evergreen things on
either side, and a red Japanese maple to move. Sigh. Luckily the
rest of the yard is gorgeous.

-L.

Cut it down as close to the ground as you can. This takes time. Then, with a
strong fork, start chipping out chunks of the plant till it's all gone. Voila,
no more pampas grass. If by chance some comes up here or there, merely pull it
out. No need for pesticides to kill it. Mechanically remove it.


On 3 Jul 2003 23:30:28 -0700, (Lyn) wrote:

We inherited a huge clump of pampas grass at the front of our new home
(PNW). My questions are these:

Does this stuff ever die back?

Can we shear it in the fall or winter, to help tame it?

What is the best way to remove it?

It is planted in the front of the house, in front of a double picture
window. It's huge, and I think it's pretty ugly. I wouldn't mind
getting rid of it altogether, but is there any way to do that?

Could it have affected the foundation of our home (since it is planted
at the base)?

TIA for any advice. We also have some butt-ugly evergreen things on
either side, and a red Japanese maple to move. Sigh. Luckily the
rest of the yard is gorgeous.

-L.

While you are right, that could be done, it is a pain with many
varieties and often you do miss some. I like the added step of the
herbicide (not pesticide ;-) ) to make the job easier, but as you noted it
is not really necessary.

--
Joseph E. Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math


"animaux" wrote in message
...
Cut it down as close to the ground as you can. This takes time. Then,
with a
strong fork, start chipping out chunks of the plant till it's all gone.
Voila,
no more pampas grass. If by chance some comes up here or there, merely
pull it
out. No need for pesticides to kill it. Mechanically remove it.


On 3 Jul 2003 23:30:28 -0700, (Lyn) wrote:

We inherited a huge clump of pampas grass at the front of our new home
(PNW). My questions are these:

Does this stuff ever die back?

Can we shear it in the fall or winter, to help tame it?

What is the best way to remove it?

It is planted in the front of the house, in front of a double picture
window. It's huge, and I think it's pretty ugly. I wouldn't mind
getting rid of it altogether, but is there any way to do that?

Could it have affected the foundation of our home (since it is planted
at the base)?

TIA for any advice. We also have some butt-ugly evergreen things on
either side, and a red Japanese maple to move. Sigh. Luckily the
rest of the yard is gorgeous.

-L.

I've had good luck with some strategically placed dynamite, but you'll have
to be careful with it so close to your foundation.



"Lyn" wrote in message
om...
We inherited a huge clump of pampas grass at the front of our new home
(PNW). My questions are these:

Does this stuff ever die back?

Can we shear it in the fall or winter, to help tame it?

What is the best way to remove it?

It is planted in the front of the house, in front of a double picture
window. It's huge, and I think it's pretty ugly. I wouldn't mind
getting rid of it altogether, but is there any way to do that?

Could it have affected the foundation of our home (since it is planted
at the base)?

TIA for any advice. We also have some butt-ugly evergreen things on
either side, and a red Japanese maple to move. Sigh. Luckily the
rest of the yard is gorgeous.

-L.

In article ,
(Lyn) wrote:

We inherited a huge clump of pampas grass at the front of our new home
(PNW). My questions are these:

Does this stuff ever die back?

No.

Can we shear it in the fall or winter, to help tame it?

What is the best way to remove it?

Shovel. When we bought the house, the back yard had an enormous clump of
butt-ugly pampas grass, one of the crappiest homeliest gardened plants
that exists. It was not especially difficult to dig up, & no remnant of
its root ever generated a new plant.

-paghat the ratgirl

It is planted in the front of the house, in front of a double picture
window. It's huge, and I think it's pretty ugly. I wouldn't mind
getting rid of it altogether, but is there any way to do that?

Could it have affected the foundation of our home (since it is planted
at the base)?

TIA for any advice. We also have some butt-ugly evergreen things on
either side, and a red Japanese maple to move. Sigh. Luckily the
rest of the yard is gorgeous.

-L.

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/

In article ,
(paghat) writes:
|
| Shovel. When we bought the house, the back yard had an enormous clump of
| butt-ugly pampas grass, one of the crappiest homeliest gardened plants
| that exists. It was not especially difficult to dig up, & no remnant of
| its root ever generated a new plant.

If well-grown and in an appropriate location, it is very
attractive - even spectacular. If not, not.

It burns well, too, and doing so before starting to remove it
can save a lot of blood and cursing. Alternatively chain mail.

I can't see any point in using a herbicide, because dead pampas
grass leaves don't fall off and are as sharp as live ones.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Whatever you do, wear thick gloves, HEAVY JEANS AND SHIRT, before you tackle
this job. The blades of pampas grass are very sharp and will leave little
nicks all over your body. I actually like it when it's planted in
appropriate spots, so I divided a clump at my house in Florida. I think it
took me a week to recover......LOL.. It does have a large root system, but
if your soil is open enough, and you soften the ground first by thorough
watering, you can dig it out - it's not like tree roots.
"Lyn" wrote in message
om...
We inherited a huge clump of pampas grass at the front of our new home
(PNW). My questions are these:

Does this stuff ever die back?

Can we shear it in the fall or winter, to help tame it?

What is the best way to remove it?

It is planted in the front of the house, in front of a double picture
window. It's huge, and I think it's pretty ugly. I wouldn't mind
getting rid of it altogether, but is there any way to do that?

Could it have affected the foundation of our home (since it is planted
at the base)?

TIA for any advice. We also have some butt-ugly evergreen things on
either side, and a red Japanese maple to move. Sigh. Luckily the
rest of the yard is gorgeous.

-L.

"gregpresley" wrote in message ...
Whatever you do, wear thick gloves, HEAVY JEANS AND SHIRT, before you tackle
this job. The blades of pampas grass are very sharp and will leave little
nicks all over your body. I actually like it when it's planted in
appropriate spots, so I divided a clump at my house in Florida. I think it
took me a week to recover......LOL.. It does have a large root system, but
if your soil is open enough, and you soften the ground first by thorough
watering, you can dig it out - it's not like tree roots.

Thanks to all who responded. While I think it could be attractive
elsewhere, where we have it, it is NOT. The Pampas Grass has GOT TO
GO!

-L.

Lyn wrote:
"gregpresley" wrote in message ...

Whatever you do, wear thick gloves, HEAVY JEANS AND SHIRT, before you tackle
this job. The blades of pampas grass are very sharp and will leave little
nicks all over your body. I actually like it when it's planted in
appropriate spots, so I divided a clump at my house in Florida. I think it
took me a week to recover......LOL.. It does have a large root system, but
if your soil is open enough, and you soften the ground first by thorough
watering, you can dig it out - it's not like tree roots.


Thanks to all who responded. While I think it could be attractive
elsewhere, where we have it, it is NOT. The Pampas Grass has GOT TO
GO!

We have a lot of it at the golf course I worked at recently. It was
cut back every spring and got to a point we had to remove some of
the huge clumps. We could only get them out with a backhoe, then a
chain around the exposed roots. Nothing else worked. A coworker
had it at his home and it took over. He worked at it nightly for 2
weeks and couldn't get it out. He paid a company a pretty hefty sum
to spend 2 more days getting it out. Couldn't fit a tractor into
his backyard.