Don’t pamper your pampas!
Pampas is much tougher than you might think. Peter explains how you can get the measure of it
ACOMMON recommendation when it comes to the pruning of cortaderia (pampas grass) is to set fire to the mass of dead foliage in spring. I would think twice about this if I were you as I well remember the late Percy Thrower demonstrating the process on BBC Gardeners’ World. In the event it certainly caught fire – enough, in fact, to have someone telephone the fire brigade for help!
Pampas grasses look magnificent at this time of year and before the winter gales break the stems, or fold over plumes leaving them looking forlorn, rather like dirty washing!
It’s important to select the right cultivar for todays’ smaller garden. Cortaderia ‘Pumila’ is one that is neat and compact in the early stages of growth. However be careful as, given time, even this one can spread and take up a lot of space. Out of the flowering and plumed season the foliage looks pretty ragged through the winter. But it’s tough too when the old leaves are hacked back in the spring.
If you are considering buying a pampas grass then now, when the plumes are present, is a good time to see the height, shape and form of the leaves and plumes. If the plumes are tall, feathery and thin then the chances are they are seed raised and likely to be very vigorous.
“It’s important to select the right cultivar”
I have had the variegated leaved, Cortaderia ‘Silver Feather’ growing in a large pot for many years (certainly ten). Pot growing is the best way in my view. The root restriction keeps the growth compact and plants can be moved into full view when at their best, then taken out of sight at other times of year.