Worth knowing:
The evergreen American Pampas Grass is a rather tough species and develops big, silvery-white feathery flowers that build an impressive contrast to the blue-green, sharp-edged, slender leafage. It is not only perfectly suited for cultivation in a tub, but also as a solitary plant either in the middle of a gravel field or lawn, or at a pondside. It grows straight up to three meters and doesn’t proliferate. From August until November the American Pampas Grass produces large flower panicles with a white, silvery or pinky colouring that are the main adornment of the plant and can nicely be arranged as dry flowers in a vase.
Natural Location:
The natural habitat of the American Pampas Grass is the pampa region in South America, particularly in Brazil, Uruguay and from Chile to middle Argentina.
Cultivation:
Seed propagation indoors is possible throughout the year. Gently press the seeds into moist potting compost that ideally contains about 25% of perlite to increase the germination rate. Cover the seed container with clear film to prevent the earth from drying out, but don’t forget to make some holes in the clear film and take it every second or third day completely off for about 2 hours. That way you avoid mold formation on your potting compost. Place the seed container somewhere bright and warm with a temperature between 20° and 25° Celsius and keep the earth moist, but not wet. The first seedlings will come up after two to three weeks.
Place:
The American Pampas Grass prefers a warm and sunny place with a nutritious and permeable soil. It tolerates short dry periods, but doesn’t do well with waterlogging.
Care:
The American Pampas Grass needs to be watered sufficiently, but without waterlogging. After pruning in spring, you may provide the plant with organically mineral complete fertilizer. From August on, during blossoming, a monthly fertilizing together with the watering is recommended. The American Pampas Grass needs to be cut back to a hand’s width only once a year in spring. Just take off all the dead parts of the plant and keep only everything green and the new sprouts. Be careful: the grass stalks are quite sharp – always wear a pair of gloves for attending to the pampas grass. In spring, proliferation through cuttings is possible as well as through self-harvested seeds.
During the winter:
Tub plants hibernate best in a bright and cool room with temperatures between 1° and 10° Celsius, or alternatively outdoors, covered properly with bubble wrap and a jute sack. If the American Pampas Grass is kept in a warm place during winter, it usually dies. Outdoor plants however, need sufficient protection – actually not so much against frost, but more against moisture. In autumn, you can bind the stalks and leaves together, so that the old leafstalks protect the very heart of the sturdy grass. The root area you can protect with a layer of mulch or straw.
Picture credits:
- © © JLPC - CC-BY-SA-3.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
- © Frank Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Frank Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Magnus Manske - CC-BY-SA-3.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
- © Magnus Manske - CC-BY-SA-3.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
- © Magnus Manske - CC-BY-SA-3.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
- © TANAKA Juuyoh - CC-BY-2.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
- © Rick Kimpel - CC-BY-SA-2.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0
- © Magnus Manske - CC-BY-SA-3.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
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