The pampas grass with its fluffy flowers is a real eye-catcher in the garden in summer. Everything you need to know about pampas grass can be found here.
Pampas grass (Cortaderia) is one of the most popular ornamental grasses in our gardens. It can be found solitary, as an attractive solitary plant, or in clusters, as a decorative privacy screen. Pampas grass grows in clumps, so it always sprouts from the mother plant and belongs to the sweet grass family (Poaceae).
Pampas grass: characteristics and appearance
The American pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) is particularly widespread in our country. It originally comes from a subtropical area, the grass steppe "Pampas" on the southeast coast of South America. In summer, the non-poisonous plant forms large, mostly silvery-white panicles of flowers, which present an impressive spectacle with their stem lengths of up to 2.50 m and more. However, depending on the variety, the ornamental grass also has fronds of flowers in other pastel shades.
However, the evergreen leaves grow to a maximum height of 1 m. Here, too, a wide variety of leaf patterns can be found. Due to its graceful growth and the special height of its inflorescence, the pampas grass is an impressive exotic in ornamental gardens.
Pampas Grass: Different Shapes and Varieties
Worldwide we find a huge, previously undocumented variety of different forms and varieties of pampas grass. The beautiful sweet grass is distinguished primarily by the height of its growth and the color of its flower panicles.
Pampas grass varieties: The 5 most popular varieties
'Compacta' is a hardy small ornamental grass. Its flower stalks reach a height of up to 120 cm. Even in the width of the clump, the plant remains at a diameter of half a meter. Flowering September to October, the panicle is creamy white in colour.
The leaves of Compacta Pampas Grass are green and deciduous. As long as the ornamental shrub is not exposed to waterlogging, it can be planted well in stone beds or stone gardens. Due to their not too highIt is a good eye-catcher without blocking the whole view at the same time.
‚Evita' is also one of the smaller but very elegant grasses. A large number of light yellow to yellow-gold fronds develop from August to October. The leaves are grey-green and hardy. The whole plant grows very sprawling. Due to its compact growth and long-lasting flowers, 'Evita' is also well suited for garden tubs. It is important that the plant has enough space to develop, so do not choose a bucket that is too small and please use potting soil that is well permeable to water. The pampas grass grows to a height of around 1.20 m and prefers a semi-shady spot. When planting in tubs, a change of location to a frost-protected room would be best for damage-free overwintering. This type of ornamental grass often flowers in the first year of planting.
'Rosea' is distinguished by its rare pink panicles. It is a very special beauty for the garden and grows up to 2 m high. The flowers of 'Rosea' appear in September and October and are pink to gray in colour.
The foliage consists of narrow, green-grey leaves that grow to about 1 m in length.
'Rendatleri' is also a pink-flowering ornamental grass plant that can reach a height of up to 250 cm. Its leaves are deciduous and almost 150 cm long. We can see the beautiful flowers from September to November. They are a real eye-catcher for every garden.
'Sunningdale Silver' reaches an impressive height of 250 cm. A slender grass beauty with its long silvery-white fronds, 'Sunningdale Silver' can be described as a hardy classic among the pampas grasses. It is most impressive as a solitary plant. The leaves are very narrow, grey-green and, like all pampas leaves, sharp-edged. They can reach a length of 120 cm. The clump of the plant can spread up to a diameter of 130 cm.
Pampas grass as privacy screen
If you want to plant pampas grass as a privacy screen, you should use tall grasses. 'Sunningdale Silver', 'Rendatleri' and also the 'White Feather' reach a height of up to 250 cm. Pampas grass is very decorative and fast-growing. Especially if the grassy privacy screen is to protect against the sun in summer, such a location suits the preferences of the plants - they particularly like sunny places.
Before winterbegins, the fronds should be tied together to better protect the grass from the winter wet. However, this limits the visibility. The plants are cut back once a year in the spring months. For a short time, the privacy protection is almost completely lost. But after just a few weeks, the new shoots have grown up again and you can look forward to the budding of the flowers.
