Jason Pope wrote in message ...

Most plants with rhizomes have rapid growth of the rhizome to find water
if there's little around!
It's a plants basic biological response to having no water,............
if you water it it'll put up new culms but in my experience it won't go far!

Except of course the fact that running bamboo's will not run if the
water supply is limited. The more water, the more they propagate. If
they have no water, most running bamboos will "act" like a clumping
bamboo by not spreading. It is a basic function of any living thing
to propagate based on resources, more resources more propagation, no
resources = no propagation and ultimately death.

The reason it spreads is to facilitate water and nutrient
uptake,........ you think plants spread just to look nice?

No, they run because that is how they propagate. If they happen to
run into a water and nutrient rich environment, they will thrive and
continue to run.

Clumping bamboo will spread only a few inches a year.

Depending on how you feed and water it!

No, that is what a clumping bamboo does. It grows in a CLUMP.

The advice you are giving is dangerous. If someone plants a running
bamboo somewhere thinking that if they supply plenty of water and
fertilizer, it will not run is going to be sorely disappointed.

Do you have ANY experience with bamboo?
Chris