Okay. I have a corner lot. The fence along the side is bare, and there is a stretch on the outside of it that is level for a few feet and then slopes in the ditch from H-E-double hockey sticks. I planted oleander and it died. I planted azaleas twice; no dice. All I want is a hedge between me and the street and never to have to mow that area again as long as I live.
So yesterday I bought 6 nice pampas grass plugs in gallon pots. What I want to do is dig holes, stick the plugs in there, water, and leave. I suspect there is more I should do, of course. If y'all know a sure-fire way to get this stuff growing (and it grows very well down here) PLEASE let me know.
Thanks!
Planting pampas grass - help?
I don't see how you can fail with Pampas grass, but watch out it can be very sharp.
I took this picture at the Fort Worth Botanic gardens, is this the effect you want?
sounds to me like you have ti figured out and as frostweed said be careful the leaves are sharp
I know I have some and was weeding around it when we first moved here and scrapped my arms up.
I would jsut say water it a few times after planting with the heat now to get the roots going then let it go.
I'm the Pampas Queen, (in my own mind, LOL) Water every day for the first week or two in this heat, until Fall. Next summer you probably won't have to even water it at all, it sort of takes care of itself once it gets big.
Thanks, everybody. That's the assurance I wanted. I figure if pampas grass won't take, then the builders really did dump nuclear waste on my corner! I have a friend with some, and if you run a hand down the blade it's fine, but if you run it UP the blade... you know why they call them blades. They're like long hacksaws. I'll tuck it in this weekend, water it, and hope for the best. Once it's massive (please please please) I may tuck some fountain grass and echinacea in front of it.
Brig it took mine 2-3 years to get massive and plume really good. It'll be fine, you can't hardly kill Pampas grass. I haven't watered mine in 2 years now. They are actually considered an invasive plant in some states. They are extremely heat and drought tolerant.
Bridg I have a huge clump out by our gate and it hasn't grown as well as I wanted it to. It's alive and fairly healthy but not getting any water has taken its toll on it. It's too far for me to water on a regular basis and with the summer we've had this year I'm surprised it's still alive. I had originally planned to put another one out in that same area but decided against it. We just don't get enough rain here during the summer months. And I expect a lot of summers will probably be just like this one. :(
With you living closer to the coast and getting rain will make a big difference and yours should do real well.
Lin
It's hot and humid here for sure. How it can be so humid with no rain is beyond me, but there you are. This is a la Nina year, so it's drought and hurricane. I got more rain from the edge of Dolly than I've gotten all year! As long as the soil is just poor and not poisoned (and grass, etc., is growing there so I think it's just poor) these should take. I'm very patient with this kind of thing -- if it's half what I want it to be 2 years from now, I'm successful!