(MC) wrote in message . com...
Thanks for the info. I am in Chicago, so I assume growth will be
slower. Yellow Groove appears to be hardy here in zone 5. How deep
should a barrier go? What strength is required for the barrier? I
read they can go through concrete. If I use wooden 4x4s nailed
together, would that work?

If you go down the page a bit it has some info about barriers.

http://www.americanbamboo.org/Genera...ingBamboo.html

Bamboo cannot go through concrete, but it can go through pre-existing
cracks in concrete. 4x4's nailed together will do little to slow
bamboo. It will work its way through the cracks.

Yellow Groove is extremely cold hardy.

http://www.endangeredspecies.com/tex...chys/PHAUO.htm

This link will give you an idea of what to expect. Endangered Species
nursery is a very good source for information about bamboo. Always
eager to answer questions that they can, never afraid to say they
don't know... but it is rare :-)

One thing that works well, are those preformed ponds that are sold at
many home-improvement stores. Dig out the hole, place the pond in the
ground, drill some holes for drainage, cover the holes with coarse
gravel (about 2") and back fill with the dirt and plant your plants...
instant barrier. The gravel will discourage the rhizomes from
escaping through the drainage holes, so you really only have to pay
attention to the to to keep the rhizomes from popping over. These
ponds are usually deep enough to allow decent room to manuever for the
rhizomes.

Good luck!

Chris
Chino,CA