How To Plant Bamboo (Clumping And Running Varieties)
The trench and root barrier we used to plant a running bamboo along our fence without it spreading into the lawn.
The short answer
To plant bamboo, space the plants 60 to 90 cm apart, dig a trench 50 to 60 cm deep and line it with a 60 to 70 cm root barrier that overlaps by at least 30 cm and stands a few centimetres above ground. Backfill with soil and compost, plant, then water well. Clumping bamboo can skip the barrier, but running bamboo always needs one.
How much care you need to take planting bamboo comes down to the type. Clumping bamboo grows in a tight cluster and stays put, so it goes in much like any other shrub. Running bamboo spreads through horizontal underground stems called rhizomes, and without a barrier it'll send new shoots up through your lawn, borders and patio.
The photos in this guide come from our own garden, where we planted Phyllostachys aurea, a running bamboo, along the back fence to create a privacy screen. We fitted a root barrier the whole length of the trench, and the same method works for a clumping variety if you'd rather not take any chances.
Tools And Materials For Planting Bamboo
- Bamboo plants
- Root barrier, 60 to 70 cm tall
- Spade
- Rotavator for breaking up the trench (optional)
- Strong scissors
- Compost
- A hose or watering can
How To Plant Bamboo Step By Step
1. Lay Out The Bamboo Plants
Before you dig, stand the potted plants where they'll be planted to work out the length of trench you need, as in the photo at the top of this guide. Roughly 60 to 90 cm between plants looks sparse on day one, but they'll spread to fill the gaps and form a dense screen over the next couple of years.
2. Dig The Trench
Digging the trench is by far the biggest part of the job, so set aside plenty of time for it, especially on a long run. Go down 50 to 60 cm, which puts the bottom of the barrier well below where the rhizomes travel. We loosened the ground first with a rotavator, which saved a lot of spade work, and our guide on using a rotavator to break up soil covers how to handle one.
3. Fit The Root Barrier
Feed the root barrier into the trench so it lines the sides and fully encloses the planting area. Where two lengths meet, overlap them by at least 30 cm so rhizomes can't find a gap at the join.
Leave a lip of barrier standing proud of the soil, which stops rhizomes creeping over the top. Our barrier had a green side and a white side, with the green side being the hard-wearing face that goes towards the roots. Barriers differ, so check which way round yours goes.
4. Backfill And Plant
With the barrier in place, start returning the soil to the trench. Mix compost into the base before setting each plant in, and keep the top of each root ball level with the surrounding ground, or slightly higher if you want a raised bed effect. Firm the soil around each plant so it stays upright.
5. Mulch With Compost And Water In
Spread a layer of compost over the soil around the bamboo, then water thoroughly. The soaking settles the soil and fills any air pockets around the roots.
6. Trim The Top Of The Barrier
Once everything has settled, trim back any barrier that's standing too tall. Leave around 5 to 7 cm above ground level and cut the rest off with a strong pair of scissors.
Choosing A Bamboo Root Barrier
For our planting we used the TDP DuPont Root Control barrier. It felt tough and well made when it arrived, and it came in a compact roll with installation instructions in the pack, which we followed for the steps above.
Whichever brand you buy, the two things that matter are height and toughness. A barrier 60 to 70 cm tall gives you the depth plus a lip above ground, and it needs to be a material rhizomes can't push through. Measure the full length of your trench before ordering and add the 30 cm overlap you'll need at each join.
Other Ways To Contain Bamboo
A purpose-made plastic root barrier is the method we'd always use, and it's what went into our own garden. There are alternatives, such as sinking a large container into the ground or lining the planting hole with concrete slabs, but they leave more joints and weak spots for rhizomes to find.
Letting a running bamboo go unchecked is a decision you'll regret. If you need convincing, the photos below are from a lane near our house, where escaped bamboo has forced its way straight up through concrete.
Checking Your Bamboo Barrier Each Year
Planted properly, bamboo is low maintenance and makes a striking screen. Its speed was what sold it to us, and our guide to how fast bamboo grows in the UK shows why. Water it well through its first summer, using a reliable garden hose so the roots don't dry out while they establish.
If you're worried about rhizomes escaping, push a spade into the soil around the outside of the barrier a few times a year. Rhizomes travel in the top 20 cm of soil, so anything trying to cross will show up quickly and can be cut off. Once the screen reaches the height you want, one of the best long reach hedge trimmers makes light work of keeping the top level.
Quick Questions And Answers
Do you need a root barrier for clumping bamboo?
Clumping bamboo doesn't strictly need a root barrier, because it spreads slowly outwards from the original clump rather than sending rhizomes across the garden. A barrier is still a sensible extra if you're unsure of the variety, as plants are sometimes mislabelled. Running bamboo always needs one, with no exceptions.
How deep should a bamboo root barrier be?
A bamboo root barrier should go into a trench 50 to 60 cm deep, using barrier that's 60 to 70 cm tall so a few centimetres stand above the soil. That depth sits well below the top 20 cm where rhizomes travel, and the lip above ground stops them creeping over the top.
When is the best time to plant bamboo in the UK?
Spring is the best time to plant bamboo in the UK, as the soil is warming up and the plants have a full growing season to establish before winter. Early autumn also works while the ground is still warm. Avoid planting into frozen or waterlogged soil, and water new bamboo deeply through its first summer.
Can you plant bamboo next to a fence?
You can plant bamboo next to a fence, which is exactly what we did to screen ours. Run the root barrier between the bamboo and the fence line, as well as along the open side, so rhizomes can't travel under the fence into a neighbour's garden. Leave enough space to get a spade down the trench.
Which root barrier did you use for the bamboo?
Our bamboo went in with the TDP DuPont Root Control barrier, which felt tough and well made out of the box. It arrived as a compact roll with instructions in the pack, and those instructions are what our steps follow. We had two rolls, each labelled 0.7 m by 10 m.
Which way round does the root barrier go?
Check the instructions, as barriers differ. Ours had a green side and a white side, and the green side was the hard-wearing face that goes towards the roots. In our trench the green face sat towards the bamboo as the soil went back in.
Is a rotavator worth using to dig the bamboo trench?
On a long run, yes. The trench is the hardest part of planting bamboo, and running a rotavator over the ground first saved us a lot of spade work. A rotavator won't reach the full 50 to 60 cm, so the spade still has work to do, but loosened ground makes that dig far easier.
How do I check bamboo isn't escaping past the barrier?
A few times a year, work your way round the outside of the barrier pushing a spade into the soil. Because rhizomes stay in the top 20 cm, the spade will meet anything trying to cross, and you can cut it off there and then. It's a quick job compared with dealing with bamboo that's got loose, which we've seen push up through concrete in a lane near our house.
Archie is our gardening specialist. He started out as an apprentice at a gardening firm, built up his own knowledge from there and now writes most of our garden content.