Installing Rhizome Barrier

Installing barrier when planting a new bamboo

Mark out the extents of the area that you want your plant to fill.  Our barrier is approx 50cm deep so you need to dig a track approximately 45cm deep and set aside the soil during digging (We’d recommend digging the track about a spade’s width to make inserting the barrier easier).  By digging the track slightly shallower than the barrier you will be left with a small section of the barrier protruding the surface when it’s fitted (rhizomes occasionally creep over the surface so it’s essential that this small protrusion is created to stop them).

Start to unroll the barrier and lay it alongside the excavated track.

Carefully place your barrier vertically into the track and backfill with soil carefully as you go (try to prevent any sharp stones coming into contact with the barrier as they can pierce it).  If the soil in your garden is shallow try to use any subsoil at the bottom of the track & keep any good soil for the surface.  This will encourage the rhizomes to seek out the good soil at the top of your containment area & when they are shallower they are less likely to escape.  Try to create an outward angle with the barrier which will encourage any rhizomes to deflect towards the surface of the soil when they come in contact with the barrier.  Follow the extents of the barriers perimeter backfilling in short sections at a time which will make it easier to work with.

At each of the joins in your barrier it is ESSENTIAL that you seal them up.  The easiest ways are either to overlap the joints by no less than 30cm or purchase double sided tape and physically join the ends.  If you want to be doubly cautious you could do both!  Finish backfilling your plant and rake out the soil surface.

Installing barrier around an existing bamboo

Follow each of the instructions above however if you come upon any existing rhizomes when digging your track remove them.  Be careful to remove any rhizome from outside the extents of your planned area if they have spread that far.

Routine Maintenance – Check the bamboo barrier every year of so to make sure no rhizomes have escaped. If you find that rhizomes have escaped you need to remove them and patch any holes formed in the barrier.

Most importantly it is very important to keep your bamboo within the barrier well fertilized and watered.  A well fed and watered bamboo plant is less likely to spread its rhizomes in search of the nutrients that it craves.