Burning Pompous Grass ??

[deepNdirt]

anyone here ever try burning off their Pompous grass? I google the subject but got very little useful info, I have over dozen of the plants and have grew very large and become an eyesore, I usually been cutting them back with a chainsaw each year in early spring but haven't done so in 2 years, Now they are all dried up and looking half dead..... been think of setting them a-fire although don't want to finish killing them ,, just need to get them back manageable again, what You Folks think

 

[dcyrilc]

anyone here ever try burning off their Pompous grass? I google the subject but got very little useful info, I have over dozen of the plants and have grew very large and become an eyesore, I usually been cutting them back with a chainsaw each year in early spring but haven't done so in 2 years, Now they are all dried up and looking half dead..... been think of setting them a-fire although don't want to finish killing them ,, just need to get them back manageable again, what You Folks think

Stihl gas powered hedge trimmer. Works great for trimming stuff back. Kinda like a hand held sickle mower.

One thought about reducing the size might be to trim down the root ball after trimming the dead follage. Seems like it would be a lot of work though.

 

[mustangsallysdad]

Lot's of experience with Pampas grass...first off, when the base of the plant reaches about 20" in diameter, take a spade and divide it by half. Second, after the killing frost in the fall, I cut it down to around 4-8" high. Third, around the first or second week of March, light it up. Been doing it for years and it works really well. Another tip, take a piece of bailing string and tie an eye in one end of it, use it as a cinch around the base of the plant in the fall when cutting back. If pulled good and tight, it's almost like cutting through a solid piece of wood. I use manual, 2 handled hedge trimmers or sometimes the weed whacker with the brush blade to cut back. I do the dividing after the first frost in fall when I have them cut back...makes it easier to get to. Hope this helps.

 

[charlz]

Another tip, take a piece of bailing string and tie an eye in one end of it, use it as a cinch around the base of the plant in the fall when cutting back. If pulled good and tight, it's almost like cutting through a solid piece of wood.

This is what I do, bundle it tight and cut it off with the chainsaw.

 

[/pine]

Pompous Grass

As opposed to Humble Grass?

sorry couldn't resist...

 

[deepNdirt]

As opposed to Humble Grass?

sorry couldn't resist...

well the spell checker could leave well enough alone

but now that you mention it.. some of the things I found about pompas grass is offer by burning it sometimes in Jan. to give good prosper throughout the year, I guess that somewhat makes it humble:laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

As opposed to Humble Grass?

sorry couldn't resist...

Yeah, I was thinking if it had attitude, maybe it deserved a good burning. :laughing:

 

[two_bit_score]

I think about the only way to really kill it is to dig it all up. Burning just seems to clean it up a little and give it a fresh start.

 

[SensibleNick]

I'd burn it.

And I'd be ready to dowse it too. That stuff can really go.

Cortaderia selloana - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If you want it to survive and get back to it's original self, then I suggest a controlled burn: Soak the core with water, and be ready to put the fire out once you get it to the base. I read somwehere that this stuff usually burns in the wild and survives happily.

Here... read the bottom post on this thread.
http://www.gardenbanter.co.uk/united-kingdom/110732-advice-sought-pruning-pampas-grass.html