Planting pampas grass: location and procedure
The location for the pampas grass should be carefully selected - not because it is so demanding, but rather because of its enormous growth potential.
- Pampas grass needs enough space
If you would like to bring pampas grass into your garden as an ornamental plant, please note from the outset that even the small varieties need a good 120 cm grow large and can reach a diameter of one meter and more. So you need enough space. - Pampas grass loves sunny and warm locations
Once you have chosen a sunny and warm location, the habitat for the roots of the pampas grass must still be made loose and permeable to water . Soil that is too loamy would store too much moisture in winter and the roots would rot. The ornamental grass likes it when you mix in sand or small gravel. A good dose of hummus or a primarily organic long-term fertilizer such as our Plantura organic universal fertilizer should also be added.
Pampas grass when to plant?
Pampas grass should be planted in spring or early summer. In this way, the new garden dweller can develop well over the course of the year and is well rooted in the location for the next hibernation and ready for cold temperatures.
How do I plant pampas grass?
Dig the planting hole about 40 to 45 cm deep. It is advisable to water the eyrie of the plant well before planting. The best way to do this is to submerge it in a large bucket or tub of water until it's completely soaked. Then place in the planting hole, fill with soil and press down firmly. Pay attention to the distances between the individual plants (100 to 130 cm). No runners form in pampas grass, so a rhizome barrier is not necessary.
Planting pampas grass: step-by-step instructions
- Once the ground is frost-free (the ice saints should be over), the pampas grass can be planted outdoors.
- An approximately 40 − 45 cm tallDig the planting hole - also make sure it is wide enough.
- If the soil is not permeable enough, then mix some sand or fine gravel into the excavation.
- Add some humus-rich plant substrate and use the watered plant.
- Depending on the growth height of the grass, there should be a distance of 1 - 1.3 m between the plants.
- Water particularly well for the next 14 days, but avoid waterlogging.
Warning: Be sure to wear gloves when planting pampas grass. The foliage is extremely sharp and can cause nasty cuts.
You can find detailed expert instructions for planting pampas grass here.
Pampas grass in the pot and on the balcony
The pampas grass is not only an attractive addition to the garden in beds. It also looks very decorative in tubs and pots, on terraces and balconies. In the pot or bucket, the pampas grass usually does not reach the growth height of the bed, but remains a little smaller than in the field. Nevertheless, the planter must be generous in depth and width, it should have a capacity of at least 40 to 45 liters. Use a suitable soil for planting, such as our peat-free Plantura organic universal soil, which contains all the necessary nutrients for he althy growth.
When planting pampas grass in a pot, it is advantageous if the bottom has drainage holes to prevent waterlogging. You can also put shards of pottery or larger pebbles as the bottom infill, this will give you a simple drainage that will have the same effect. If there are drainage holes, the bucket should be placed on a saucer. In order to be able to move the heavy containers in winter without much effort and to protect them from the extreme cold, it is advisable to place them on small roller boards when planting them.
You can find more useful tips for planting pampas grass in pots here.
Propagating and dividing pampas grass
You have two options for propagating your pampas grass: Firstly, you can sow the grass yourself. On the other hand, by dividing the pampas grass, you can quickly and easily turn one plant into several. No matter which method of propagation you choose - we will take a closer look at both ways.
Sow pampas grass and grow in the pot
If you want to sow pampas grass, you can either use seeds you have collected yourself from existing plants in your garden, orYou buy seeds from a specialist dealer. The latter is the better option, since pampas grass is dioecious (there are male and female plants). Since you can't tell from the seed what kind of plant it is, you should prefer the goods from retailers, where you only get female seeds, since the female grasses grow much more luxuriantly and also form more and larger fronds than the male plants.
You can sow the seeds in the pot as early as March and leave them there until the ice saints are over in May. To do this, place the seeds some distance apart on pots filled with good potting soil. Then the seeds are briefly pressed and watered. In the further course, make sure that the swelling and germinating seeds never dry out. Drought during the germination process could cause failure. Either cover the seed pots with a sheet of glass or spray the surface periodically with a fine spray bottle.
