Bamboo advice

I want to plant a bamboo hedge in a garden however the position for planting is on top of a soakaway to take water away from the natural fall of the land. Are there any restrictions for doing this in a private garden and would it cause a problem. Do bamboo roots go deep or are they shallow and spread?

Any advice would be gratefully received.

 

Pity you don't live nearer to me as I have been trying to get rid of my huge bamboo for free !! It is almost 7 foot tall and about 2 foot around the girth ( by that I mean the canes at the bottom) it would split perfectly into instant hedging ! I have even tried to get rid of it on Freecycle ... but not much luck ... probably because I nee whoever wants it, to dig it up as I am unable to do that .... well what do they want for free ?? .... Val

 

I would be very careful in the selection of your bamboo plants, as they can be very invasive as I know from experience...One of my bamboos decided it wanted more space and threw out runners, one of which I had to dig out over 12 feet away from the parent..the murielae form is less invasive and will grow to about
6 feet eventually, or miscanthus makes a very handsome hedge...

 

Rydall, if you have the room, Phyllostachys nigra or P. aurea make good bamboo screens.:thumb:

 

I forget which one of the bamboos mine is, but when I bought it I specifically asked for one which didn't throw up runners and mine never did .... just expanded at the girth - pretty much like me lol ..

 

Ther are lots of ways to control bamboo from spreading. Rhizome barrier is the correct product to use but can be a little expensive. Sinking flagstones in vertically would help but is not perfect. Regular use of a sharp spade around the base before it goes wandering will also help.

There are some fantastic and unusual varieties out there, but the prices are generally quite high, aurea may be your best bet and its easily available.

 

My advice, don't plant it. So many of them are hard to control, you will regret it in the future.

 

ouch, and iw as considering bamboo for a border for a bit of privacy inside my front wall..will have a rethink, glad i read this thread..:thumb:

 

Dont be put off its a fantastic plant. You need to do your reseach first. Some such as the sasa types are very invasive, but fagesias and the new borinda introductions are very well behaved and look better.

A root barrier is a good idea with the phylostachis types. Please dont be put off as bamboo is an incredibly versitile, tough and beautiful plant. Like any plant a little reseach to get the right one for your location pays dividends.

 

Is there a good time to transplant a Phyllostachys nigra from the pot its in into its new home in my border?

 

You could plant your nigra at any time
Fargesia Nitida is a super bamboo as a hedge and does not run
http://www.fujiyamagarden.com/Nitida.html

 

Thanks whis4ey don't think I'll brave it today bit wet out there for me

 

I love the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind ! Luckily someone from freecycle came round and dug my bamboo up for me ... it took him almost 2 hours as the ground was packed tight with the canes !! But no runners anywhere - I have now been left with a small piece and I will make sure I keep checking it and stop it from going the way it did before .... Val