I need some good advice quick...My family moved to temple Texas, we were nominated to be on beautification commitee, they said we should cut down the pampas grass to 1' tall. we did yesterday, now we are getting calls that we have cut them to early... and they will die. It is October 31st.. will they die? Is there something we can tell them? Will they come back? They were huge, some 5' in diameter, they apparantly have never been cut before. We have a meeting on Thursday, and I need some answers quick. Thanks so much.
if it doesnt freeze this year you will have a banner season of growth.look at this site,you should be ok either way will just take longer to grow in the spring http://hort.ufl.edu/gt/pampas/pampas.htm
Ordinarily done to clean up winter damage, during spring. After mild winters removing spent flower stems might be all that was necessary to tidy up. I'm certainly never in a hurry to wade in among those dangerously razor-like leaf edges, myself. In Seattle, perhaps due to a string of mild winters pampas grass seedlings have been popping in multiple locations. Freeways, near the pavement seem to a favored habitat.
My brother worked with the Public Employees Union as a grounds keeper. They where instructed to seasonally burn the clumps of Pampas grass. If anything, it invigorated the spring growth.
On the other hand I've seen burnt and frosted clumps come back with partial crowns, as though knocked for a loop. As with trees and shrubs, it wouldn't make sense that loss of food-making (photosynthesizing) foliage would have an invigorating effect. The fast, vertical growth of watersprouts on a topped or lopped tree is mistaken for increased vigor.
