Is there any reason NOT to use rotted pampas grass as a mulch / compost?

neilpeers

Having removed two very large pampas grass installations I now have cubic metres of the stuff that is gradually rotting down in my "don't know what else to do with it area". Are there any reasons why I should not use it as a mulch or add it (en mass or bits at a time?) to the compost heap? Should I shred it down first?
Many thanks
Neil

Fairygirl

I think you'd need to shred it first @neilpeers. The stems are really quite woody.

If you had enough of it, it probably would work as a mulch, but it might be a bit lightweight after shredding. Depends where you put it though. Well watered after laying might help

JennyJ

Maybe shred it first and mix with green stuff to compost.

BobTheGardener

It will likely wrap itself around the internals of your machine if you try shredding it (speaking from experience here) as it has very strong fibres inside which tend to get caught.   I also found it was extremely slow to rot down too and ended up using a lot of mine to cover paths in the veg plot.  If you are able/allowed, I would recommend burning it instead.

Fairygirl

Good point @BobTheGardener. Never had one to shred, so that's a good bit of advice for Neil.
Hope your machine recovered.....

Topbird

If you have any builders' 1 tonne sacks around (or your neighbours have) I'd use those as pre-compost bin preparation bins.
First either shred the leaves or spread them over the lawn and chop them up with a reasonably heavy duty lawnmower. 
Then put them in the builders sacks and keep them moist. Once the leaves are soft and showing clear signs of breaking down you could add them in thin layers to your compost heap - treat them as a 'brown' addition.

BobTheGardener

Fairygirl said:

Good point @BobTheGardener. Never had one to shred, so that's a good bit of advice for Neil.
Hope your machine recovered.....

Yes, but it took a while using a sharp knife and a pair of pliers to cut and pull the stuff, bit by bit from where it had wrapped itself around the around the centre of the rotating disc which holds the blades (mine is an Alko impact shredder.)  The chainsaw worked better, but I had a full kit of leather motorcycle gear on when I used that - not sure which is more dangerous, the chainsaw blade or the lethally sharp edges of the pampass grass!

Fairygirl

@BobTheGardener I think the pampas grass might just edge it!

BobTheGardener

@Fairygirl Bit of a cutting comment!

Fairygirl

BobTheGardener said:

@Fairygirl Bit of a cutting comment!

  

JennyJ

BobTheGardener said:

Fairygirl said:

Good point @BobTheGardener. Never had one to shred, so that's a good bit of advice for Neil.
Hope your machine recovered.....

Yes, but it took a while using a sharp knife and a pair of pliers to cut and pull the stuff, bit by bit from where it had wrapped itself around the around the centre of the rotating disc which holds the blades (mine is an Alko impact shredder.)  The chainsaw worked better, but I had a full kit of leather motorcycle gear on when I used that - not sure which is more dangerous, the chainsaw blade or the lethally sharp edges of the pampass grass!

Oops, I didn't think about spinning disk-type impact shredders. Mine is a roller/drum shredder - nothing to wrap around. It copes well with fibrous stuff and woody stuff up to maybe 1.5 inches, not so well with soft green stuff which tends to clog it. Swings and roundabouts I guess.