 |
|
 |
|
|
Fall 2007 Fall is a great time to plant bamboo! It's also the best time for rhizome maintenance. Fall has come quickly this year and that’s our signal it’s time for a little bamboo maintenance. November is the ideal time for rhizome pruning because the majority of this year's rhizome growth has occurred. It’s also a fine time to mulch your bamboo through winter.Rhizome pruning is usually a simple undertaking requiring very few tools. Using proper technique, annual containment through root pruning is well within the grasp of the average gardener. A variety of tools are suitable for rhizome maintenance. These range from everyday garden shovels to specialized tree spades. For strength and versatility, the wolverine is our tool of choice. This tool combines a long flat blade and an extra strong steel handle. Bamboo Gardens highly recommends this tool because of it’s ability to cut through new rhizomes with a single blow. Bamboo Gardens tool tip: sharpen tools before each use. Achieving proper rhizome pruning technique is a straightforward endeavor. For a planting without a barrier, planning and marking the perimeter in advance ensures a well-defined line or arc around the grove. Where bamboo barrier is in place, please be sure to dig a few inches inside the barrier. To be safe, excavate a small area, and dig down until you can see the base of the rhizome mat. Then forcefully slice down to that depth with your spade. Twelve to eighteen inches is usually adequate since the majority of rhizomes tend to be shallow in our Northwest soil. However, in sandy soils the rhizomes may travel somewhat deeper. And in a contained area, the rhizomes may bend down near the barrier. Tip: if your bamboo is in a small above-ground container, be sure to rhizome prune before freezing weather arrives. As you prune around your grove, it is important to remove rhizomes that have been severed from the parent plant. Do your best to get all of them, but don't be discouraged if a few are missed. Due to a high probability of shooting, these stragglers will make themselves readily apparent in the spring as mini-shoots. Tempted to just mow the new shoots? Beware, rhizomes will continue to spread outwards unseen. For more information, please see Bamboo Plant Care. No living thing requires “no maintenance” but bamboo is very low maintenance compared to many other plants. Annual root pruning will reward you with a thriving hassle-free bamboo planting. New to bamboo pruning or need a refresher course? If enough people respond saying they would be interested, we will schedule a Saturday morning class in late November. Inherited an overgrown bamboo planting? Have a grove too big to handle by yourself? We have staff who specialize in getting extensive plantings under control and keeping it that way. We are currently booked 3 months out, but would be happy to add you to our wait list. Happy gardening, Bamboo Gardens Staff
|
