Bamboo

[gg706]

Wanted to ask a question....does not really fit in gardening but no where else to place it.
Has anyone grown bamboo? I want to plant some to block out my neighbors QUICK! I am afraid that it will become invasive. Has anyone planted bamboo and then had a problem? Have you had success getting rid of it once you get something else more desirable grown up to take the place of the bamboo?

 

[MinxFox]

I grow clumping bamboo to solve the problem of it spreading. Clumping bamboo will spread, but it will just grow in a tight clump, like a circular shape. I am growing it in my peafowl pen and it grows very quickly once it is established making at least 12 new shoots a year. A way to control it is if a new shoot comes up, when it is still small just kick it over. When the shoots are young they are very easy to break and that will kill that cane. I love the way it looks. There are several varieties of bamboo...Some kinds get very big and tall, and some get less tall and more thin. Also, they have different leaves too from long to shorter. It would work as a great, beautiful barrier for sure. We have a local Bamboo Garden here, their website might help give you some good info: http://www.booforyou.com/

Here are some photos of my clump (I also have a varigated one that has canes that are yellow and green, but it is not doing as well because it gets less full sun).
Here is my bamboo growing through my pen netting. (The fence is 6ft tall).


This is still a fairly young plant, so it will probably get thicker, if I wanted it to. I control it a little so that it stays see through. You can see how it stays there in a clump.


I just love bamboo...It is so easy to grow. If the leaves start to curl inward, it is time to water it.

 

[gg706]

Thank You for the reply with the great info and pics! It is really beautiful! I don't think I will want to take it out! I think I will plant it in a permenant spot and keep it groomed...it looks wonderful and very tropical! Thanks!

 

[MinxFox]

Anytime have a great Christmas!

 

[gg706]

Thank You, Merry Christmas to you too!

 

[locke2121]

Controlling non-clumping variaties of bamboo will be as hard or as easy as how you do your set up. Bamboo spreads by means of undergrond runners called rhizomes that go everywhich way, pop up out of the ground and produce what is known as a culm. This is the base of the new bamboo shoot. To stop this, most bamboo gardeners use a very tough kinds of rubbery plastic that the bamboo will have a hard time growing through. They tend to go down about three feet deep, with the sides sloping out a bit, and line the sides with this plastic. The bring the plastic up above ground level and often lay it on top of bricks or wood to keep it from flopping over. Usually, and by that I mean only most of the time lol, the rhizomes will hit that plastic and start upwards along the plastic and pop out of the ground. When you see these new shoots coming up over the edges, you just crack them off.

With that said, you have to think about the level of work you'll need to do, the cost of the plastic and the fact that sooner or later your bamboo will become rootbound in its enclosure and will have to be thinned out...NOT a happy time lol. Imagine a pot that is filled with roots as hard as wood!

If you're willing to do the work, then I say go for it. Bamboo is such a wonderful and fast growing plant. Some species send up twelve or more shoots a year from each main plant...they grow so fast that you can actually see the difference from day to day! And if you're a gardener or crafter, cutting and drying it out makes for great working materials....you can even eat the baby shoots!

 

[wyoDreamer]

What is the zone for bamboo? Does it like a moist environment or can it take dryness?

 

[locke2121]

Well...that depends on if you want your bamboo to come back year after year! Pretty much any plant can be grown anywhere if you're going to give it the care and conditions it needs. But..bamboo can be grown..depending on the type, from zone 5 on down. Remember, bamboo is found on the snowy peaks of japan, so it can take a cold snap or two. BUT...they do prefer warm weather with plenty of water. So zone five is the absolute minimum.