Presenter: Nigel Ruck

We get a few enquiries regarding Bamboo and many viewers are concerned about plants becoming invasive and uncontrollable but like the appeal of bamboo as a screen or Asian style garden plant.

No doubt for some people the mere thought of bamboo evokes images of wild jungle type growth leading to nightmares, and there is no doubt that certain varieties can behave outrageously. With the ability to grow up to a metre a day in the right environment it the fastest growing plant on earth! Imagine that, you put a new plant in the ground, go away for a week, come back and it is 7 meters tall!

There are many varieties of bamboo that make excellent garden plants if chosen and grown properly and used in the right situation. There are two main categories, running and clumping, referring to the way they grow. What you may not know is that Bamboo is a type of grass, but not the mowing type.

Running varieties are most commonly found in cool climates and produce underground rhizomes that can travel all sorts of distances from the existing culms or stems, which are the above ground parts. Distances of 100 meters are not unusual, making bamboos a potential invasive threat of huge proportions given the opportunity and environment. However, with the rhizomes contained, they have plenty to offer.

Clumping varieties are more sub tropical plants and non invasive, with the rhizomes staying close to the parent plant and gradually spreading in size. They don’t need incarcerating with root barriers and can be planted in ground in the normal way, producing sensational results.

Pots, troughs and planter boxes are good for containing running bamboo, but in ground plants require some heavy measures to make them escape proof. What you need to do is surround the roots and rhizomes with a root barrier keeping them under control. Specialised polyurethane barriers can be used, or concrete, with purpose built concrete structures doing the job beautifully. This can involve a lot of work and add to the cost, alternatively, choose a clumping variety.

Whether you use running or clumping, you need to choose the right variety for the job and there are plenty of beauties available. It is best to consult with a specialist bamboo grower or nursery.

Hopefully Nigel has eased some of your concerns and you are no longer bamboozled by these truly amazing plants.