How to Cut Pampas Grass With Trimming Tools

Pampas grass produces attractive, showy plumes.

Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) is a large, ornamental grass grown in landscapes throughout the southern half of the U.S. It grows to 10 feet tall and wide and produces showy white or pink plumes borne on upright stalks in late summer. Gardeners grow it as a border or specimen plant or to create a privacy barrier. The leaves of Pampas grass plant have sharp edges that can cut human skin, so do not plant it near patios or walkways. When exposed to freezing temperatures, Pampas grass turns brown and unattractive. Prune it back in the winter to expose new growth in the spring.

Things You'll Need

• Long-sleeved shirt
• Safety glasses
• Garden gloves
• Long pants
• Hedge pruning shears
• Rake
• Chainsaw

Instructions

1. Wait until the foliage of the Pampas grass plant is completely brown from exposure to freezing temperatures before pruning. Also, choose a day when the weather is dry following a period of dry weather. Pruning dry leaves is easier than pruning damp foliage. A day in early winter is the best time to prune Pampas grass, because the brown leaves have not had a chance to get soft and mildew.

2. Wear a long-sleeved shirt, safety glasses, garden gloves and long pants to protect your skin and eyes from the sharp leaves of the Pampas grass during the pruning process.

3. Shear or prune the top of the Pampas grass plant to a height of 4 or 5 feet with a pair of hand-held hedge shears or electric hedge shears. This will allow you to work within the thick lower area without being exposed to the sharp upper leaves. Rake all pruned leaves away from the plant so they are not in your way before completing the pruning process.

4. Prune the lower leaves to a height of 12 to 24 inches, working your way inward toward the center of the plant. This will be the final height of the grass once the project is completed. On a small to medium-sized plant, you will be able to completely cut through the plant at the desired height with the hedge shears. However, on a large plant you will reach a thick area in the middle of the growth that is impenetrable with the pruning shears.

5. Cut the thick remaining center foliage, or stalk, with a chainsaw to the desired height. Before using the chainsaw, trim away as much of the loose foliage around the stalk as possible. After cutting all foliage, rake cut leaves away from the plant and dispose of them in a mulch pile or the trash. You may need to do some touch-up with the hedge shears to get a neat look. New growth will appear in the spring.

References

• North Carolina State University: Ornamental Grasses for North Carolina
• Texas A&M University: Pruning Pampas Grass after Frost