Delaying rootbound

[tomgun]

I've mentioned putting rhizome barrier inside containers to guide the rhizomes back into the center of the area, to stop the strangle belt that develops. I know there are some tree pots made for that purpose, but this is how I tried it in a custom raised planter. It worked well but there are some cautions and improvements. The bamboos were in there for three or four years. This spring I removed the wood box and mounded it up to be made into a bigger raised bed with landscape block retaining wall later.

[Alan_L]

I wonder how much of a difference this really made. Since the rhizomes will branch out, it seems that the entire area would get crisscrossed by them even if the deflectors weren't present.

I wonder if it would be easier to use heavy sheet metal formed into a triangle, or even a 4x4 ripped into two triangular pieces?

[tomgun]

When there is nothing to direct the rhizomes into the middle, all my plants have become rootbound on the outside with no rhizomes in the middle. These inside undulations or concavities force the plant to use all the ground space. Otherwise it is the usual rhizome strangle belt.

This method delays the need to upsize for quite a while, compared to a shape with no concave walls. Of course, eventually every plant will grow into and outgrow any confined space.

Rhizome belts are not so bad if you are wanting to upsize every so often or do divisions.

[tomgun]

When I had forty or so species, a couple hundred pots and one suburban backyard, I finally decided to get rid of all extras and put what was left in the ground permanently (or the ground on them - it's easier here to bring in dirt than dig hardpan dirt, rock, and semi-rock).

Water Bamboo, Ph. purpurata, was one of the excesses. I decided to test the waterness. I took this one out and rinsed out as much dirt as I could. I put it in water with an amateur attempt at making it hydropnical. I gave it Miracle Gro. For whatever reason, it didn't last long.

My next genius plan was to let it dry out completely and spray lacquer it. In the end, I'm going to dump it.

But as one last service to mankind, here are some photos showing the rhizome belt I want to avoid in permanent pot. It is true that the middle is left for the feeder roots, but no culms will come from them, making the space not used efficiently or evenly. That is why, in permanent situations, I want to force the rhizomes to go travel more randomly.

[GrowingHabit]

I dunno- you could cut out the hair roots, and make it an umbrella stand. Sort of keep the madness going, ya know?