Garden Raised Planter

Hi

Opinions welcome on the following

We are revamping our garden and building a raised planter bed at the back for bamboo (for screening purposes). It will be made from concrete and the bottom will be left open i.e. touching the soil. Two questions on this approach:

1. Should I put concrete at the bottom of the planter also and drill drainage holes? The bamboo I have is golden bamboo and I was told at the garden centre that it is clumping variety. Any thoughts on this as I don't want it to run and end up pushing up my new patio.

2. Typically what is the height and width of these planter boxes? I read online the width is typically 1.2m. I thought this was very wide.

Thanks

If by clumping you mean it’s liable to spread, I would avoid at all costs. Go for the non-spreading option.

From my experience, bamboo in a planter box produces numerous shoots but unless maintained properly and carefully, will not thrive or look healthy.

Bamboo in the ground grows and spreads like crazy and takes a lot of maintenance to keep under control. Left untreated, It certainly would have the capacity to damage its surroundings.

I read an article in the guardian last year which compared it with Japanese knotweed in terms of its negative impact.

In the name of all thats holy, don't plant bamboo. Your heart will be broken and your neighbours will never forgive you.

Clumping means not spreading, the clump grows bigger rather than sending out runners.

That said I'd still well contain it! I have a bamboo in a big pot for I'd say 20 odd years, I seldom water it just let it to the rain and it's not a huge one maybe 4ft high but it stays alive oddly enough and still looks ok. It's a lovely theory for screening but I'd say they are a bit risky as a plant, if it isn't as clumping as they say it will cause untold trouble, if you totally concrete it in you will be doing a lot of watering. Have you any other option? I did raised planters of a sort and planted butterfly bushes for screening purposes, now they are a thug and grow huge too but can be cut back drastically, I only cut around edges of mine I leave the height!

Thanks for the response. Its the clumping bamboo i have so it shouldn't run in the medium term but i want to future proof it in case it ever changes its mind!. I might lay root barrier at the bottom with drainage holes to keep it in check.

What height are people typically building raised planters these days. I am going with 70cm and 90cm wide.

Mine are a bad example as they are more like pillar style! About 4ft high or so but very narrow.

That said I have other concrete raised planters on patio and it's handy if they are sitting on height if needed, I have edged them with small 6x6 slabs