Frequently Asked Questions, Controlling bamboo, Choosing bamboo, Growing bamboo

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I need a screen. Which bamboo should I choose?

If winters don't often go below freezing

If you have full to half sun you can grow a hedge of clumping bamboos. Look at the Bambusas.
Or, if you have full to half sun you can grow a screen of running bamboos. Look at the Phyllostachys.

How to choose?

The clumping bamboos will not fill in as quickly. You will need more time and probably more plants.

The running bamboos give faster effect. But you will have to control their spread. The clumping bamboos do not have to be controlled.

If winters are below freezing

If you have open shade you can grow a hedge of clumping bamboos. Look at the Fargesias.
If you have full to half sun you can grow a screen of running bamboos. Look at the Phyllostachys.

When should I plant?

Nothing much happens until soil (not air) temperature is 40°F or higher. So planting too early in the spring gains little. In the fall 4-6 weeks of soil temperature of 40°F are needed for bamboo to establish. Most of the books will tell you to plant in the spring. This is contrary to our experience: we have routinely planted into October here in New England with great success. If you can work the soil and can provide the needed moisture you can plant any time of the year.

How to control a running bamboo?

Bamboos will not grow into water (the rare exception exists i.e. Phyllostachys purpurata) or under a well-traveled road. A pond a creek will stop them. They grow in woods very slowly. Here in New England we have outcroppings of stone they can't cross.
Or, you might want to establish a large grove and let them roam at will. If you can use the natural features of your site no further maintenance is needed. But who of us is so fortunate? Lacking natural landscape features some other control is required.The fact is whatever control method you choose some maintenance is necessary.

You can mow the new growth every spring. When they first come up they are fragile and brittle, easily cut. This requires that you establish a mowing strip about twenty feet wide around your bamboo. A narrow strip will not work. Those rhizomes (the underground stems by which they spread) will extend beyond a narrow strip and come up in the most unexpected places. If you choose the mower method you will see that they come up every spring - but they'll stay within the boundary you set. You will not be left with stubs if you mow early. The cane stubs will rot and disapear
Another popular technique is to put a physical barrier in the ground. You will have to use a material that is strong and will not deteriorate and that goes down about 36". High density polyethylene or high density polypropylene 40-60 mil. is commonly use. A vinyl carpet runner from Home Depot won't work. The rhizomes will penetrate it. Install the barrier so that the top is tilted away from the bamboo and be certain that 3-4 inches of the barrier is above ground. If it is not above ground the rhizomes can go hop over it. Not a pretty sight and difficult to install. I know a nursery that swears by the barrier material they sell - and this is the third material they swear by! Here's a source for barrier material; write to Ken at ken@internationalplasticsinc.com
The method I favor requires that you dig a ditch 12" deep and about 4" wide, wide enough to get a tool in where you want to establish the boundary for the bamboo. The purpose of the ditch is to find the rhizomes as they grow out from the grove. In order for the bamboo to spread the rhizome will have to cross the ditch. When you find one crossing the ditch cut it and if it has crossed completely pull up the rhizome on the far side of the ditch. This is an effective containment method. It works if you do it each year. The rhizomes grow in the late summer and early fall. So attend to this maintenance late each growing season. It is not necessary to keep an open ditch - you can fill it with mulch and find the rhizomes by running a stick through the ditch.

How to grow bamboo on a Terrace/Deck garden?

Bamboos in containers above ground must cope with harsh environments. Rapid freeze/thaw cycles in colder (zones 4-7) result in root injury. In the warmer climates drying winds and the need for frequent waterings present a challenge.

Best results will be achieved in a large container which not only provides space for the plant but moderates temperature fluctuations. The soil depth and the minimum width should be at least 24".
Taller bamboos and bamboos subjected to drying winds will do best with the same depth and double the width. Adequate drainage is essential. We recommend that the walls of the container be lined with Styrofoam insulation in both warm and cold climates. Two inch thick rigid Styrofoam is widely available and can be used for this purpose. One inch thick Styrofaom will work if you can find it. Try Home Depot or Lowes

A draining, water retentive soil-less mix such as Metro-Mix 510 or any general purpose potting mix available at your garden center should be used in the planter. What is importent is that you use general purpose potting mix, not garden soil. You will be amply repaid if you pay attention to watering your bamboo - particularly during hot weather.

In cold areas appy an anti-dessicant such as Wilt Pruf monthly from December to February.This will help prevent desiccation and consequent browning of the leaves.

Can you really grow bamboo in northern states?

Yellow-groove Bamboo in Bristol, Rhode Island

Black Bamboo at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden

What is the difference between running and clumping bamboos?

The distance between the culms (canes). Here's what they look like in the ground.

Running bamboo Clumping bamboo

What's My Hardiness Zone?

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