Rhizome control 2018

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Tarzanus
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Rhizome control 2018

Post by Tarzanus »

I broke my neck digging out rhizones 2 months ago when the soil was dry and hard. There were a lot of rhizomes I took out, and I thought - it will be easy in the fall, I'll just cut a few more.

How wrong I was! As the soil is nicely moist I didn't need the same amount of effort as before, but the amount of escaping rhizomes was insane. Phyllostachys aureosulcata had spread a little, just as I expected, all rhizomes were easy to pull out as well. Phyllostachys pubescens (moso) seedling on the other hand went completely nuts. New rhizomes were thicker than most of the culms. They were more than 1.5 meters long, 'branched' out and had developed strong roots. Some of the buds had already started swlling - I guess these would end up turning into new rhizome branches before the winter.
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iain
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Re: Rhizome control 2018

Post by iain »

I was debating whether to dig the trenches that will facillitate root pruning now or next spring. Your post has cancelled the deliberation. I was wondering why you hadn't used a trench for the Phyllostachys like you had with the Hibanobambusa. Any experience with this method of control would be welcome.
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Tarzanus
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Re: Rhizome control 2018

Post by Tarzanus »

Hibanobambusa hides the trench completely, Phyllostachys bamboos are opened and don't fall down to the ground the way HBT 'Shiroshima' does.
I will do it eventually. I have also decided to soak the soil before any kind of digging during the summer. It can be so much easier. I also used an axe to cut off the rhizomes and it worked way better than lopers or pruners. I just whacked them a couple of times, pulled them out and end of story.
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iain
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Re: Rhizome control 2018

Post by iain »

Cheers. I used to soak the soil prior to digging out a shrub or tree as the soil would break up easier when wet. Nice blog, btw.
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Alan_L
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Re: Rhizome control 2018

Post by Alan_L »

I have some experience with trenches, and all of the ones I've dug and filled with mulch have eventually filled back in with soil. I have hard clay so the trench soil is looser than the stuff around it, but it's still soil and not just mulch anymore. If you have loose soil I'd say the trenches won't really help, but with hard soil they sure do.

I've also hired a strong neighbor kid to help with rhizome pruning. It's such a daunting task if you're on your own and doing it by hand! :)
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iain
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Re: Rhizome control 2018

Post by iain »

Thanks, Alan. I was considering using sand or pea shingle, if not leaving the trenches empty. I think I will dig some small runs where I definitely dont want the rhizomes to encroach to see how the soil holds up. I have read the dimensions of the trench should be 10" to 12" deep by 12" wide. Is that width necessary?
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Tarzanus
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Re: Rhizome control 2018

Post by Tarzanus »

Width is necessary just because the soil erodes and you get with a shallow and wider trench after first couple of heavy rains.

I left the trench empty. This way, I could see the crawling rhizomes inside and cut them off. With autumn, it got filled with dry leaves, which is OK by me, because I intend to restore it in early summer next year anyway. Digging into humus rich trench should be rather easy.
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iain
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Re: Rhizome control 2018

Post by iain »

Thanks, Tarzanus. Leaves may be the way to go, especially this time of year, and they would eventually produce the lightest of soil medium.

edit. I finally bit the bullet and started. Although the soil was relatively light I encountered a few stones that would have hampered future root pruning.
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Alan_L
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Re: Rhizome control 2018

Post by Alan_L »

For me an empty trench always filled itself in -- the walls would erode over a year and then I'd just have heavy soil to dig again. Wow, I wish I had soil that looks like that photo!
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iain
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Re: Rhizome control 2018

Post by iain »

I used the spoil from the trench to level where I would like the rhizomes to grow. I guess I could equally have riddled the soil while returning it to the trenches, but I've decided to take advantage of mulch provided by our Council recycle centre. The soil does appear to be good. This is a relatively old property which backs onto a modest strip of woodland. There were a variety of toadstools this year and I have discovered rhizomorphs throughout the soil, which was a bit alarming, but they haven't harmed a fifty year old privet. The soil is infected with the New Zealand flatworm though, and that precludes sharing anything but barerooted plants.

Alan, like Tarzanus, your's is another great blog. Many posts on trenching, etc.
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