Pampas Advice Please

[Lumpy]

I put a pink pampas in around May last year and it really likes where it is so it is now growing beyond belief.

Can I trim back a plant and if so when should it be done?

If I can't trim I am going to end up with a 12 ft multi-armed triffid!

[Angeldon]

I always cut mine right back in late winter (feb) using shears. I take all growth back to the crown of the plant and pull out any stuff that gets caught in there.

[scarey55]

I don't know if it is the same as the one I had but make sure you protect yourself, they (well, the one I had) bite back, the leaves can be very sharp.

[PyreneesPlot]

We have a pink one that in three years had a 4m diameter so we dug it up with a mattock and saw and replanted four bits, but we delayed doing the work because there was a hibernating hedgehog under all the foliage! Dry as a bone under there. And yes, the fronds can cause nasty cuts.

[Lumpy]

Thank you all for the advice.

It not a help that the 'beast' is in the middle of my very small veggie area (if only I had forsight).

I will have a go at trimming the beast at the beginning of the year and see what happens.