By 7332len
United Kingdom 
I have 2 enormous pampas grass plants in my garden left by the previous owners how do I look after these plants I have tried cutting down the grasses from the bottom but shears, strimmer and hedge trimmer just get clogged please help
27 Jun, 2015
Answers
I don't recommend burning; it will quickly get out of control and burn down your neighbor's house. Cut it as close to the ground as possible. Wearing garden gloves, grab a bunch of stalks at a time and cut with garden shears, repeat until entire clump is cut down about 2 inches above the ground.
Apply herbicide like Roundup. Repeat the treatment seven days later. Monitor the location regularly, spraying newly sprouted pampas grass with the glyphosate herbicide.
27 Jun, 2015
That's why I said to be careful.
27 Jun, 2015
If it is as wet with you as it has been with us simply burn but watch carefully to ensure nothing else goes up!
27 Jun, 2015
Check your local fire code to be sure it's even legal to burn. Burning wet grass? That will smoke like crazy.
27 Jun, 2015
Folk burn stuff in their gardens, including herbage, all the time in the UK Bathgate.
27 Jun, 2015
These grasses burn so hot and so fast, I can see them easily getting out of control. Wet grass will smoke like a caldron.
27 Jun, 2015
The RHS advice is:
Pruning
Cut and comb out the previous year's stems and dead foliage annually in late winter or early spring, taking care to avoid the sharp leaf margins.
Assuming that they have gone beyond just needing a prune, you still need to cut out the plumes before attempting to burn them. Take normal bonfire precautions - don't set fire to them if they're near to a timber fence or the house and have several buckets of water and/or a hose pipe with a strong jet ready to hand. And don't try to burn both at the same time. Damping it down before burning might make it smoke but should slow down the burning. Check if your local council has any restrictions on garden bonfires and warn your neighbours, at least two houses either side, so that they don't hang out washing and try to pick a still day so that the smoke and ash isn't blown about too much.
27 Jun, 2015
I use a chainsaw. Some leaves try to clog it, but if they are removed after each pass, the thing is trimmed very quickly and you are left with a lot of leaves to try and get rid of.
28 Jun, 2015
I was going to suggest chainsaw too, but some people like to play with fire it seems.
28 Jun, 2015
It's not everyone who owns a chainsaw!
28 Jun, 2015
You can burn them but you have to be very careful, especially in this hot dry weather.
27 Jun, 2015