Q: This past winter reduced our large pampas grass to a circle of papery stems. There are four or five clumps of healthy new growth on the perimeter. Nothing has sprouted in the center. What to do?

A: Sadly, it won’t fill in. The center of the clump is a tightly woven mass of roots and dead stems. Roots from the green plants on the exterior of the clump would rather explore the comparatively softer soil outside the clump rather than the dense center. All you can do now is the following: give the entire clump several soakings with LOTS of water over a two-day period; this will soften the soil. Dig out the living clumps and set them aside. Remove the dead center, refill the hole with good soil and plant the saved green clumps in the center.