Grow Your Own Magazine

Flummery · #1 (**permalink**) 30-01-2008, 12:18 PM

This bit of the board is supposed to be about the best way to grow non-edibles. However, I'm here for advice - or just a good snarl - about ridding my garden of this spawn of the devil!

Pampas grass was planted by our predecessors to fill a space at the end of the garden. It's screened from the rest of the garden by a trellis with honeysuckle and clematis. This little plot is on my hit list as a new site for the 3 daleks. Where they are currently sited will be an area for a water collecting system for the new shed - due to be started in March-ish. However, I have just spent half an hour with secateurs, spade and fork attacking it from above and below. It now looks like it's had a bit of a haircut - and slightly exploded! It's tempting to set fire to it - lots of dried stuff from previous years - as you can tell, I haven't lavished any TLC on it, hoping it would become discouraged and die. However, it looks like such a nice winter shelter for something - hedgehog mebbe, that I can't do it.

Has anyone here successfully eradicated one? I'm sure the advice it to keep at it - a bit each day etc. I'd love someone to say 'the foolproof way is just to ....' In my dreams eh?

Rant over.

Ta for listening.

Flum

shirlthegirl43 · #2 (**permalink**) 30-01-2008, 01:32 PM

Flum open this link then use your 'find' option to search for pampas - there are a few people asking about how to remove a pampas and the advice is on here. Hope it helps you.

BBC - Lancashire - Nature - Yuccas, bamboo, pampas grass and cordylines...

Alison · #3 (**permalink**) 30-01-2008, 01:33 PM

Somebody once told me that swingers put pampass grass in their front garden as a sign to other swingers, I now always giggle when I see a clump - don't know if it's true though!

Seahorse · #4 (**permalink**) 30-01-2008, 01:36 PM

Oh Alison! Flum's secret is out now!!!

HeyWayne · #5 (**permalink**) 30-01-2008, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alison

Somebody once told me that swingers put pampass grass in their front garden as a sign to other swingers, I now always giggle when I see a clump - don't know if it's true though!

I'd heard that too, and that a lot of it went on in villages, keys in a bowl, that kinda thing. People ribbed LadyWayne and I about it before we moved to the village. There are quite a few clumps of pampas grass around the village and the neighbour but one has an innordinate number of cars....

JennieAtkinson · #6 (**permalink**) 30-01-2008, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alison

Somebody once told me that swingers put pampass grass in their front garden as a sign to other swingers, I now always giggle when I see a clump - don't know if it's true though!

Crikey! They grow all over Shetland .... hmmm, mine is the back garden. Does that mean I'm a closet swinger

HeyWayne · #7 (**permalink**) 30-01-2008, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JennieAtkinson

Crikey! They grow all over Shetland .... hmmm, mine is the back garden. Does that mean I'm a closet swinger

Surely you'd be better caber tossing?

Flummery · #8 (**permalink**) 30-01-2008, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shirlthegirl43

Flum open this link then use your 'find' option to search for pampas - there are a few people asking about how to remove a pampas and the advice is on here. Hope it helps you.

BBC - Lancashire - Nature - Yuccas, bamboo, pampas grass and cordylines...

Great link Shirl - thanks for that. Seems like I need a sharp spade (got 2!) and a pick axe (not got one - wonder if Himself can borrow one from work?) and possibly some root our or stump killer. I don't want it shoving my Daleks over !

Flummery · #9 (**permalink**) 30-01-2008, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seahorse

Oh Alison! Flum's secret is out now!!!

It's in me back garden honest - only those 3 horses can see it - oh hell I feel faint!!

Paul Wagland · #10 (**permalink**) 30-01-2008, 05:59 PM

In your back garden Flummery? I can't imagine what that says about you!!!

I had one at my last house - with the added attraction of a wasps' nest in the middle. I spent a full day running up to it, bashing it once and then running away fast.

I worked from the outer edges at ground level. Inside the vicious outer leaves I found lots of dead, dry materials that came away easily in big handfuls. Under this, the roots didn't go down far and I could cut through underneath it, finally rolling the whole clump out in one go. Not an easy job, but not as hard as I'd expected.

Some people advise lighting a fire in the root hole, but I settled for building a ten-inch thick drive over it...

Flummery · #11 (**permalink**) 30-01-2008, 08:23 PM

Says it about the previous house owner Paul!
I daren't try setting fire to it - it's close to a power line which skims our far end and powers the cottage next door. Covered in creosote or something so it would go up like a rocket. Also it might have something hibernating in the dross.
I have cut it back hard and found all the dead-ish stuff which does come away easily. Still can't get near enough to the roots to dig anythingup though. I reckon it will need several sessions.

shirlthegirl43 · #12 (**permalink**) 30-01-2008, 08:26 PM

Take it steady Flum - don't do yourself a hurt getting shot of it!

Flummery · #13 (**permalink**) 30-01-2008, 08:28 PM

That's why I only did half an hour this morning Shirl. I know me limits!

groanathome · #14 (**permalink**) 30-01-2008, 08:29 PM

Sharp spade doesnt make great headway as the roots are quite spongey due to the fibres etc ... on the odd occasions I have removed large pampas specimens I made steady progress with a large heavy sharp mattock as you need a wider end to your tool than a pick provides ... bonne chance ...

shirlthegirl43 · #15 (**permalink**) 30-01-2008, 08:31 PM

Glad to hear that Flum, reading groanathome's post, you are going to need a fair few goes at it! It has warned me off ever planting one!!!

TonyF · #16 (**permalink**) 30-01-2008, 08:33 PM

and setting fire to the thing will not kill it - in the wild these things use the fire to regenerate themselves.

Flummery · #17 (**permalink**) 30-01-2008, 08:37 PM

Hmmm. My new Dalek home is a way off yet then? Still, I always reckon if I can't defeat a plant I'm a pretty poor human bean.

Paul Wagland · #18 (**permalink**) 31-01-2008, 12:00 PM

I've got a new plan, and I think it's foolproof. We'll need a hot-air balloon, a tame rhino and some demolition charges. Who's in?!

Pumpkin Becki · #19 (**permalink**) 31-01-2008, 02:10 PM

This is all sounding a bit 'Day of the Triffids' to me!!

Birdie Wife · #20 (**permalink**) 31-01-2008, 02:15 PM

Does it have to be an organic way? Would Glyphosate not work? Mix it up with some washing liquid in there to help it stick to the leaves and spray/paint it on a calm cloudy day.

I think I might know someone who can get some demolition charges though... Snake? Are you there?

not too sure about the tame rhino though...

Flummery · #21 (**permalink**) 31-01-2008, 02:38 PM

I think I'll have to use something to kill the roots Birdie Wife. However, until I can hack me way through to them there's not much point. Got a sackful carted off this morning by my son-in-law - the tip is on his way home. In the high wind we have here now there's not much point in trying to cut it back further - I'd be chasing the bits around the county! Next calm (dry) day I'm back there. Thanks for all the suggestions (with the possible exception of the rhino!)