Bamboo advice please

I have some golden bamboo, which seems to be doing very well in its largeish container.
However, it tends to keep sending out really skinny shoots.

The largest canes on the plant is about 3/4" which is fine but most of the new growth is about 1/4" or sometimes even less. How do I encourage it to produce thicker canes?

Thank you,

ms flowers

 

Is the pot too small for it?

I have a black one and found it wasn't doing too well in a pot so put it in the ground and it's looking alot better.

 

I think it probably needs to be released from the container.
ms flowers

 

Hi just joined , i have five dwalf bamboo plants in 8in pots .
They are kept on the dry side and fed through out the summer with multi -purpose fertiliser.
All are doing very well .

 

It will do much better in open ground and fed on silver wood ash from your autumn bonny

 

Release it from the pot, trim the roots, and re pot
Grow some free new plants with the root trimmings
If you plant it in the ground contain the root system or
it will spread everywhere

 

Thanks for your replies.
Sam, I keep reading that golden bamboo is clump forming and not invasive. That's what the nursery told me as well.
Is that not so?
ms flowers

 

It is supposed to be, but The RHS recommend that you contain the root system of bamboos for your own peace of mind
I myself have planted quite a lot of different varieties. I now wish I had contained the root systems of them all, whether clump forming or wandering or otherwise
I now believe better safe than sorry
Golden bamboo is good in pots if well fed, but I think yours has now outgrown its pot size, hence my advice
http://www.fujiyamagarden.com/Aurea.html

 

How deep does the barrier need to be? What materials are acceptable? plywood?
For instance, could I plant the clump in a much larger pot then sink the pot? Cut out the bottom of the pot or not?
Thank you.
ms flowers

 

By the way, Sam, I decided to buy Acer Seiryu after visiting your website and seeing how beautiful yours is.
ms flowers

 

I used old wall tiles sunk into the ground around one of my 'wanderers'
I seem to remember you should have a least a foot, but about 6 inches or so was my own depth. The bamboo root will probably grow under that and then spread though :(
You can buy a rubber root barrier so far as I know
Seiryu is a beautiful tree. You will enjoy it

 

Try this link Mrs Flowers

http://www.junglegiants.co.uk/acatalog/Rhizome_cBarrier.html