Subject: Re: Pruning pampas grass

From: [email-masked] (Gordon Depew)
Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 21:32:00 GMT

In Article <[email-masked]> "[email-masked] (Deborah Pearce)" says:
> Any suggestions are the best tools for the least work to trim last year's 
> growth on pampas grass down to the crown in preparation for this year's growth?
> 
> Didi Pearce
> 
> 
> We're all bozos on this bus.
> 
>  *<:o)<mf>
> 
> 
> 
 
I'll be anxious to hear what others have to offer, but here's what we do...
actually we did it last weekend.
 
First wear long sleeves and heavy gloves and eye protection.  Pampas grass
can give you a nasty gash.  You WILL get lots of small "paper cuts" anyway.
 
Gather the blades up and tie them several places with strong cord, like a 
sheaf of wheat.  Then use hedge trimmers to go around the base at the level 
you want.  AFter going around, have your help mate pull the sheaf over and 
start trimming the core.  When you finish you can carry most of your cut
grass to the curb etc with the cords.
 
By the way, how is pampas grass for composting?  Probably have to chop it
up I guess.
 
Gordon Depew

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From: [email-masked] (FES Network Administrator = Garry)
Date: 3 Mar 1995 01:35:15 GMT

>We're all bozos on this bus.
Yes, use a blow torch and roast it back to nothing.. 8)

On the serious side, get a good pair of gloves and use either
hand hedge trimmers or an electric trimmer for the bulk; finish
up with hand held clippers.

Good Luck,

Garry

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From: [email-masked] (Debbie Long)
Date: 5 Mar 1995 16:56:38 GMT

I agree with Chris Owens. Large pruning shears seem to work best. Also 
keep a good rake handy for cleaning up the mess you will find around the 
yard after trimming. Yea...it does make good compost but it takes awhile 
to break down unless you can shread it some way. Anyway have fun!

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From: [email-masked] (SunGardens)
Date: 5 Mar 1995 21:22:18 -0500

We use a weed eater with a metal blade.

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From: [email-masked] (SunGardens)
Date: 5 Mar 1995 21:22:18 -0500

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From: [email-masked] (Harry Boswell)
Date: 7 Mar 1995 16:04:17 GMT

I'm coming in on this thread late, so please forgive if I'm re-asking the
original question - but, is it really necessary to prune this stuff?  
I've got three clumps just behind my garage, that have stayed green this 
winter.  I haven't pruned it before (it's only been there three years) -
what will happen if I just leave it?

--
Harry Boswell                 [email-masked]  
Information Technology Laboratory
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers        Vicksburg, MS

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From: Steve Roys <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 11:16:02 -0500

Pruning grasses is a topic that is dear to my heart.  I have about 200 
linear feet of (mainly large) ornamental grasses that need to be cut down 
every spring, and it's not a real fun job.  I have tried hand pruners, 
hand-powered hedge clippers, and electric hedge clippers and none of them 
are very easy (the hand-powered options were impossible and the hedge 
clippers weren't a whole lot better).  I always end up with grass cuts 
and the like no matter what I wear or how I do it! If I only had one or two 
plants, then the electric clippers would be fine, but with a lot of 
plants to do, it's a real pain (not to mention my grasses are in the field 
about 200' from my house and I need a few long extension cords to reach 
out there).  I am going to get a gas-powered trimmer with a brush-blade 
this year and give that a try, and I imagine that a sickle-bar mower 
would also work.

One other method that I've give more than a little thought to is to just 
toss a match into the plot and step back.  This would be by far the 
easiest way to get ready for spring and the way that nature would normally 
take in the wild, but I imagine that my neighbors and the local fire 
department would not be quite as pleased as I would be.  I have actually 
torched a few individual grasses in my garden that were not close to 
anything else that could catch fire and it worked just fine!

Regardless, good luck and have fun!

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From: [email-masked] (Martin Tom Brown)
Date: Mon, 6 Mar 1995 14:28:57 +0000

> to break down unless you can shread it some way. Anyway have fun!

Yes. I had a 9' cube clump of the stuff. It is pretty much like trying 
to prune a man eating hacksaw blade plant. Not my idea of fun at all!
More satisfying to burn the prunings if it's legal where you live.
It does *eventually* compost. Good luck!!

Regards,
-- 
Martin Brown  <[email-masked]>     __                CIS: 71651,470
Scientific Software Consultancy             /^,,)__/