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Cutting back Pompas

ktscott01
19 years ago

I have cut my pompas back a lot but someone told me I should cut out the center pretty much down to the ground. So the new stuff would grow easier. Anyone know anything about this? Good pratice or not.

Right now I trimed up the side and cut it to a height of about 3'.

Comments (12)

  • donn_
    19 years ago

    My books say to cut your Pampas Grass back to about 6".

  • ktscott01
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    thank you sir.

  • sdafamily
    18 years ago

    would this grass winter over uncut?

  • pjalst
    18 years ago

    I was talking to a friend about planting pompas grass. I like the look and think it would look nice in the corner of my yard. To my dismay, he told me that this grass was very invasive and If it got out of control, My whole yard will be overun. Is this true? I've seen some gardens containing this grass and they didn't look "out of control". Is there any special maintenance on this grass to keep it under control?

  • donn_
    18 years ago

    Pampas Grass, Cortaderia selloana, may or may not be winter hardy in zone 5. If it is, it certainly won't be invasive.

  • summeronmymind
    18 years ago

    I have pompas grass at the coast of NC. It gets bigger and takes up more room every year. One year I hired somebody to try to dig it out (just like I tried to get rid of the yucca plants one year). That pompas grass came back with a vengeance, just like the yuccas.
    One summer one of my kids was told not to play with firecrackers. He was on the deck, heard me coming, and threw a firecracker from the deck into the pompas grass. The pompas grass caught fire and the fireman sprayed it with a fire extinguisher. The pompas grass stayed healthy, despite fire and spray.
    I have been told that the only way to get rid of pompas grass is to move.

  • donn_
    18 years ago

    First of all, guys, it's Pampas Grass, not Pompas Grass. It's Cortaderia selloana.

    Secondly, you don't have to move from a zone 7 climate to get rid of it. You can dig it all out, or hit it with an herbicide like RoundUp and take care of it nicely. Burning it to the ground won't kill it.

    Most cultivars of C. selloana are barely hardy to zone 7, so it isn't overly invasive. It'll grow in girth, but will have a hard time setting viable seed, and won't self-seed much.

    Frequently, other large grasses are called Pampas Grass, even though they aren't. Some of them are much hardier and much more invasive in zone 7 and colder climates. Make sure you know what your grass is.

  • summeronmymind
    18 years ago

    Indeed, it is pampas, and we call it that, too. However, I assumed in my response that I was addressing a colloquialism from somewhere, and decided to do what the Romans do when in Rome...
    I agree that it isn't overly invasive - at least not in the sense of sending out runners or climbing and choking. Or in the way of yuccas. However, it will get quite large, as you say, in diameter. Also, it is sturdy and the digging removal method requies a lot of work, not to mention dealing with those rather sharp blades on the grass. I've never sprayed herbicide on it, but I assume you would have to cut it down low first.(?)

  • donn_
    18 years ago

    summer...you wouldn't have to cut it down first, in fact, RoundUp, or one of it's equivalents (glyphosate) would probably kill it faster if the full live foliage is sprayed.

  • wineglut_lycos_com
    16 years ago

    I had a problem with Pampas grass getting too large in my profesionally landscaped yard. Cutting it back severely had no effect on controlling size. In desparation I applied Ethephon (brand name Florel)growth regulator at 1000 ppm on foliage three times at two week intervals in the late Spring when the plants were at the perfect size. It stopped the growth and the plants have remained attractive all summer and they are blooming now. They look a little different, very lacy and are less than 1/2 the size of last year. I expect some carryover of vigor reduction next year and will probably cut back the application a bit next year.

  • jarenoe_gmail_com
    13 years ago

    why did noone answer the op

  • donn_
    13 years ago

    "why did noone answer the op"

    I answered it in the second post, nearly 6 years ago.

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