Garden Care Guide

Pampas Grass Care

Cortaderia selloana

A giant ornamental grass that stands out for its large, plumed flower heads. The leaf edges are razor sharp. It can be invasive in some regions.

Hardy · -18 °C / 0 °F

Monthly care calendar

Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.

March
  • Pruning: Prune just before the shoots break. Because flowers form on this year's new shoots, hard pruning increases flowering. The leaf edges are sharp: use thick gloves, long-sleeved clothing, and goggles. At the end of winter, cut the whole clump to a height of 20-30 cm.
April
  • Watering: Water a newly planted specimen more often than established plants during its first year, as its root system is still shallow.
  • General care: Good time for planting and transplanting.
May
  • Watering: Water a newly planted specimen more often than established plants during its first year, as its root system is still shallow.
  • General care: Good time for planting and transplanting.
June
  • Watering: In a long drought, water deeply once a month.
July
  • Watering: In midsummer, deep watering every 15-20 days is enough. Established plants (over 2 years old) do not need watering in most years. Water so that the soil is wetted to a depth of 10-15 cm from the surface.
August
  • Watering: In midsummer, deep watering every 15-20 days is enough. Established plants (over 2 years old) do not need watering in most years. Water so that the soil is wetted to a depth of 10-15 cm from the surface.
  • General care: Flowering begins.
September
  • Watering: In a long drought, water deeply once a month.
  • General care: Flowering continues.
October
  • General care: Flowering continues.

The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.

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