Note: Do not cover the seeds with additional soil after pressing. Pampas grass needs light to germinate, so it needs light to germinate.
You can then plant the germinated seedlings outdoors in May when no more frost is to be expected. If you want to be on the safe side, repot the seedlings again and keep them in the container until the following year. Then they are guaranteed to be tough enough to withstand the outdoors.
Share pampas grass
Vegetative propagation by dividing a mother plant is easier and more effective. In doing so, you completely or partially uncover the eyrie of the desired grass from your garden and cut off a piece of it with a spade. Then the partial plant is placed in a sufficiently large, prepared hole, into which you should ideally put some humus-rich compost for a good start fertilization. It is best to divide the pampas grass in the spring after it has been cut back. It will then have enough time to re-root until next winter.
Care for pampas grass: fertilize and water properly
Pampas Grass is a fast growing ornamental plant. During the growth phase, it needs plenty of nutrients, which is why regular fertilization makes sense.
Fertilize pampas grass: organic or mineral fertilizer
During the period of greatest growth (spring to late summer), regular application of fertilizer is very important.
Therefore, it is an advantage to add a starter fertilizer to the planting hole when planting or transplanting. For the extra portion of nutrients in particularly vigorous years and the supply of all trace elements, it is advisable to apply a complete fertilizer. Primarily organic fertilizers are the most sustainable choice and also have many advantages. On the one hand, they promote soil life and enrich the soil with new organic matter. On the other hand, the structural properties of the soil are also positively influenced. Last but not least, organic fertilizers are primarily resource-saving because they are largely made from organic waste and other biological recycling material. Our Plantura organic universal fertilizer is also a sustainable and primarily organic fertilizer.
Water pampas grass
As a rule, the root system of a pampas grass is sufficiently developed to absorb sufficient water from the soil. Additional watering only makes sense in particularly dry phases during the main growth period. However, if the pampas grass is in a pot, it must of course be watered much more regularly. But waterlogging should also be avoided here. If a pampas grass has been transplanted or divided and then planted again, make sure you water it regularly until the pampas grass has sufficiently acclimatized to the new location. But the same applies here: avoid waterlogging.
Pruning Pampas Grass: Pro Tips
The pampas grass is one of the most beautiful ornamental grasses. It should be cut back once a year so that the particular lushness of its inflorescence is promoted or maintained.
Do you have to cut pampas grass?
Pruning is very important because this ornamental grass is a clump-forming plant. It drives out again and again from the mother plant. Since the stems and leaves dry up in late autumn, enough space and light must be created for the new shoots in spring. This is the only way to guarantee dense and beautiful new growth.
When and how to cut pampas grass?
It is important to ensure that the pruning takes place in the spring, from March to May, depending on the weather. It is not good to do this tending work in the fall because the stalks of the pampas grass are hollow. If cut back in autumn, too much water would accumulateaccumulate in it and the perennial would most likely partially or even completely rot due to the moisture.
If your ornamental grass is in a bucket and brought into a frost-free room over the winter, you should only prune it in the spring. The ideal time is when the first new shoot tips can be seen. Then cut your pampas grass down to about 6 to 8 inches using sharp pruning shears.
Caution: Remember to always wear gloves when working with pampas grass to avoid cutting yourself on the leaves.
You can find detailed instructions and other tips for cutting pampas grass in our special article on this.
Successfully overwinter pampas grass
Pampas grass is not completely hardy in our latitudes and needs winter protection. In late autumn, when the stems have dried up, tie them together at the top. You should spread a layer of straw or dry leaves on the lower part of the plant and then layer brushwood on top. If possible, wrap the entire height of the plant in fleece or a coconut mat. Protected in this way, the pampas grass can also withstand colder temperatures of down to -10 to -15 °C.
If your pampas grass is in a planter, you should find a winter home for the ornamental grass in good time and water it moderately from time to time. If it is not possible to move the plant to a sheltered area, wrap the pot in bubble wrap and place it on a piece of styrofoam or some wooden slats. The same applies here: it is best to wrap the entire height of the grass in fleece. This is how winter can come.
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