Common plant you need to dig up now or it will ‘spread rapidly’ around your garden and cause havoc
BAMBOO is easy to grow and extremely attractive but it’s also an invasive plant.
Whilst they are a desirable plant to have in the garden, if left to grow unchecked, they can spread beyond their bounds.
Here’s how to control bamboo, and the nifty item one garden guru uses to keep it contained.
Ironically, many gardeners love this ornamental plant before it took over their space.
Though ‘clumping’ types of bamboo can look great in larger spaces, ‘running’ varieties can quickly outgrow their patch in just a few years.
This is because it spreads via below-surface shoots, known as rhizomes, meaning you’ll need to eliminate these as well as the top greenery to tame it.
These will often lay dormant over autumn to spring, before rapidly growing over the summer.
If you want to get this unruly plant under control though, don’t despair as there is a fool-proof way to stop your bamboo from spreading.
How to get bamboo under control
To begin, you’ll need to water the bamboo patch with a hose or watering can – making sure that the soil is fully soaked.
After about half an hour, you’ll need to cut the bamboo to ground level with pruners and leave a small amount of greenery behind.
Next, you’ll need to loosen the soil to expose the rootball and any roots lurking beneath the surface.
You should be able to tug these out of the ground but if you are struggling, you can always use a small shovel to help.
Finally, you can use an axe or a shovel to break up the rhizomes – being careful to remove any lingering pieces which could produce shoots.
You can then remove any new shoots and repeat the process when needed.
This method should dramatically reduce how far the bamboo spreads, but it is also worth noting that it can take up to a year to fully remove the patch.
How to prevent bamboo from taking over your garden
For those that are still tempted to add bamboo to their garden, there is a way that you can make it more manageable and reduce the risk of it taking over your flowerbeds.
Rather than simply planting a smaller patch, green-fingered influencer Dave The Plant Man suggests putting down a plastic root barrier to prevent it from spreading.
In a recent Instagram reel, he advised his followers: “Basically, you dig a trench [and] you put this [the bamboo barrier], leave it sticking out a little bit.”
According to the gardening whizz, this will stop any shoots and rhizomes from spreading through the soil.
If you already have a bamboo plant in your garden, you can also use the same method by placing the plastic barrier around your existing patch.
Even better, you can find this garden-saving tool in various sizes in DIY stores and online for as little as £20.
Amazon currently has a 2m bamboo root barrier for just £21.95 right now.
May gardening jobs
The Sun's Gardening Editor, Veronica Lorraine, has shared the tasks you need to crack on with in May.
GARDEN growth can go from nought to ninety in May, depending on the weather. The last UK frosts are generally seen at the beginning of the month, so all of a sudden there’s so much more to do and grow.
Plant out dahlia tubers
It’s a joy to finally plant out your dahlia tubers. Remember how big they can get – and space accordingly – anything up to half a metre apart.
It’s a good idea to put your support stakes in now instead of trying to work around them.
And make sure you include lots of well rotted manure or decent compost to feed it and then mulch to keep it moist and suppress weeds. They generally start blooming in July.
Final feed to Spring flowers
You can give a cheeky feed to all your remaining tulips and daffodils.
Although the majority of bulbs aren’t guaranteed to come back year after year any more, as long as you’ve left them to die back naturally there’s a good chance they’ll have stored enough energy to come back again. Tomato feed is fine.
Tie up climbers
Your clematis, honeysuckle and rambling roses should be well on their way by now – try to use plastic free string to tie them back into their support, or tuck them round each other to make sure they don’t sprout off in crazy directions.
Feed the lawn
It’s not too late to give your lawn a good feed.
Whether you use granular or liquid, it can give it a good boost to see it through the harsher summer months.
While mowing, don’t go too low with your cut length yet and never take more than a third off the grass height.
Get creative
It’s also time to get creative with hanging baskets and pots.
Trailing pelargoniums, which a lot of people call geraniums, and Begonias are a good, low cost way of getting lovely returning blooms throughout the summer in your baskets.
And pots can be planted with spring bulbs.
Don’t forget the greenhouse!
Give your greenhouse a good tidy and clean the glass inside and out.
The improved light will help plants grow quicker inside and tidying is good for the soul.
You can just use a household white wine vinegar and water solution – or even neat if you’re feeling spendy – which gives a really good shine.