In message , Martin
writes

On Mon, 18 Aug 2014 21:31:47 +0100 (BST), (Nick
Maclaren) wrote:

There are no bamboos that are more than mildly invasive outside
the very warmest parts of the UK (and the Netherlands is similar
to the south-east). Furthermore, they have to compete with
11,000 years of plant immigration, and the survival of the most
thuggish.

It makes one wonder why anybody would put this on the RHS website

"Planting inside a physical barrier
New bamboo plants or divisions can be contained within a physical barrier to
prevent them spreading through beds and borders.

Dig a trench at least 60cm (2ft) deep, but ideally 120cm (4ft) deep
Line the sides of the trench with either solid materials (such as paving slabs,
corrugated iron sheets or pre-cast concrete drain sections) or with
fabric (such
as root barrier fabric obtainable from Green Tech Ltd or industrial linoleum
(2mm (1/8in) thick), available from builders merchants).

Etc., etc.

I have wondered about the accuracy of some advice on the RHS website
ever since I saw that they say that:

"There are no fungicides available to amateur gardeners for use against
downy mildews."

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=683

yet viticulturists (including me) have used Bordeaux Mixture for years
against downy mildew.

Or is Bordeaux Mixture not a fungicide?

Or am I not an amateur?

David

--
David Rance writing from Le Mesnil Villement, Calvados, France