How to Grow Pampas Grass

Pampas grass with pink tufts

Pampas grass is named after the Pampas plain lands in southern South America where this group of ornamental grasses is so common it’s considered a bit of a pest. It’s overrun much of southern California as well as many of the drier southern states. Pampas grass is easily recognizable as an adult as it forms a clump about 4 feet wide comprised of thick, fleshy, vertical stalks. These stalks can grow to be well over 6 feet high in just a few years after their seeds take root. The top of the grass is comprised of about a foot of pink, yellow or white fluff like flowers which are often used in dried flower decorations. If in the right conditions you’ll find that it’s harder to kill this plant than keep it alive. Here is a guide on how to grow Pampas grass from seeds, of which a single stalk of Pampas grass can produce over a million in it’s lifetime.

Things You'll Need

• Several 24-inch diameter flower pots
• Lightweight compost
• Perlite
• Moss
• Potting soil
• 15-15-15 NPK fertilizer
• Water
• Pampas seeds

Instructions

1. Begin by taking your Pampas seeds and soaking them in warm water for an hour to encourage successful germination.

2. Fill the flower pots with a mixture of soils. You need a soil that dries quickly and is not heavy or something prone to packing down tightly. Don’t use clay. A mixture containing equal parts potting soil, compost, and moss with a little few handfuls of perlite thrown into each pot will work well.

3. Push two seeds down about 3 inches into the soil of each pot. Place them in unobstructed full sunlight and keep them out of the rain. Check the soil moisture by pressing your finger all the way into the soil and then removing it. If it comes out wet then the seeds need no water. Only water it when your finger comes out dry. In a month you should have several good sized seedlings growing.

4. Water the plants regularly. Every few days should be OK. Fertilize each plant once a week with 15-15-15 NPK fertilizer as they need a lot of nutrition and grow quickly. In a year you should have Pampas grass clumps at least two feet tall. In another year you will need to get a bigger pot or plant the grass outside. They need heavy sunlight and warm tropical or sub tropical weather to thrive outdoors.

Tips & Warnings

• This type of plant can live to be well over 40-years-old and eventually grow to be over 12 feet tall, so don’t grow them unless you’ve got a good spot outdoors to plant them.

• Pampas grass has very sharp edged leaves that should be handled with care. they can cut skin easily. Pampas grass is prone to root rot and should be watered sparingly.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Video instructions of pampas grass care