# Bamboo



## mass_burner (Jul 2, 2015)

My wife wants to plant 3 bamboo plants for a 20ft privacy screen between properties. I figured I could just mow along both sides, keeping it a thin line. 

Any experience with keeping bamboo at bay?


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## begreen (Jul 2, 2015)

Bamboo can be a bear to keep at bay if not planned for well in advance with good barriers. This can be a real pita if there are adjacent garden beds. However, I believe there are non-spreading bamboos. Check to see if they will tolerate Mass temps.


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## gzecc (Jul 2, 2015)

I just spent $500 to rent a mini excavator for two days and two days of labor to remove a section of bamboo that started spreading. I will never buy a property that has bamboo.  Stay away. Go online and research the horror stories of bamboo removal.


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## mass_burner (Jul 2, 2015)

gzecc said:


> I just spent $500 to rent a mini excavator for two days and two days of labor to remove a section of bamboo that started spreading. I will never buy a property that has bamboo.  Stay away. Go online and research the horror stories of bamboo removal.


This reason for my concerns is a episode of ATOH, they dug a deep trench and put a container in it to plant the bamboo in.


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## mass_burner (Jul 2, 2015)

begreen said:


> Bamboo can be a bear to keep at bay if not planned for well in advance with good barriers. This can be a real pita if there are adjacent garden beds. However, I believe there are non-spreading bamboos. Check to see if they will tolerate Mass temps.


This is the type.


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## begreen (Jul 2, 2015)

OK, that is nandina. It's not real bamboo and does not spread at all but grows instead as an evergreen shrub. We have several plants.


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## mass_burner (Jul 2, 2015)

begreen said:


> OK, that is nandina. It's not real bamboo and does not spread at all but grows instead as an evergreen shrub. We have several plants.


Oh, so I guess it will be safe. All were looking for is a privacy screen.


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## begreen (Jul 2, 2015)

The label seems suspect for its recommendations. Once established this is a very tough and drought-tolerant plant. It needs very little water once established. Not sure about the low temp either. The first year we had temps in the teens and it set some of the plants back a bit. Didn't kill them totally but there were dead sections I had to cut out in spring. I've read it will lose its foliage when temps go below 10F. 

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c772


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## mass_burner (Jul 2, 2015)

Hmm, I think this may the wrong plant for my application. I'm looking for a 6-8 ft thin, evergreen, not pine Christmas tree types, plant that will provide a screen even in winter.


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## begreen (Jul 2, 2015)

Arbor Vitae? Just pick out one that stops at 6-8' or top prune annually. 
http://www.naturehills.com/arborvitae-holmstrup


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## mass_burner (Jul 3, 2015)

begreen said:


> Arbor Vitae? Just pick out one that stops at 6-8' or top prune annually.
> http://www.naturehills.com/arborvitae-holmstrup


Trying to stay away from that look. Something more unusual, modern looking, that's why we thought bamboo. Is there a non invasive species?


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## begreen (Jul 3, 2015)

This might work. Requires some afternoon shade to be happy.
http://www.bamboogarden.com/Hardy clumping.htm


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## EatenByLimestone (Jul 5, 2015)

What about holly?  It's evergreen, uncommon, and will grow 6-8 feet tall depending on variety.


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## mass_burner (Jul 5, 2015)

EatenByLimestone said:


> What about holly?  It's evergreen, uncommon, and will grow 6-8 feet tall depending on variety.


Wife doesn't want holly, we also don't want a thick bush. We don't mind if it changes colors, as long as it still provides privacy.


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## EatenByLimestone (Jul 5, 2015)

Burning bush is dense enough to still give privacy after the leaves drop.


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## drz1050 (Jul 5, 2015)

Leland cypress?


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## Adios Pantalones (Jul 6, 2015)

Burning bush is invasive. Poplar may be a good choice, but it defoliates in the winter.


