While the pampas grass leaves do not grow to any significant height, the flowers reach up to two and a half meters towards the sky – but only in the summer months, usually around August, but into the winter. Since the plant comes from warmer climates, it prefers a sunny location in the garden. Ideally, this is also protected from the wind so that the long stalks do not break on stormy days. Otherwise, American pampas grass is quite easy to care for, but it still can’t cope without help: so that the plant can show off its most beautiful side, it is important to cut back the ornamental grass in spring. Everything you need to know about the plant (from care to pruning to overwintering) can be read here.
Regardless of whether you want to plant an ornamental grass with white or pink flowers in your garden – the following tips apply to both varieties: As far as the location is concerned, the plant prefers nutrient-rich and permeable soil so that it does not become waterlogged (and thus rot). can form. If the soil is very solid, it can also be enriched with sand. However, if there is a lack of nutrients, compost should be added to the humus-rich soil – preferably combined with a fertilizer for ornamental grasses. The best time to plant pampas grass is spring. After the Ice Saints. This gives the plant enough time to grow before the temperatures drop again.
Note: Keep in mind that pampas grass can not only grow very tall, but also expand in width. Keep a sufficient distance (at least one meter) from surrounding plants.
Theoretically, pampas grass is an easy-care plant. However, if there is drought over a longer period of time, it is recommended to water the soil regularly – otherwise the flowers could be sparse in summer. If the soil is particularly sandy, the good nutrients are washed out by the rain. In this case, it is advisable to fertilize the plant regularly (preferably in spring) with fertile compost soil from the garden. Alternatively, horn shavings are also suitable as a natural source of nutrients for ornamental grasses.
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To ensure that ornamental grasses have enough strength to sprout again, radical pruning is recommended. The best time for this is mid-May, after the Ice Saints. If you don’t trim the pampas grass, new shoots will still grow out between the dried stalks – but it won’t look as nice and fewer flowers will appear. To remove last year’s growth including dead leaves and flowers, use sharp secateurs or electric hedge trimmers. Before following the steps below, be sure to put on long gardening gloves to protect your arms. The leaves have very sharp edges and can cause cuts.
To protect the heart of the plant from water after pruning, it should be done on a rain-free day. Then do the following:
The heat-loving ornamental grass doesn’t like winter – even if it is becoming increasingly milder in Germany. However, it is not the falling temperatures that can damage the plant, but rather the winter rain and dew water. For this reason, it is important to protect the free-standing plant from falling temperatures by the end of November at the latest. This works best by tying the long stalks together with a rope in the upper third (and not cutting them off!). This means that the leaves act like a kind of protective barrier around the delicate heart of the ornamental grass. It can also help to lay dried autumn leaves around the root area of the plant and cover them with brushwood or something similar so that they cannot fly away.
Source: My beautiful garden, Baldur Garden
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