Bamboo help please

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OskieBoy
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Location: Memphis TN

Bamboo help please

Post by OskieBoy »

I have 18 plantings of bamboo in my backyard that are about 15 feet tall. They were field dug and have been in the ground about four months. Some of the rhizomes are now five to six feet. I live in Zone 7, Memphis TN, and the plants are in full sun. Rhizome barrier was used.

I am planning on building a koi pond in the backyard and I need to put the dirt somewhere. Would it hurt the bamboo to raise the ground level around it by about one foot? I would raise the entire bamboo planting area by one foot, just pull the mulch back, add a bunch of dirt, and then move the mulch back to where it was. Any ideas? If I did this in February would the new shoots be able to grow through the new soil?

Thanks

Nic
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dependable
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Re: Bamboo help please

Post by dependable »

That depends on the nature of the "dirt" you want to raise the grade with. If it is good topsoil, it would help the bamboo. If it is sterile fill and subsoil, it won't help and may even set the bamboo back, depending on the consistency of the fill.

If you mix the fill in with compost, it would help, but that will make the berm even higher. This could work out OK, a little topography adds interest to the yard.
T9D
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Location: Oregon - 8b zone

Re: Bamboo help please

Post by T9D »

I did that exact thing. Made a pretty big hill actually. Didn't bother the bamboo one bit. But might as well add compost while you're at it. I didn't bury the old culms though. I left a little space around them. Didn't know if it's ok to bury them or not and didn't want to try it. Eventually it filled in anyway around it but the plants were well along by then. They will shoot just fine through it.
Last edited by T9D on Wed Jul 20, 2016 4:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
T9D
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Re: Bamboo help please

Post by T9D »

Ahh and once you start digging that Koi pond you're going to find that the dirt will probably be more like 3 feet high. It's amazing how much dirt there is once it's not compacted down in the ground, it just keeps coming and coming. I was trying desperately to find places for mine all over the yard :D
Nicholas
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Re: Bamboo help please

Post by Nicholas »

dependable wrote: a little topography adds interest to the yard.
Like dependable said, topography can add interest. You could raise the bamboo bed and it should be fine, especially if you amend the soil.

It is difficult to see from the pictures where you want to place the pond but maybe adding a mound somewhere else may provide an interesting feature in the garden.
Cooper12
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Re: Bamboo help please

Post by Cooper12 »

I've done that here no problem. most plants are not bothered by mounds as long as they can be watered they will be fine. amend the soil around the plants and top dress the rest with some sort of mulch like bark
Jason Floyd
Hangtown Farms

Emmett Idaho
Zone 7A
Potato country
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