How in God's name can I get the bamboo out of its pot !?!

[Warmseabreeze]

I have just bought some bamboo plants from a local garden centre, but I can't even get them out of the pot ! I have banged all round the pot (trying to get it out like a sandcastle), and I have soaked the soil and put a knife down the sides......why wont it come out??? It will not defeat me

Anyone got any other suggestions?

Cut or break the pot as a last resort?

Are you sure they need to come out? You could bury them in their pots. Bamboo is mega mega invasive. If it's not buried in pots it goes crazy bonkers. Failing that, try saturating them in water to see if it loosens them a bit. Failing that, a hammer!

DON;T! PLEASE! or at least, if you do plant them IN a pot in the garden.

my lawn is overrun with f**king bamboo shoots from next doors bamboo patch and it bloody hurts if you stand on it. now can't let the kids out without shoes on.

it spreads like crazy and is impossible to stop.

Take a Stanley knife to the pot then cut the plant into 4 using either a lawn edger or a spade. I have used an axe trying to split bamboo.It sounds so rootbound that it is in danger of starving to death.
Transplant into bigger pots with fresh compost and slow release fertilizer. Water well.

Like thisisyesterday says - really think twice about planting it without pots, as it will really screw up your garden and next doors garden if you don't! My neighbour's lawn is suffering big style due to his other neighbour planting bamboo without pots. It's really put me off the stuff, shame really.

we're having to dig up a huge patch of our lawn to get rid of the stuff that's come through from our neighbours.
then we're going to attempt to put a big sheet of metal or something down along the border to stop it coming through again.

they usually advise to plant it in a pot into the garden to prevent this.

Doesn't it depedn on the bamboo (spreading in the garden, that is, sorry can't help re getting it out of the pot). I was quite fancying some bamboo, is it not possible to get a well behaved one (clump forming?)

Agree, leave it in pots as it's so invasive.

perhaps bigger pots, but do try to contain it or in years to come you'll regret it!

I think it does depend on the variety. The little black variety is supposed to be non-invasive.

Oh my goodness thanks for all your replies! I had thought about leaving them in the pots but they are clumping ones and I want them to grow a bit to screen us from a carpark. Also when I do put them in the planting hole, should I be putting anything else in there (sorry not v green fingered yet )