I have pampass type grasses in my garden, they have gone brown . r they dead or will they come back up again?

Question

I think they are bamboo, but I am not sure, they were so pretty last summer, rustling in the wind. Should i cut them down or pull them up ?

I am in the uk

Answer 1

Don't pull them up!!!! They are not by nature an evergreen. They die back in the winter if it is fairly cold. In the early spring cut them down, avoiding the the new growth when you do this. And I hope it is not bamboo, the real stuff not the hybrid versions, because that stuff spreads and you can't kill it. If it is actually a pampass grass or a miscanthus, they grow in clumping forms. This means they grow on top of last years growth forming clumps. If they are hardy enough they will grow to be pretty and rustling in the wind again for summer. Just give them time.

Answer 2

If you have bamboo it will not only come back but spread. Bamboo looks nothing like grass though. Pampas grass, like most grasses, will go dormant (die back above ground, keep growing below ground) in the winter and come back in the summer. A lot depends on what zone you are in though. Something like Purple Fountain grass will come back every year at my parent's house, just one zone down from me, but is an annual where I am.

Leave it alone now, as that dead top will help protect the roots from the cold. In the early spring, when things start coming back, cut it down to the ground and cover it with a thin layer of compost, and then see what happens. More than likely it will come back.

Answer 3

They are not dead, they are dormant. What you need to do is in about the 3rd week of February cut them down to a height of 3inches (be careful because the leaves are sharp and will cut you, wear gloves and long sleeves). This will encourage the new growth and will allow for the new growth to come through easier in the Spring. Dont worry, they will come back. You should do this every year.

Answer 4

If you have pampas grass, cut it down to the ground. It is a perennial and will come back. If you dig it up, prepare for some serious shoveling. . . then you can cut the root ball into several pieces for replanting elsewhere.

Bamboo is also a perennial. If you cut it down it will also come back with a vengance, being a very invasive plant.

good luck

Answer 5

Pampass grass as fluffy flowers and looks pretty, but the stalks are like razors, you will need gloves. Bambo is smoother generally. Just tidy it up cut it back to 6 inches above the ground and it will regrow in the spring.

Answer 6

What people do to a lot of these type of grasses is to burn them. This destroys all harmfull bacteria
New groth will then start in the spring.

Answer 7

Cut them down to the ground, they will grow back again. YOu need to do that every year. My nan burns hers but I think that is a little dangerous.

Answer 8

Hi,
May I suggest these sites?
They have an abundance of info, and I have found much help for my own questions in the past.
I think you'll find you answer and more at those sites.

Hope this helps, have fun!
Dave

Answer 9

cut them down and then take any dead leaves or weeds away from the base

Answer 10

I'd cut them down.. Brown isn't good for a plant. It means that there aren't getting enough of something and chances are it won't continue to grow.. Only get darker in color.