I'm no fan of
Pampas Grass, but I understand that it has a purpose. Generally, to attract snakes and wasps, but also to hide unsightly areas that you can't improve. If you can't improve it, hide it, and pampas grass is just the ticket in these climes. Still, I'm not a fan.
I have this little patch in the front yard. I'm not crazy about it, but it hides a sewerage lift station, a very important piece of infrastructure in a suburban environment. We want to get rid of the sewerage, but we don't necessarily want a lift station in our front yard. If we have a lift station, we want to hide it.
When we moved into the house in 2003, the previous owners had it all over the boundary. I've eradicated it everywhere but around the lift station, because it hides the machinery. However, it sits on a corner, and as it grew, it got bigger. Family and neighbors were complaining that they were having trouble seeing around the pampas grass to look for oncoming traffic. I understood their concerns, and this morning I resolved to address those concerns.
I began with hedge clippers. The grass laughed at my hedge clippers, so I stepped up to a machete, a nice, two-handed blade that I use for clearing brush on the deer lease. The grass shrugged at the machete. I could see that I was fighting a losing battle, and I don't intend to lose a battle to an invasive species, so I put away the machete and resorted to the tool that rednecks keep in reserve. The chainsaw.
It ain't pretty, but any motorist can see around that corner now. I didn't go all the way to the dirt, but I'll assure you that the pampas grass knows I've been there. The next time I put RoundUp in the spayer, I'll have to remember to walk out there and add insult to injury.
I had to hook the Mule to a trailer to haul off the debris. There was a lot of vegetable matter on the ground and it filled the trailer to overflowing.
But, now the yard is mowed and the pampas grass is trimmed. If you'll excuse me, I believe I need a shower.
6 comments:
Another tool the pampas grass would not have shrugged off is my 500,000 BTU propane weed burner. Just make sure that you have a charged hose handy...
What Rivrdog said. I generally burn my pampas grass every 2 yrs. However, mine doesn't hide a sewage lift station.
BTW, D,
I don't know if Roundup will kill pampas grass; it's incredibly tough grass. Try it and give us a report.
Stuff is damn near as tough as bamboo... sigh
do a double strength round up, gently misted onto the leaves. But that needs to be done BEFORE you chainsaw it down as round up is absorbed through the leaves and is deactivated by contact with dirt.
Or you could put growless down now and it will reduce foliage growth by 30-50% as it recovers.
I discovered your wonderful blog just now and impressed with your thoughts and efforts to bring the grass into the right shape. I also happy to see your great consideration on the complaining issue of the neighbors. Weed burner could be an alternative solution. It's true any types of high grass or bushes can cause the trouble for the passerby or vehicles especially beside a turning point of a road. At the same time there are many guys who like to get their rooms grass decor even wedding planners love to see pampas grass decor. Anyway I appreciate your excellent job and would like to say my cordial thanks for sharing it to us.
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