Bamboo - Should I be worried?

Hi,

A few years ago, I planted running bamboo in a large planter that was 60 cm tall and placed on the ground. I had been advised that this height would be sufficient to contain the roots, preventing them from growing deeper than a foot.

Recently, I dismantled the planter and disposed of its contents. However, I noticed numerous small roots reaching down to ground level, along with a large bamboo root, as shown in the images.

I'm concerned that these roots might cause bamboo to sprout elsewhere. Can bamboo regrow from these roots?

Thanks.

 

Probably not, if you are concerned then dig the big roots out.

 

Thanks, can't dig them out they are in close proximity to a shed that's on a concrete base, they may have gone under that.

 

Ooooerrr.

 

Keep an eye out for growth, if some shows, a weed killer designed for shrubs and trees will do the job....normal glyphosate just doesn't cut it for bamboo!

 

Bamboo can regrow from any rhizomes left in the soil but not from the small fibrous roots.

 

The image ending 733 shows what looks like a viable runner to me. Get it out if you can. If you can't it might be worth tryin to drill a hole down the centre of them and pour concentrated Roundup or similar into the hole. It may work.

 

Bamboo does have a shallow root run but if they meet a tough material, like the edge of a planter, they can be persuaded to grow in a different way. It looks like yours hit the edge and went down, in which case you may see them regrow from that point.

 

I would be concerned if any roots have grown into the soil. I similarly, in ignorance, planted a running bamboo in my previous garden, on the corner of the garage, close to the house. It has now spread under the concrete garage floor and drive and is coming up in next doors drive.It has been treated with something once which has made no difference to it. After seeing the reports on TV of running bamboos coming up through floorboards inside properties I would be worried. I would have thought constant weedkiller spraying of new shoots might eventually get on top of it.
Down here in Cornwall there are large clumps of bamboo growing everywhere, like Triffids marching across the countryside.

 

Having got rid of a huge amount of bamboo when we moved in, I agree with the above… that the small roots aren’t a problem, but any ‘lumps’ with bits of apparently dead canes/shoots (as in image ending 733) might well sprout again and would need poisoning if you can’t get them out, but you might want to wait to see if there are signs of growth. Good luck

 

If there isn't any photosynthesis then the plant will not be able to survive, so cutting off any new growth is the solution. The problem with that is if it springs up somewhere that you can't get to or in someone else's garden.

 

We had a clump of bamboo, which we dug up some time ago, but we still get bits reappearing from time to time. It also spread under the fence into the neighbour's garden. They too got rid of it some years ago.

But now some has popped up about 100ft away on the golf course behind our garden. It's got a nice big garden now to run wild!

 

@cactus_girl you refer to 'some time ago', and 'some years ago'. How long ago did you dig out the bamboo? It seems unlikely, but not impossible, that a single runner from your bamboo would appear 100 feet away if there is nothing showing in your garden.