The Infamous Ditch-Witch

[Robbie78]

So im trying to dig a trench around my bamboo groves and Im realizing that it sucks bad! LOL It took me about 3 hours today to dig about 20 ft, I used a king of spades and a trenching shovel, I have about another 125 ft to dig, so question is, is it worth it to rent a ditch witch? do they work well for this kind of trenching, my concern is most of the ditch witches i have seen only dig a trench about 4-6 inches wide, is this enough width? the bamboo I have are Bisetti, Rubro, Atro, and Henon I bought large plants, 25gallon size that are any where from 15-30 feet tall and I dont know what to expect this year as far as running, the groves on average are 10x25 feet Thanks

[Robbie78]

wow no one has used one of these?

[needmore]

Does the Ditch Witch look basically like a big chainsaw? I had a guy use one of those that was a good size machine on tracks for trenching in a 4 inch sewer line, it cut about the width you describe. It took him no time to cut 125 feet through tree roots and bamboo rhizomes and cost me a whopping $100 I think. I do not like the idea of trenches for my bamboo but at the time I thought it looked like the tool I'd use if I was ever going to install a line of barrier for someone. Plenty deep and wide enough for that.

[RazinCane]

Hi Robbie, how wide and deep are you trenching? I only trench a shovels depth and width and this has been adequate to discourage and expose rhizomes that are determined so that they may be easily snipped. Bamboo is typically shallow rooted.

[foxd]

If I had a ditch-witch available I would certainly use it. It may take some thought to figure out the best way to wrestle the barrier into the trench.

[needmore]

I don't think he intends to sink barrier, only a pruning trench. The trench we had here it looked like barrier would be pretty easy to install in a straightish line which is the only way I'd put in barrier. An oval would surely be tougher.

[foxd]

At one point I cut and bolted some plastic barrels into an oval barrier. I wasn't able to install it where orginally planned due to the high junk content of the soil. However I was able to use it elsewhere and did not have a problem in putting it into an oval trench I dug.

[CadyG]

Ditch Witch is a handy trencher. I always see them at our regional tradeshows, and it is tempting to consider investing in one. Saves your back, but not your bucks, though! If you have 125 more feet to trench, might be worth renting.

[Robbie78]

Thanks for the replies! yea Im not going to install barrier, im just looking for a pruning trench, I don have a very big yard and my wife had been kind enough to let me take up 60% of it with bamboo I just really dont want the bisttei and rubro to escape because it will be a real pain if it does, but I did just get a King of spades that im hoping to use soon

[Robbie78]

Needmore why dont you like trenches for your bamboo?

[needmore]

Needmore why dont you like trenches for your bamboo?

Because I don't like having trenches in the yard and I think there are easier ways to control bamboo spread.

[Robbie78]

The one thing great about them is when drunk underage teenagers decide to run through my yard at 1:00 in the morning it trips them up

[needmore]

The one thing great about them is when drunk underage teenagers decide to run through my yard at 1:00 in the morning it trips them up

Yes but do you really want to hear them whining out in your yard late at night about their broken/twisted ankles and then have to get up to drag them to the sidewalk?

[CadyG]

The one thing great about them is when drunk underage teenagers decide to run through my yard at 1:00 in the morning it trips them up

Bamboo rhizomes that "porpoise" appropriately can accomplish the same thing.

[Jerry Hamilton]

I have used a ditch witch to put down a barrier. It works great if the ground doesn't have boulders in it. Just don't have the positve trac lock in if you are turning.