Bamboo roots can run underground for several yards before popping up as culms in the neighbour’s garden, which is why running genera such as Phyllostachys, Pleioblastus and Sasa need watching. Sink a rhizome barrier 24 to 28 inches (60 to 70 cm) deep, with 4 inches standing proud, and the clump stays exactly where you put it.
Bamboo growth must be constrained if you don’t want your garden to turn into an impenetrable jungle.
How can one avoid having bamboo turn invasive? Are there non-running varieties?
Here are our answers to still have the best of what bamboo can offer, without any of the displeasure.
Which approach you need depends entirely on whether the bamboo is still in your hand or has been running loose for years. The four options below are all described further down the page.
| Approach | When to use it | What it involves | Scale of the job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhizome barrier at planting | Before the bamboo goes in the ground | Dig a hole, circle the barrier sheet inside it, backfill and plant | 24 to 28 inches (60 to 70 cm) deep, 4 inches (10 cm) above ground |
| Trench and retrofit a barrier | Clump already planted with no protection | Cut the clump back, trench around it, sever escaping roots, then fit the barrier | One thorough session around the clump |
| Snapping off stray culms | Shoots appearing beyond the barrier | Break each new culm off by hand as it appears, to drain the root of its resources | About a year of checks every week or two |
| Digging the clump out | Very invasive bamboo grown for years | Machine excavation of the clump and every remaining root and culm | Up to 32 feet (10 metres) around the clump |
Leave any roots or culms behind and the bamboo will simply start again.
The best strategy to avoid invasive bamboo is, hands down, to set up a rhizome barrier right upon planting.
This plastic, cement, wood or metal barrier will have to rest at least 24 to 28 inches (60 to 70 cm) deep in the ground, and stand out at least 4 inches (10 cm) above ground level.
Take note that if you use wood or metal, there’s a high chance that the barrier starts disintegrating after a few years and that the solution doesn’t anymore fulfill its function.
The method we recommend is to purchase a specific rhizome barrier sold by the roll that is a sheet at least 1/10th to 1/3rd inch (0.3 to 0.8 cm) thick.
The rhizome generally doesn’t crawl any deeper than 16 inches (40 cm) deep, but as a precaution, the depth of 24 inches (60 cm) is recommended to ensure you won’t have any bad surprises.
Let’s say you weren’t walked through that, and you innocently planted your bamboo without any protection nor rhizome barrier at all – and now you want to get things back under control.
The roots can run underground for several yards (meters) before popping up out of the ground as culms.
This is what explains why bamboo planted along your property line start growing in the neighbor’s garden…
Lastly, for very invasive bamboo that has been growing for years, the only effective solution is to pull out the clump.
There are many bamboo varieties that are clumping, especially in the Fargesia family. These are indifferently called non-running or clumping varieties.
These bamboo have the advantage of growing very densely. Their roots only very inch around the clump and never spread out very far. They’re not very invasive.
Among the clumping bamboo varieties, here are a few names:
Here, you’ll find all our advice on how to grow bamboo.
Check the genus on the label rather than trusting the word bamboo alone: Phyllostachys, Pleioblastus and Sasa all run, while Fargesia does not.
