Nut's Guide to Pampas Grass Removal
Step 1. Don't try this at home.
Step 2. Pay a professional.
These giant weeds are about 30 years old. They reside under a pine tree. So for the past 3 decades pine needles and dead pampas grass leaves have been making compost within the leaves of the plant. This has built up layer of mulch within the plant allowing for new plants to grow 3 - 4ft off the ground. I used 10in hedge trimmers, a pulaski, and a hack saw. After 3 hours, I had removed about 5 cubic yards of dead plant material and had barely made a dent. The wife took over for a few minutes before she found a opossum living int he undergrowth. That's when all worked stopped and I called a tree/stump removal service. Beats me how much it's going to cost, but I don't mess with opossums.
If you ever try to remove these things I suggest burning... As the ones in my yard are against the house, the fence, and a pine tree... this is not an option for me. ARG!