We believe you can cross species but be sure to check how aggressive certain species are before planting them together - else one might choke the other out over time. Crossing Multiple Bamboo Species Together Nigra has been more likely to escape for us to date. It has worked well so far on both varieties. Yellow Fishpoll Bamboo and Black Bamboo (nigra). We've planted two kinds of Bamboo using this method. Be sure to also check out our growing tips for hardy bamboo. Not only is this good for bamboo, but it will also encourage the plant to keep its rhizomes near the surface. Also, add 2 inches of mulch all over within the barrier. This will help make rhizomes less likely to go down because the low nutrition content of the subsoil is relatively uninviting. Then, when filling the trench back in, use the subsoil for the bottom half, and the topsoil for the top half. Try to keep the topsoil and subsoil separate when digging the trench. Make sure all the holes drilled in the barrier line up with the screw locations - do not leave any open gaps where the bamboo rhizomes might escape through. Then take your screws and install on the barrier. Go and buy two metal steel rulers, that are at least as high as your barrier, and drill holes in them every 3 inches or so. If you want to use the strips but can't find anyone to purchase them from, you can make your own quite easily. Bamboo can escape through tiny openings, so make sure the seal is perfect and tight. Either use steel closure strips with a less than 3-inch overlap (which we recommend), or overlap the ends by at least four feet and seal the overlap at both ends with double-sided tape. This will allow you to inspect for rhizomes a couple time a year.ĥ.) Next, you'll want to close the ends of the barrier. Remember to leave at least two inches above the top of the trench. You do not want the rhizome to go down, as this can lead to a rhizome escaping under the barrier. This will allow you to snip it off when it reaches the surface. The idea here is that you want any rhizome that hits the barrier in the future to be directed up and not down. It's essential to try and angle it away from the enclosed area, approximately at a 15-degree angle if possible. Place the barrier into the channel and position it where you want it to be. You want this bottom layer to be a hard and uninviting clay in the event a rhizome ever makes it down that far.Ĥ.) After you've extracted all of the dirt from your trench, and compacted the soil, you can begin the installation of the barrier. Once you dig out the proper depth, you'll also want to compact the bottom of the channel as well as possible. If you are digging an unusually narrow trench, like we were at 3ft, then you may have to dig out the entire area.ģ.) Be sure to remove all roots and other objects that protrude into the trench where the barrier will be located. Our barrier, seen in the photos throughout this entry, was an elongated barrier measuring approximately 60ft long by 3ft wide.Ģ.) Next, you'll need to dig the trench entirely around the area to be contained, about 2 inches shallower than the width of your rhizome barrier. However, it is possible to have a reasonably sizeable healthy plant with as little as 3ft x 3ft of ground for it to grow in. Those focused exclusively on the vigor of bamboo recommend as much as a 30 ft. The larger the area, the larger your bamboo will be able to grow without overcrowding or choking itself out. Over the following paragraphs we will go over the steps to install a bamboo rhizome barrier.ġ.) The first step is to determine the area you want to contain the bamboo within. You can find these plastics online from several sources (we've included a few from Amazon below), or you may be able to find it locally at a nursery or garden center. The 60 mil may have been overkill, but it never hurts to be safe with bamboo. Because we live in an area that has sandy soils, we selected a barrier that was 30 inches wide and 60 mil in thickness. Only the last two inches of the barrier will be present above the ground. Remember, the greater the width, or height, of the barrier, the deeper you'll have to dig. However, a 30 wide barrier is safer for most soils.įor areas where the soil is sandy and loose, a 36 inch wide barrier may be required. In hard clay soil, some professionals say it is okay to use only a 24 inch wide barrier. You'll also need to determine the height (or width) of the barrier. Thicker plastics like 60 mil and 80 mil are also available for additional protection. For best results, only a true HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) barrier of at least 40 mil thickness will suffice for the long term control of bamboo.
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