Trench for Bamboo Barrier – Part IV

2006.06.13

After working some overtime, including the weekend, I am taking the rest of this week off and hope to get further along with the barrier trench.  However, there is rain the forecast for the next few days.

Bamboo barrier trench progress
Bamboo barrier trench progress

I have been digging a little here and there, mostly while out watering the lawn and waiting to move the sprinkler from one spot to the next.  Today was the first time for a while that I have been able to keep at it for a full afternoon.

Bamboo barrier trench progress
Bamboo barrier trench progress

2006.06.15

Yesterday it didn’t rain so much, but it was surprisingly cold and windy, so I didn’t do much digging.  Today after the morning rains let up, I continued, until the rain returned in the early evening.

Of course, there are always obstacles to overcome, such as this large chunk of concrete inexplicably buried right where I need to dig the trench.  Nate has my sledges and concrete chisel, so I’ll have to wait to get those back and smash this out.

Buried concrete discovered in trench digging
Buried concrete discovered in trench digging
Bamboo barrier trench progress
Bamboo barrier trench progress

2006.06.15

Today I basically finished clearing the front trench, except for that buried concrete, and worked on what’s left of the back trench, mostly next to the fence posts.

Bamboo barrier trench progress
Bamboo barrier trench progress

2006.06.17

Today I helped Nate sink some posts for his new front fence.  Of course that took all day, but in the evening he followed me back to my place and helped me work on the trench some more.  We smashed the buried concrete and removed it, cleared out the rest along the rear trench, and then set about getting the barrier material down in there.  We unrolled the HDPE barrier, doubled back on top, allowed for some extra length, and then cut it with a utility knife.  The HDPE is about 1/16″ thick, and 30″ tall.

Roll of HDPE bamboo barrier and metal strips
HDPE bamboo barrier unrolled on driveway

Carrying the barrier over to the trench (heaving it over the top of the mounds of soil along the way) and getting it down in place turned out to be an awkward affair.  It is surprisingly heavy, and completely unwieldy.

Bamboo barrier jumbled in and on trench
Bamboo barrier in open trench

2006.06.18

I didn’t feel like doing much work today, but I got out there a little while, as I was watering the lawn.  Much to my disappointment, I discovered that although it had seemed like I had the trench deep enough, it really wasn’t.  The barrier was sticking up about four inches above the driveway.  That would just be unacceptable.  In their instructions, Bamboo Gardens says to leave a couple inches above the ground, so you can see any rhizomes trying to escape over the top of the barrier.  I can live with a couple inches up next to the driveway, but not four or five.

I thought at first that I could just go along with my shovel and cut a groove down at the bottom of the trench and stick the barrier in.  However, this did not work so well.  It looks like I will have to continue digging the trench even deeper, in order to bring the top of the barrier down.  Frankly, I’m getting pretty tired of digging this trench.  With summer coming soon, it’s going to be hot and sunny, which will be miserable weather for this sort of work.  Maybe I’ll get this thing done by autumn…