Root Pruning Bissetti - too conservative?

12 years ago

Hello all!

I put in a root barrier in a small area near my deck in an oval shape, about 3ft x 4ft. It started as two mature culms in April and one new guy has sprouted since.

So I noticed that the rhizome has hit the root barrier and began to bend upward out of the mulch. I freaked out that it was growing too fast a pruned it back...see the picture for the cut rhizome and the nearest culm.

Two questions:

1 - Am I being too conservative? I would like it to fill the area out, but I don't want rhizomes to grow down and under the root barrier out into my lawn. Root barrier is about 28" deep with 2 " above ground.

2 - Are there multiple rhizomes, or just the one that I found? What is the rhizome growth habit?

Thanks!

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Comments (4)

Johniferous (Zone 6B, Northern NJ)
Original Author
12 years ago
Another picture, zoomed out
kudzu9
12 years ago
You're being too neurotic about this. The barrier is doing exactly what it is supposed to do, and it is set deep enough to prevent problems. There are probably other rhizomes you can't see...but so what? If you want it to fill out, stop truncating the rhizomes. In addition, bamboo are not plants that typically send roots down: they like to stay near the surface and prefer warmth to the cooler soil that is deeper. And even if a rhizome somehow got out, you would dig it up, chop it off, and determine how it escaped. It's not like it will take over the neighborhood while you're sleeping. You've done what you need to do. Now enjoy the plant and quit molesting it!
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Johniferous (Zone 6B, Northern NJ)
Original Author
12 years ago
Haha thanks for the feedback, I agree I'm being too neurotic. I'll stop and just let it be!

What will happy to the rhizome I trimmed? Will it grow again? Shoot off a new rhizome? Put up new culms? Die????
kudzu9
12 years ago
The rhizome will probably send out new growth at some point, and you may or may not get a new shoot from it. And thanks for taking my response in the spirit it was intended.