Dealing with Pampas Grass

While pampas grass can be an extremely attractive, and fairly easy to care for, ornamental grass it can very easily end up getting out of hand. When that happens you can find dealing with pampas grass to be difficult. That is, it can be difficult if you don't know what you are doing.

1. Tie it together. The first step in dealing with pampas grass is to tie it together. This will allow you to keep positive control of the grass, and make it easier to remove the grass when you are finished. This is best done by using some twine, rope, or string wrapped around the clump of grass, and make it as tight as possible without actually breaking the grass.
2. Cut it down. Once you have finished tying the grass up, you will want to cut it down. Depending on how old the grass is, you will want to use different types of tools. For example, if the grass is fairly young you may want to use hedge trimmers. Grass that has been around for a little while, you could use an electric hedge trimmer, while older grass that has been around for a long while you may want to use a chainsaw (though very carefully). Whatever tool you want to use, cut your grass as close to the ground as possible.
3. Dig it out. After the grass has been cut, you will need to dig out the roots. The reason for this is that most kind of grass will grow back as long as the roots remain. Use a shovel to help dig out around the edge of the remaining clump of grass, and as you dig it out take a look to ensure that no roots remain.
4. Properly dispose of the remains. When the root ball has been dug out, properly dispose of the roots and the grass stalks. Do not put these materials in your compost bin (if you are composting), rather you will want to put them somewhere that will ensure the remains do not spread to other areas of your yard. A good choice would be to place the remains in the garbage bin.
5. Keep an eye out. Even after you have removed the grass and root balls, you will want to double check to ensure that there is nothing remaining. One of the best ways that you can do this is by simply keeping an eye out to see if any shoots start sprouting. If there are, all you need to do is dig that up, out to a range of about one foot away from the new clump. Dispose of those remains as you did earlier, and be sure to once again keep an eye out.

While these instructions will allow you to remove any pampas grass that you have in your landscape, you should double think the situation. Pampas grass can be a great addition to your landscaping, as long as you keep it in check. In such situations though, you will need to keep working to ensure that it doesn't get out of hand, so keep your garden tools within easy reach.