Everything you need to know about bamboo in the garden

Explanation on the maintenance of a bamboo hedge and the control of the invasive progression of bamboo in the garden. 

How to prune bamboo to have a very dense hedge?

It is imperative to prune a tall bamboo hedge only once a year. But for that, it is necessary to wait for the end of the growth of the new canes (leaves appear at the top), otherwise, the operation would have to be started again a few weeks later.

When the canes are too tight, new bamboo canes grow tall and only leave leaves at the top. This prevents densification of the hedge in its lower part.

At the end of winter, carry out a thinning pruning :

• Clear the inside of the clumps, cutting off at ground level the oldest stems that have dried out or those which are more than 4 to 5 years old, but which still bear leaves.
• This last intervention leaves room for new rods which develop and expand where they have enough light.
• Complete this cleaning by adding organic nitrogen fertilizer or a layer of ripe compost.

How to stop the progression of bamboos which threaten the pipes in the garden?

Removing the bamboo rhizomes is very difficult, especially if it is a Phyllostachys bamboo, very tracing and sinking into the ground. 
The only solution is to surround the bamboo with an anti-rhizome barrier to protect the pipes from bamboo rhizomes.

To circle the bamboos: 

• Dig a 70 cm deep trench to slide in a  non-woven geotextile anti-rhizome barrier, made of 100% polypropylene.
• Position the canvas along the wall. For information, the bamboo roots turn clockwise: at the junction of the circle, cover one piece of tarpaulin with the other so that the roots do not slip through.
• It is also possible to bury corrugated sheets vertically.

To stop the progression of bamboo in the garden, you must: 

• Break the spears as they come out of the ground. Exhausted, they end up getting discouraged.
• In addition, repeated passages with the mower slow down their progress.

For information, beware of voles or mole rats, which feed on the rhizomes. They cut them up and transport the pieces over several meters. Bamboos are then cuttings everywhere.