Pruning Pampas Grass

Pampas Grass leaves are usually preened back naturally via freezing temperatures leaving brownish leaves in it's wake. Eventhough these leaves still fundamentally do their job of providing a screen or hedge, that's not all there is to pruning this beauty, there comes a time when you'll start cutting back the pampas grass. Before the new growth of the green ornamental grass leaves start to emerge in the spring, you'll want to prune away all the brown leaves and dead material that's accumulated. All though it will not take you long to do the job you should definitely be prepared for this little chore. The blades of this plant can be quite painful. They are sharp and produce cuts very similar to paper-cuts and in bunches.

Plan on wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt as well as gloves. Protective glasses should also be worn since the blades of the grass will cut through the skin on the hands and legs and your face.

When you do it, make sure you wear gloves, then hold all the grass up and wrap some tape around it. This way once you cut it theres almost no clean up. Simply pick up the clumps.

Pruning Pampas grass is really the only trouble this plant will ever give you. They are a very low maintenance landscape feature. Pampas grass is rarely bothered by insects or diseases, and is quite drought tolerant once it is established. It will respond well to fertilization. If you add two pounds of a slow release fertilizer like per 100 square feet of hedge you will have a thick grass screen with plenty of feathery blooms in no time.