Rhizomes growing right on top of the soil

[stevelau1911]

I discovered 8 rhizomes coming off the base of my yellow groove, but they don't seem to be turning into whip shoots or digging down to stay as rhizomes. Should I force them down, or encourage them to turn into whip shoots? If I let them stay this way, it looks like I'll end up with some completely horizontal culms.

This is way too early in the season to be growing rhizomes too.

[Iowaboo]

looks like you got pretty close to the bamboo to take the photo. My semi-professional opinion would be to put bubble wrap around them, so if you accidently walk too close, you step and pop the bubble wrap before ultimately damaging the bamboo.

[Case]

I had one pop out like that on my potted vivax. I ended up digging out a little underneath it and aimed it back to the dirt and covered it back up.

[bigone5500]

I don't know much about this, but I would get a small hand spade and dig from under it for about 4" and try to get it back in the ground. I'd probably dig back about a foot from the tip and get it even in there.

But what do I know???

[ShmuBamboo]

They are called ankle breakers... rhizomes that grow up and out of the gournd, and then dive back down again. They will usually roam and dive into the ground all by themselves. You do not need to do anything really. The rhizomes will sort it out. Then, once they move you out of your house, you can negociate terms with them! They will turn green if they are above ground and getting light. Not to worry. If they are a hazard, I would cut them off. Otherwise I would just dump more wood chips or loose material on them and let them run. Some of them will become weak angled shoots, AKA whips.

[stevelau1911]

looks like you got pretty close to the bamboo to take the photo. My semi-professional opinion would be to put bubble wrap around them, so if you accidently walk too close, you step and pop the bubble wrap before ultimately damaging the bamboo.

I made sure there weren't any shoots where I stepped

Since it already has plenty of normal shoots I'll add some more mulch and hope they make their way into the ground where they belong.

[ghmerrill]

some species seem to produce more of these than others. I have also noticed that the species I mulch heavily tend to have more survace rhizomes, where the ones planted in plain ol dirt seem to keep them deeper. could be a factor of moisture here, as when the rhizomes are running in our climate, it is extremely hot and dry. the mulched bamboos put out significantly more growth than the unmulched boos do.

[CadyG]

My P. bissetii "porpoises" a lot. Not sure if it's a Phyllostachys characteristic. I also use a lot of mulch and compost, and wonder whether that encourages this type of surface rhizome growth.