Setting up, base for a raised flower bed?

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araminta
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Setting up, base for a raised flower bed?

Post by araminta »

Hi
This is my first post so please be gentle!
I'm hoping to plant bamboo to make a screen at the back of our exposed garden. I am planning a raised bed to contain them. The walls to the raised bed will be wooden railway sleepers, which will back onto a brick partition wall.
Do I need to block off the base and sides of the raised bed to prevent the bamboo from creeping out/damaging the brick wall? Or will it be ok just to grow with a thick layer of compost on top of the existing garden soil? If it needs blocking what is the best substance to use? I have seen bamboo membrane on the market, is this enough (I'm in the UK, if that makes a difference)
I was hoping to get a clumping black bamboo, but at this stage I'm open to any variety
There are lots of recommendations for planting bamboo in containers, but nothing this specific. Obviously I want to get it right rather than regret anything/have my neighbour throwing pitch forks at me!
Thanks so much for pandering to my silly questions in advance.
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needmore
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Re: Setting up, base for a raised flower bed?

Post by needmore »

Greetings! 100% the bamboo rhizomes will manage to escape the railroad sleepers; will they damage the brick wall when they do? Maybe, maybe not, at the very least they'll keep going looking for a place with soil and if the wall is weak they'll go through a weak spot.

When I removed some of my beds built this way I was amazed at just how much linear feet of rhizome was running in between the ties, inside of rotted spots in the railroad ties and beyond into other areas.

The clumping forms of black bamboo will not enjoy your climate, I'd suggest looking at the montane forms - Borinda, Fargesia, Himalayacalamus etc. Check the website at Kimmei.com for a long list of candidates.
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
http://www.needmorebamboo.com
araminta
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Location: UK

Re: Setting up, base for a raised flower bed?

Post by araminta »

needmore wrote:Greetings! 100% the bamboo rhizomes will manage to escape the railroad sleepers; will they damage the brick wall when they do? Maybe, maybe not, at the very least they'll keep going looking for a place with soil and if the wall is weak they'll go through a weak spot.

When I removed some of my beds built this way I was amazed at just how much linear feet of rhizome was running in between the ties, inside of rotted spots in the railroad ties and beyond into other areas.

The clumping forms of black bamboo will not enjoy your climate, I'd suggest looking at the montane forms - Borinda, Fargesia, Himalayacalamus etc. Check the website at Kimmei.com for a long list of candidates.
Thanks so much for the helpful information
dependable
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Re: Setting up, base for a raised flower bed?

Post by dependable »

^^^ What he said, but I'll answer your question about the "membrane" or root barrier; a 60 mil barrier 24-30 inches, say about 2/3 - 3/4ths a meter deep, will block running bamboo rhizomes (running roots). However, the bamboo will not do well if roots are enclosed in too small an area, so unless garden bed is going to be pretty big,( something like 1.5 meters wide and 30 meters long might be a workable minimum),and if you want to maintain it by thinning etc. Otherwise, best to stick with the clump forming bamboos.
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