my Pleioblatus aureacomlus

[Mr List]

i got two of these from the palm house and planted them not thinking about which type they were.

the are a runner and from the line of shooting culms look to be making a straight beline out of dodge.

i am just checking that weeding out all the culms in areas i dont want each spring doesnt kill the plant and also if i controll it like that will having so many roots underground starve out any other plants?

[Mr List]

no ideas then?

[jacko]

it is an invasive plant you can dig around it and sever the rhizomes that are going where you dont want them to go and snap off shoots before they leaf out where they are coming up where you dont want them to.this bamboo is ideal for a pot if you like, it would save you a lot of trouble trying to keep it in check.it will take over an area if left unchecked and swamp out other plants.likes a bit of shade too.im not sure whether it will drain nutrients from other plants but its possible but it will take over and dominate an area eventually.hope this helps.i doubt youd kill it,its tough as old boots.

[Mr List]

well it's in the ground where i want it and i have give it some space to grow, i will just need to weed to shape each spring i guess.

in the rhs it says it is a slow spreading bamboo.

i have read that this bamboo can be cut to ground each year before spring does that slow it down?

[jacko]

if its a tough winter and the bamboo looks tatty in spring then yes you can cut it to the ground it doesnt seem to affect the plant at all and comes back looking fresh for summer.

[Mr List]

i think you are meant to cut it down to keep it colourful.

[jacko]

Pleioblastus auricomus, yes cutting it down in spring can produce better leaf colour.

[Trainer John]

Definitely not invasive. Mine has been in the same spot for 14 years and the clump is now about 3 ft round. Stems can reach 6ft - a bit bigger than the reference sites will tell you. I don't know about cutting it to ground level for best colour - it colours well with or without a shear - but it does remove the old dead stems which can look very tatty.

Here's a picture of the foliage:

[jacko]

yeah reading up on it,it does seem to behave itself and is a slow spreader only to a certain diameter.its just that i've had bad experience with certain pleioblastus before and had to remove them to a pot.so i suppose i've lumped all pleioblastus into the same catagory as invasive.

[AndyC]

I find Pleioblastus auricomus very well behaved only spreading slowly. Pleioblastus pygmaeus on the other hand is a real thug.

[Mr List]

if they could find a variety that only grew to 3-4 inches i'd never need mow my lawn again.