Bamboo Trees
WendyB3
Posts: 4
Sorry, but I am new to this site and think it looks great and perfect for my needs. However, as someone who is not very good with techno things, following sites, etc., (but I can make a lovely lemon meringue pie!!) I am not sure how to ask a question and advice from any of you keen gardeners!! So, here goes, if I am in the wrong place, I am sure one of you can kindly lead me to the correct section - my question is, if I cut down my 3 lovely bamboo trees (about 10ft/12ft high) to about 5ft high, will they grow back up again, or will I have damaged their growth meaning they will stay at the lower height. I do have my reasons for wanting to cut them down, but I only wanted it to be a temporary thing really and hope that they would grow back up to 10/12ft again. I did not keep the tickets so am unaware of their name but they were purchased from the local garden centre. Thank you, and a Happy New Year to you all.
Posts
bamboos are wonderful plants. However, each stem only grows vertically in its first year so once cut , the stems won't regrow.
Depending how overgrown it is, use anything you can, secatuers, loppers, ( I've even used an old bread knife ) to thin it out at the base . Take out the oldest , woodiest looking stems and leave the younger stems is ideal. Give it a good mulch with garden compost or well rotted manure and you'll get a good flush of fresh new shoots later in the Spring
How long have the bamboos been there and how many stems has each one got?
If you want them out of the way temporarily could you tie them to one side?
In the sticks near Peterborough
Mmmmm lemon meringue pie...
Wendy - you may be new here but you certainly know how to friends and influence people
They're anyone's for a piece of cake - especially Verdun 
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I've got a biggish garden with some wild bits and bamboo is fine. It's not something I'd recommend for more cultivated areas.
In the sticks near Peterborough
My own experience is totally different to that of Verdun, which doesn't mean Verdun hasn't experienced problems. I have the golden and black versions of Phyllostachys and one clump forming bamboo and haven't had any problems with any of them becoming invasive. They have been in the garden at least 10 years. The golder Phyllostachys has thrown out a couple of runners but I've simply chopped them away and pulled them out. They certainly haven't turned the garden into in impenetrable jungle, unlike the runners which came up from my neighbour's fruit trees. They were a devil of a job to get rid of.
I've seen it suggested to contain bamboo by sinking a plastic dustbin, with the bottom cut out, and planting the bamboo in that.