The bamboo roots, which are several meters long, spread with unbridled vigor. Here and there they produce new plants and are not afraid of obstacles. If you want to stop them, you can do so with an alternative root barrier!
What alternatives are there for bamboo root barriers?
Alternatives for a bamboo root barrier can be thick-walled plastic, metal or concrete. For example, use masonry buckets, rain barrels, metal tubs or concrete slabs, which are available at hardware stores but should be robust and durable.
Which alternatives are suitable for the bamboo root barrier?
Thick-walledplastic(polyethylene),metalandconcrete are well suited for root barriers.. You can use simple masonry buckets, rain barrels, metal tubs, concrete slabs or other inexpensive items available at hardware stores.
Note that the metal should be made of stainless steel and be at least 70 cm wide. A rain barrel should contain at least 90 liters.
What should you consider with the alternative root barrier for bamboo?
Make sure that the material for the root barrier isrobust and durable. Frost and water must not make it brittle. In addition, the material should beresistant to rodentsandnot release any toxic substances into the soil.
How do you install an alternative root barrier for bamboo?
If you decide on a rain barrel or a bricklayer's bucket, ahole is first sawn in the groundfor example with a jigsaw (€46.00 on Amazon). This is important for draining excess water. Then, depending on the type of bamboo and the root barrier, a large, 60 to 100 cm deepplanting hole is dugThe perforated container is placed in the planting hole. The edge of the container should ideally be 5 cm above the ground. Now fill halfway withsoil, insert thebambooand cover with the remainingsoil
What are the disadvantages of commercially available root barriers for bamboo?
The commercially available rhizome barrierscostusually a lot of money if you rely on quality. In addition, they often helpnot permanently against the strength and urge to spread of the roots of a bamboo. Some species of bamboo are said to even grow through concrete. Such bundles of energy cannot be stopped with simple films from retailers. For this reason, it is advisable to find an alternative to conventionally available root barriers and to insert them into the soil.
Can you plant bamboo without an alternative root barrier?
When planting a bamboo, you mustnot mandatory and immediately install a root barrier in the soil. On the one hand, it is possible to use the root barrier later. On the other hand, not all bamboo species proliferate, which is why an alternative root barrier is not always necessary. If you choose a bamboo species like a Fargesia, a root barrier is avoidable. However, you should definitely set a root barrier if you plant a bamboo such as Pleioblastus or Phyllostachys.
Tip
Don't restrict the bamboo
It is not uncommon for the alternative root barriers to be placed too close to the bamboo. But that is disadvantageous. Bamboo needs space to root well over the years. Bamboo also needs access to sufficient soil in order to absorb enough nutrients.
