Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings

Bamboo is a beautiful plant. You can add many varieties of bamboo to your garden without fear of overgrowing by following some simple steps to contain it.

Steps

1. 1 If you are not trying to control the spread of existing plants, it is best to start by choosing a seed variety that is compatible with your gardening style. Bamboo is a great herb. And like its smaller relatives, there are some species that spread easily and others that form neat bunches. If you already have different types of bamboos planted, or if you prefer the style and look of a diffuse look, skip to step 2!
2. 2 Some argue that the best way to control the spread of bamboo is to eat the sprouts. Most bamboo shoots are eaten raw and are all edible after cooking. This is actually very effective, but requires painstaking cleaning every year. Rhizomes left in place after harvest will produce many shoots in the next year.
3. 3 If possible, use natural barriers. While bamboo will grow next to a stream of water, it will not cross it. It will not grow in an area that is either very dry or fully saturated with water for more than three months of the year.
4. 4 Again, if possible, bamboo can be easily controlled by planting where the lawn surrounds it on all sides by 6 meters (20 feet) or more. Mow your lawn as usual during the growing season and soft shoots will be harvested before they begin to grow.
5. 5 If natural hedges or large lawns are not suitable for you, you should consider active growth control methods. One of the easiest is to make the conditions very good where you want to grow bamboo, and very bad where you don't want it to be. For example, give your bamboo water, organic matter like compost, and a few inches of mulch where you want it to be. Retain water and nutrients in areas where you don't want it. This is a reliable method along with the next step.
6. 6 To improve step 5, dig a 12-inch (0.3 m) moat around the bamboo. Bamboo spreads by releasing rhizomes from the plant near the surface. These rhizomes will crawl out into your moat, where you can easily identify them. Check them once or twice a year, and cut off any you find. Although another rhizome can replace the previous cut one next year, it will not grow in that direction.
7. 7 The above methods are highly successful, but not ideal. Sometimes, for example, the rhizome will grow under a trench and must be dug to prevent spreading. If you really want a long-term solution with minimal maintenance, you can install a bamboo rhizome barrier. While this is the most difficult option, it is the most effective way to control the spread of bamboo. See the WikiHow article on How to Install a Bamboo Rhizome Barrier.

Tips

• Correct installation of rhizome isolation is critical to success.Take your time, read the WikiHow as well as the manufacturer's instructions, and don't forget to get it right.
• If you see shoots outside of the bamboo distribution area, this is like a sign indicating the location of the rhizome. Take a garden fork and scissors, remove the rhizomes and your bamboo will be limited.

Warnings

• A ditch 12 inches (0.3 m) deep can be a trap for pedestrians. Use the trenching method only if it can be done safely.
• If the climatic conditions are good, some varieties of bamboo can spread very quickly. Using even the best methods, there is a chance that the rhizome will come out. If you really can't do anything about it, choose the bundling method.