how about a sawzall????

i THINK.. its been a long time.. that some friend of mine... would tie up the whole bunch... firmly .. then take the sawzall to it.. pre-bundled as you might say ...

plus.. it will be useful for other jobs around the yard ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: flip back to the WEB side for links

Not sure what 'manual hedge trimmers' are. Do you mean garden shears? If so shears are much easier than secateurs(pruners) for all sorts of trimming jobs e.g. lavender, box, rosemary, thyme, aubretia, ground covers, perennials such as geraniums which need a tidy up. Get a pair of your own - you'll find you are using them all the time. I have three pairs, one with telescopic handles for jobs at a distance and to increase leverage.

Look for sheep shears. Yes, these are the same utensils once used for shearing sheep before that process became mechanized. They are just like oversized scissors with large blades that can be sharpened as needed. I find them invaluable for shearing back ornamental grasses, heaths and heathers, lavender, even trimming hedged material like boxwood. Great for anything that needs more uniform attention and doesn't require the precision of pruners/secateurs.

They are carried by better retail nurseries and garden centers or you can order them online (A.M. Leonard, Amazon, etc.)

Here is a link that might be useful: sheep shears

I used a fold up hand saw for the first time this year on my grasses. Much easier than the pruners I've used in the past. Just grab and cut...although, tying up the entire clump first is something I've been wanting to try for some time. I just never have any string handy at the time. But I have heard that using a bunge cord works well, too. Seems those would seem easier since you just transfer it to the next clump when done with one. Bunge cords come in different sizes, too.

i saw some small grasses driving around today .. lol .. my buddy had the 6 to 10 foot version ...

the sawzall might be a bit overkill for the smaller grasses.. lol

ken

Tying up the clump makes it much easier, and if you tie at the top and near the bottom - it's bundled and ready for the yard waste truck :0) . Plus, those grass blades can be sharp (depending on variety, of course) so tying first keeps the blades in a manageable position.

When I used to have the duty years ago, I think I used pruners, but truthfully I don't remember. This job hasn't been under my jurisdiction for a while now, DH took over the job. I don't know what DH uses to cut the grasses back (and he can use whatever the heck he wants as long as he gets it done), but he did take note a couple years ago when I mentioned the tie-back trick and agreed it works well. :0)

I use a light weight aluminum shears. I also have a couple of heavy (normal?) weight ones but decided to buy the light weight ones after using a friend's and they make the job much easier.

One year I was at the arboretum when they were burning the
ornamental grasses. Was told that burning helped to kill weed seeds in the grasses.

Thanks for the input, folks. . .AND the laughs !!!

Ken, the image of my 73-year-old lady friend wrestling with a Sawz-All is
priceless! And, "mnswgal", you've prompted the concept of a Flaming
Grasses Party, where we all stand around drinking champagne while
torching 25-30 massive clumps of dried grass. . .very funny image, but
sadly illegal here in the Northeast. Ahh, how I fondly remember those
Fall days as a kid and the smell of burning leaves. . .but I digress.

Carl

I used to use shears, but found the fastest way is with a sharp bread knife. I have a couple of high-quality, long bread knifes that work much faster and easier than any scissors. Grab and whack, no tying needed.

Last year I torched several of them and it was fabulous how fast they disappeared. However, it doesn't work if they are near other plants or in plastic pots.

I used to just use a scissors, but that took a lot of effort on large established grass clumps. I just bought a Fiskar's power gear hedge shears, to use just for grasses and such, and it worked like a charm. It's a great tool for cutting dried ornamental grasses to the ground in spring, and it works just as great for shearing hedges when they need it. I just finished shearing and shaping a Taxus hedge and It will cut through small woody stems to 3/8" thick too.

I do not work for this company, but IMO this tool works great!

Here is a link that might be useful: power gear hedge shears

Yea, another way to get DH involved in gardening. Tell him he can get out his Sawz all to do the grasses....I have some big ones that would not be overkill....He already uses the manual hedge shears on the heaths and heathers for me (I have fibromyalgia and the scissor action kills me after one or two plants) But, he does it at his convenience and sometimes that isn't the right time. I have over thirty heathers and about that many grasses too.

Ooh ooh, those Fiskar's Power Gear hedge shears look fabulous! Read some reviews on Amazon, looks like they don't stand up to heavier brush but for grasses and heathers they'd be fantastic. Half the reviewers said the blades dented on heavier stuff.

This year I decided to forego tools in trimming back my numerous ornamental grasses. I went out yesterday and manually broke off the stalks near the base (they're brittle this time of year). On the plus side, takes a bit of effort but no repetitive motion soreness from using pruners or shears (you need really sharp blades to cut through mature grass stalks readily). On the negative side the residual clumps look a little raggedy, but with new growth that won't be noticeable long.

I always use an ordinary pair of kitchen scissors. Easier than pruners. Works fine, but now I'm thinking about trying the hand saw or the bread knife idea. Worth a try any way. Thanks. :-)

The Fiskars hedge trimmers are very sharp and work well on the big clumps, my Felco pruners are not up to the job.

Maybe this seems like overkill, but last year I got my husband to use his chainsaw on my grasses, which are pretty buff at this point. A job that used to take forever and resulted in a least one part of my body aching for days was done in no time.

Last year a friend used a gas powered trimmer with a blade attached. I would bundle up the grasses and he would make quick work of it.
I just may invest in a sawzall...it sure would help in dividing the grasses as well! Any excuse for a new toy, right?

Thank you much everyone for this very interesting, educational, humorous thread!!!

I came searching, as all I've had to deal with all my years, were tools of mowing engagements! Having grown up in as asphalt jungle (not the movie!) I fell in love with the smell of fresh cut grass! Am 4'10" (now I was told grew older to less1" ~ just my luck!) & for years before the advent of electric mowers I used to hop on top of the darned machine just to be able to start it ~ nearly lost my fingers reaching for clogged grass etc etc ~ didn't want to start machine over & over!

So now you know ... I am that *priceless* image Carl18 vividly etched in your mind ~ *73y/o lady wrestling w/ Sawz-All* (by the way I think I'd love it!) Oh & I can always count on ken for injecting a bit to laugh!

All I know about Ornamental Grass is admire them on people's landscape & am now for the first time brain-storming about what to do w/ a NE corner after cutting down a very old limb-dropping/breaking Crabapple tree where all the large Hostas now burning!

No, not the regular Pampas ~ I know enough to avoid! I couldn't find the young neighbor to ask, what he planted that looks neat, upright, columnar, tallish & offers privacy (for me a blind from the dogs behind)! I googled & marked *Morn' Light, K Foerster, Heavy Metal, Dallas Blue* ~ any pros & cons would be appreciated!

TIA!

I have Miscanthus 'Morning Light' and it is a very well mannered grass. Not too tall and doesn't spread very wide. I have purpurescens too which is often called "Flame Miscanthus" gorgeous fall color. Oh and 'Little Zebra' and 'Little Dot' spreads faster and grows taller. Both smaller than the big zebra grass.

Thank you BoS ~ for sharing I'm looking into them. There was a good sized/impressive *Zebra* I passed by yesterday from my favorite nursery ~ will have to check it out more!. *Morning Light* was the suggestion of another nursery person I talk to. Also saw lined along our local HS's corner sign very beautiful *K Foerster*!

In the mean time I was able to ask the young neighbor ~ the impressive clumps he has is called *Northern Switch* (spelling ?) he planted last season. He also named all the others he had around an old tree ~ the K Foerster didn't look as impressive even w/ the blooms ~ perhaps lined up along the fence might be better.

Again TIA for any personal experience, anyone can share on the *Northern Switch*!