Running bamboo - Stopping growth in one direction ?

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JCPenney
Posts: 19
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2009 5:13 pm

Running bamboo - Stopping growth in one direction ?

Post by JCPenney »

Greetings. I planted 12 running boo in August 2013. In a row, spacing was 8 feet, o/c. They are mostly Pseudosasa japonica viridula and akebono with a few Hibanobambusa shiroshima in the mix. They are growing and spreading just fine. I have drip sprayers placed front and back of the boo.

I want them to grow in three directions: North, south and west. There is lots of open space to grow. I wanted to screen off a neighbor's house 50 yards away.

East is where our asphalt drive is laid out. The boo are now about 15-20 feet away from the drive. To keep them from moving east, I recently shut off the drip sprayers in front of the boo. Seems to be helping. Some shoots are coming east, but not many. I have been digging under the shoots to a rooting clump and cutting the shoot and pulling up and removing. (Put these in a one gallon pot with some soil...and they have produced new shoots).

Is this the best long term approach? Do shoots want to travel into dry soil ?

Thanks
Mackel in DFW
Posts: 362
Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2009 11:56 pm
Location info: 0
Location: Dallas, Texas (zone 8)

Re: Running bamboo - Stopping growth in one direction ?

Post by Mackel in DFW »

It depends on where you live when you say "dry".
JCPenney
Posts: 19
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2009 5:13 pm

Re: Running bamboo - Stopping growth in one direction ?

Post by JCPenney »

We live in Grants Pass, OR. Usually little or no rain from June thru Oct. Last month it was 80-90-100 degrees every day.
Mackel in DFW
Posts: 362
Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2009 11:56 pm
Location info: 0
Location: Dallas, Texas (zone 8)

Re: Running bamboo - Stopping growth in one direction ?

Post by Mackel in DFW »

Sounds pretty dry, and your plan seems to have merit.
JCPenney
Posts: 19
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2009 5:13 pm

Re: Running bamboo - Stopping growth in one direction ?

Post by JCPenney »

Thanks for the input. I am surprised no one else has chimed in about keeping bamboo away from unwanted areas (other than a barrier or trenching or........).

Does anyone use drip sprayers, 90 or 180 degrees, to limit growth in any direction ?

I suppose when the rains come, they will send out shoots towards the driveway, anyway. It should be easier to dig them up and they will run in red clay and probably not go too deep.
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