Trenching blade

[Dave-G]

I have some very tall bamboo in a raised rockery across the bottom of the garden that screens part of my fence. I like the way it rustles in a breeze.

Its rampant - very very rampant, and I have to keep digging up roots that have strayed too far away from the bedded area every year or two. ... SOOOOO

I want to make a thin below ground concrete 'wall' around the roots to form a wide trough: Think of buried scaffold plank shaped concrete shuttering I spose.

 

My first thought was to make extra long and deep Flat Top Path Edging on a scaffold plank with shuttering round the edges - till I came across this:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKxRTP9Ek6k

 

Anyone know where I can buy one so I can just mix the concrete and pour it into the slot and tamp small pebbles onto the top of it?

 

Edited June 25, 2018 by Dave-G

[Walker570]

Never seen one but not difficult to have made.  How deep do those roots run ?   How long a stretch needs doing?  Can't you dig round with a ditching spade, they are about 5 - 6 inches wide and you can get them well over 12 inches long.  Mine is about that.  How far are you across East Leics because you could borrow mine with pleasure.  Knowing the stories of cane, it has the capability to punch through stuff with ease and I think just a one inch layer of concrete would be no defence.  Another idea with that ditching spade is to buy a couple of sheets of plastic Stockbord and cut strips ...they come in 8x4 sheets, do not rot and would be impervious to encroachment by any roots.  I think Mole at Melton Mowbray may stock it. That would work with that ditching spade idea and would bend around corners. At 12 inches, you could cover 32 foot and bolt the ends together.....in the slot and a gentle tap with a sledge to settle it , job done.

No messy concrete mixing either.   Downside...it isn't cheap, but the 6mm thicknes would be adequate.   Hope this helps.

If you go the Stockboard route but finding a supplier near you, I know a fencing contractor at Corley Moor stocks it.  Just bought a 6mm sheet to roof a couple of my shooting blinds.

Edited June 25, 2018 by Walker570

[Dave-G]

Hiya, The deepest I've found roots is about 6", so I'm thinking 8~10" deep concrete barrier should suffice. The area is about 4 meters by 1 metre.

Thank you for the loan offer. If I decide to dig out I'd likely buy a 4" wide trenching shovel from Machine Mart which is not far from me. However, I think a dug out trench will not have as tidy an edge to it as one that is rammed sideways sort of thing.

 

I rather like the idea in the video - It should be easy and cheap enough to get a local metal fabricator to cut a 12" piece of 1/2" plate, grind a bit of the leading edge off and weld a handle to it. Time I've got it 12" deep and rammed sideways to maybe 3" wide at the top should do a decent job. Drop the concrete mix in dry and let it soak up moisture to harden off when I water the bamboo.

Edited June 25, 2018 by Dave-G

[Mice!]

Haven't watched the video but for digging a trench i love my mattock should have bought one years ago.

[Walker570]

Dave-G then you have answered your own question.  I still think that bamboo will punch it's way through that thicknes of concrete.

 

Have a look on youtube, one or two ideas on containment and they all use a deep  60mm heavy plastic barrier which has to be leaning away from the plant which forces the shoots to come up and not down and under. I still say the stokboard would be a good barrier.

Edited June 25, 2018 by Walker570

[Dave-G]

I'm not familiar with stockboard - are you telling me its tougher for bamboo roots to penetrate than about 2"~ 3" of concrete (in the upper part) ? 

 

I'll search Youtube for bamboo containment thanks - and thanks for the tip about leaning whatever I use outwards too. 

 

Now might be a good time to elaborate on my intentions. I've been harvesting and transplanting errant rizohms to widen the current well established 1.5 metres wide growth - to about 4 metres wide. Thus 2.5 metres ish has become an intentional expansion area and it will be several years before the whole containment would  become root bound. 

 

I've had a bit of a Google about containing - and found an idea of employing a loam/compost summer bedding plant trench along the frontal area that I can use to harvest more rizohms from to thicken up the new growth area's bare patches so I'm now thinking it will only be a three sided container.

 

I'll take a photo of the patch later and post it up because I'm slightly dyslexic and forget to say some things - or say them wong.

 

Edited June 26, 2018 by Dave-G

[figgy]

Corrugated metal sheet in around the roots should hold it and not be obtrusive. If you don't have bits of rubble in the ground you should be able to tap it in wit a block of wood and a large hammer.

Edited June 26, 2018 by figgy

[Dave-G]

That's something to think on figgy.

They have spread a lot wider at the top of course but you can just make out the recent one's I have allready planted into the expansion area while there are more harvested one's in the pots for now. Summer bedding will be planted between the old kerb stones and bamboo - when I will harvest or redirect some more rizohms over the years.

The Red Hot Pokers will be removed after flowering this year - along with the odd potato that I used to grow there. Fathers shovel is about 70 years old, he looked after it better than I have. 

Edited June 26, 2018 by Dave-G