Grow Your Own Magazine

Flummery · #1 (**permalink**) 30-01-2008, 11:18 AM

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, 12:32 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, 12:33 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, 12:36 PM

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

HeyWayne · #5 (**permalink**) 30-01-2008, 12:52 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, 01:18 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, 01:24 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, 04:01 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, 04:02 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, 04:59 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, 07:23 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, 07:26 PM

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

Flummery · #13 (**permalink**) 30-01-2008, 07:28 PM

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

groanathome · #14 (**permalink**) 30-01-2008, 07:29 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, 07:31 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, 07:33 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, 07:37 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, 11:00 AM

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, 01:10 PM

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

Birdie Wife · #20 (**permalink**) 31-01-2008, 01:15 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, 01:38 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!)

JennieAtkinson · #22 (**permalink**) 31-01-2008, 01:49 PM

One of the reasons why everyone grows them here is that they ARE indestructible. We have to have that kind of plant/shrub/tree up here.

Good luck Flum!

bramble · #23 (**permalink**) 31-01-2008, 07:17 PM

I took one out of my front garden about 5 years ago. I used a spade, a secateurs and a pickaxe. It took me two days. Never ever again.

Pumpkin Becki · #24 (**permalink**) 31-01-2008, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bramble

I took one out of my front garden about 5 years ago. I used a spade, a secateurs and a pickaxe. It took me two days. Never ever again.

Hmmm Bramble, do you realise what you've just admitted to?? (see Alison's post yesterday -Tee Hee)

Flummery · #25 (**permalink**) 01-02-2008, 01:20 PM

I hope never to do it again Bramble. I wouldn't be doing it once if I hadn't inherited the infestation! Stopped for the mo because in this wind if flying shards of leaf hit someone in the face they'd be lacerated and scarred for life (and that someone might be me!)

HeyWayne · #26 (**permalink**) 01-02-2008, 01:28 PM

Have you tried playing rock music to it?

Is Music Neutral?

Palustris · #27 (**permalink**) 02-02-2008, 10:30 AM

Heavens we have 9 of them in the Prairie Garden. I like them.
The one we did remove as being in the wrong place came out quite easily as compared to removing a tree for example. The roots are easily cut with loppers and are not persistent in the same way as couch grass.

Flummery · #28 (**permalink**) 17-02-2008, 02:25 PM

It's gone! After a couple more sessions of cutting it as low as I could with the loppers I went out this afternoon to finish the deed! I had a long handled sharp spade, a border fork and me trusty loppers (and a very tough pair of gloves!). I removed the remaining dross from the far side (the side I've never been able to reach before!) and found a slumbering tiggy, which I covered up again with plenty of dried stuff. From the side I could easily reach I started to chop at the roots under the clump and then sink the fork into the centre and lever it about till I heard roots tear. I removed a bit at a time like this - some of it I practically unscrewed! However, only fibrous bits of root are left and I can't see it coming back from those - especially when covered in daleks full of compost. Thanks to everyone for their advice and encouragement - except the bit about the swingers!

Wish I hadn't known that!

nick the grief · #29 (**permalink**) 18-02-2008, 12:02 AM

A mini digger would have been quicker ... then you could have split it up in to smaller chunks potted them up and taken them to Eskymo for their new front hedge

Flummery · #30 (**permalink**) 18-02-2008, 09:07 AM

Did think of offering them on Ebay - but as usual, couldn't be mithered!

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