Need Brainstorm on 100+ acre rhizome border management

[terrabamboo]

I have been trying to rack my brain figuring out a way to control the running bamboo from my terrified neighbors (who farm right next to me). Central Mississippi.

My dilemma of whether or not to use the HDPC plastic barrier is due to the fact that I need about 10,000 feet of it (and that is only 1/4th of my land! the other portion runs up to 70 year old trees). And once I purchase another 200 acres, this number will increase to much more feet to protect. I have found a supplier in China for around $1/foot (if anyone is interested in buying a 2000' roll for cheaper than nursery bulk prices).


Here is my alternative:

Run a deep middlebuster (about 3' deep by 2' wide) around the edge of the property, and then 5-10 feet inward from that, run a second middlebuster cut. This would allow for my property manager to cruise the property X number of times a year looking for rhizomes that ran past the first ditch and know to take action.

Of course, once the bamboo hits this first ditch, every year it becomes a "cleanup". My thoughts on what to do next is to dump a load of asphalt and spread diesel fuel in there (binding agent) in the most inward ditch, run a roller over it on a hot day to compact it down really well. The outward most ditch would still serve as a final way to protect the neighbor crops -- if the rhizome was found there, then additional "shoring up" would need to be done around that area.

Any other suggestions that don't involve tens of thousands of dollars? Any sort of water barrier idea? Cheaper than $1/feet protection?

[moriphen]

I think you need to forget the HDPE barrier, your scope of what you want exceeds justifiable cost. I would suggest a more common sense 3 part approach involving water, water retention ponds and mowing. Install farm grade watering systems where you want bamboo, the bamboo will prefer to grow where there is a easy source of water. 2nd create water retention ponds and place then between you and your nervous neighbor, bamboo rhizomes will not cross a body of water. Finally use a lawn mower to create a 20 ft buffer zone around any bamboo grove. It is used quiet commonly in the old growth bamboo groves in NJ.

[terrabamboo]

excellent suggestion, moriphen.

any suggestions on how would I create the water barrier on a slope/hill?

[needmore]

I don't know your situation but do you have a tractor? If so, don't let any culms get within 30' of your property line and plow one furrow 10' from the line 2-3 times a year. You could probably buy a used trencher for less $$than 10,000' of barrier and run a trench once per year. A plowed furrow or a trench is rhizome pruning at an extreme level and I do not see how you could ever have an issue if you can do that. Dealing with your neighbors fears though will take them time to see that you are on top of it.

[spiros123]

Here's a good post on controlling with herbicides...
http://www.bambooweb.info/bb/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1777

Which species are you looking, runners or clumpers?

[terrabamboo]

Brad,
I had thought about simply mowing 30' inward of my property each year. It still is the forerunner approach.

The issue I see with a trencher or furrow approach is that let's say the rhizome has already run to the other side of the ditch -- and I come by and sever it -- there is a possibility of creating a new rhizome division on the other side of the ditch by doing so (depending on how far it ran before it was severed) -- or am I missing something? This is what lead me to a two-ditch approach because once it's past my property I have to go over to my neighbors and plead my case for removal.

Once the bamboo hits the 30' outer "line", great care will have to be taken to ensure it does not go further -- as it will be teeming to cross that line with no where else to run. Or am I making a mountain out of a mole hill?

I just do not want to affect someone's livelihood -- income that they rely on -- by having bamboo run into their crop. It's a little different than a neighbor's lawn.

[terrabamboo]

Here's a good post on controlling with herbicides...
http://www.bambooweb.info/bb/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=1777

Which species are you looking, runners or clumpers?

Focusing on Henon, Moso, Robert Young, and Rubro on hundreds of acres.

[needmore]

But if you start trenching way before they can have gone that far then you should be able to keep any rhizome from entering that area with any vigor and by trenching 10' or so from the property line wouldn't you own any spot where a severed rhizome may push a survival shoot?

[terrabamboo]

But if you start trenching way before they can have gone that far then you should be able to keep any rhizome from entering that area with any vigor and by trenching 10' or so from the property line wouldn't you own any spot where a severed rhizome may push a survival shoot?

that may work.
-so one trench 10' from property line
-mowing 10' inner of trench as a first line of defense

any other ideas?

[terrabamboo]

OK, one more thought here to throw out:

What if I take a bulldozer and plow down a three-five foot dropoff on my property line -- would the rhizomes reaching the dropoff be seen a lot easier than a trench?

[foxd]

If you had a gravel road around your property line, how often would it be used? The reason I ask is that compacted gravel roads have stopped bamboo rhizomes.

[dependable]

If you have the resources to make a 3 ft drop off, which would work, you could also just drag a single plow around your perimeter once or twice a year.

[sfrangu]

Sorry I'm off topic, but I can see foxd that you have 16 ft tall Moso? Do you take divisions off of it?

[jd.]

Sorry I'm off topic, [...]

There's always the Exchanges board or private messaging here, or you can even start a new topic about taking moso divisions for the moso enthusiasts.

If you have the resources to make a 3 ft drop off, which would work, you could also just drag a single plow around your perimeter once or twice a year.

I second this idea.

Plowing could also be combined with a smaller one or two foot drop so that escaping rhizomes grow closer to the surface for the plow.

[foxd]

Sorry I'm off topic, but I can see foxd that you have 16 ft tall Moso? Do you take divisions off of it?

Not yet. 16 foot tall moso may be a first in Indiana, unless Brad has beaten me to it.