Dave wrote:
Jill Tardivel writes

I'm planning to create a garden pond, and had hoped to use a butyl pond
liner. However the site of the pond is close to some invasive bamboo.
I think I will have to create a barrier to stop the bamboo forcing its
way through the pond liner. The bamboo is robust, about ten feet tall
and produces canes about 1cm in diameter.

Has anyone else had to do something similar? Am I right in that the
bamboo will be a problem? The roots apparently don't make it under the
garden wall into the neighbours garden, the footings of which are
probably about 18" deep.

I was wondering if I could bury the old kitchen worksurface as a root
barrier - family suggest this is overkill and that there must be an
easier solution. However providing I can dig a slot deep enough to bury
the worksurface, it should hold the bamboo at bay.

Any ideas?


Is the bamboo yours? I am no expert on bamboo, but I understand there
are two basic types, the clump-forming ones and the progressive root
crawlers. If you are not sure, its worth finding out. I think you would
need a concrete barrier to stop the running -root types, they are **very
tough** IIRC. OTOH the clumpers are pretty safe.

I did my pond first, and then put a clump-former (I was advised by a big
nursery I have been to a lot and respect) at the top to hide the big
filter tank, and its worked really well. The bamboo has filled out a
bit, and is as you say about 10 ft high and quite thick, but it hasn't
migrated elsewhere, and the tank is completely invisible.

Thanks to both for replies. I suspect it is a running root type rather
than a clumper - but, unless my (very nice) neighbour is being
unusually polite it isn't getting under the wall. I'll avoid burying
the worksurface and keep my eye open for something else. I could manage
a concrete barrier if I put my mind to it. Quite like messing about
with concrete ...

Jill