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Hi guys. I'm wondering if the usual plowing that a farmer does will prevent bamboo on an adjacent property from entering his field.

Here's a bit more more detail. The link below shows a square lot identified by a red place marker. Its western edge has a tree line that runs north-south and that conceals a small stream. Immediately to the west of the tree line is a farmer's field. [The coordinates of the lot are 40°20'20.1"N 76°30'01.2"W]

https://www.google.com/maps/place/40%C2 ... -76.500344

The tree line is mostly weed trees and brambles, so I'd like to clear it and plant bamboo instead. Specifically, I'd like to plant bamboo on the western side of the stream. The stream would keep the bamboo from running east, but I'm not sure whether the farmers plowing would be enough to keep the bamboo from running west into his field.

What do you think?
Thanks for your time.

Plowing bamboo will damage the intruding rhizomes, but will not completely destroy them, and I'm quite certain, the field would have bamboos emerging from the rhizomes. If the rhizomes that will get separated from the grove are removed and/or left to dry out on the soil surface, the amount of bamboos should be minimal.

Rhizomes are usually traveling just below the soil level, because they tend to seek for warmth. Plowing should easily expose the rhizomes, if you inspect the field at that time and remove them, you should be safe. Rhizomes are growing during spring, summer and all through the fall, sometimes into the winter. I usually remove them in late fall and throughout the summer if I see them. This year, I do see them - a lot.

I was thinking about the same thing. If I'd wanted to keep the grove contained on a field, I'd dig a trench using a plow. It would cut through the rhizomes or even pull them out. Then I could just go around the field and remove them. Just a theory, because I haven't done that before, nor do I have the equipment. One of the bamboo specialist on this website will be able to give you better answer, I'm sure about it.

Plowing would only work if done at least once a year, twice would be better. But that is more often than a field would normally be plowed with most crops, also the farmer might choose to leave field fallow or use low tillage methods, then the boo would move right in.

The trench idea Tarzanus mentioned should work fine and be easy to maintain (if you keep up with it).

Thanks guys. That's exactly what I needed.

Having the farmer do your rhizome pruning is a little sketchy per the ethics of responsible bamboo ownership. But Pennsylvania needs more bamboo, so I say F it and plant away.