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## begreen (Jul 6, 2015)

Euonymus compacta is pretty well self-contained. Grows slowly to a max of about 6-8ft. The county planted it 15 years ago at one of the park and ride lots and it has remained well mannered. But I think the clumping bamboo mentioned earlier would be a nicer green screen as long as there is some afternoon shading time. If full sun euonymus will do better.


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## Adios Pantalones (Jul 6, 2015)

begreen said:


> Euonymous compacta is pretty well self-contained. The county planted it 15 years ago at one of the park and ride lots and it has remained well mannered.


My understanding is that it is invasive in many places (which the OP worried about)


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## begreen (Jul 6, 2015)

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/3082#b

I guess we'll see. We have a few in our yard. So far no sign of spreading. I have never seen it in the wild here, just in landscaped areas.


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## begreen (Jul 6, 2015)

Also consider mahonia japonica, podocarpus_macrophyllus and pieris japonica.


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## mass_burner (Jul 7, 2015)

The site is on the south side, partialy shaded by larger maples until ~2pm, then filtered/full sun till sundown.


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## begreen (Jul 7, 2015)

I'd try the clumping bamboo. It will provide the look you like and there are tough varieties that will stay under 10'. And take a look at the pieris. We have it growing with nandina at the entrance pathway to our house. It looks nice year round and flowers in spring. You can get it with white or reddish flowers. It should look good when paired with bamboo, may be at the ends of the green fence.
http://www.bamboogarden.com/Hardy clumping.htm


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## jeffesonm (Sep 3, 2015)

Unearthing this thread... I am thinking about planting a few Fargesia scabrida which are supposed to be clumping varieties of bamboo.  Local place has 5 gallon plants around 4' tall and pretty bushy on sale for $68/ea, which sounded expensive but seems reasonable given the other online prices.


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## begreen (Sep 4, 2015)

Rereading and I see I said to also consider nandina. I meant to say andromeda which works well with nandina in a plant screen. We have both.


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## mass_burner (Sep 5, 2015)

I have my eye on 3 clumping bamboo bushes ~3'-4' high that I can get for $100.  My only concern is rate of vertical growth won't be fast enough.


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## begreen (Sep 5, 2015)

Patience grasshopper.


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## mass_burner (Sep 6, 2015)

begreen said:


> Patience grasshopper.


Funny. How quickly will get up to 6/7 '


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## jeffesonm (Sep 6, 2015)

There is a series of photos on this page that shows the growth from a handful of canes to a full grown 15' hedge over four years:  http://www.bamboogarden.com/Hardy clumping.htm


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## jeffesonm (Sep 11, 2015)

I am the proud new owner of 7 fargesia scabrida and 3 fargesia rufa.  Hoping to get them in the ground this weekend.


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## begreen (Sep 11, 2015)

mass_burner said:


> Funny. How quickly will get up to 6/7 '


In a year or two at the most.


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## jebatty (Sep 12, 2015)

Any chance of invasive spreading through seeds, air borne or critter spread?


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## begreen (Sep 12, 2015)

Haven't heard of that. The clumping variety does spread, but not by runners so it is much slower and outward from the plant. The website link Jeff provided earlier has good info and photos of how big they grow from year to year.
http://www.bamboogarden.com/Hardy clumping.htm


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## mass_burner (Sep 19, 2015)

I have 3, 3' bamboo plants on hold pending final mark down. At markdown they would be $75 for all 3.


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## Bret Chase (Sep 19, 2015)

begreen said:


> Haven't heard of that. The clumping variety does spread, but not by runners so it is much slower and outward from the plant. The website link Jeff provided earlier has good info and photos of how big they grow from year to year.
> http://www.bamboogarden.com/Hardy clumping.htm



I am plagued by running american bamboo on my property.  it sucks.


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## begreen (Sep 19, 2015)

It took me years to get that under control and it still sneaks up in a densely planted bed where it can hide as it grows.


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## Bret Chase (Sep 19, 2015)

begreen said:


> It took me years to get that under control and it still sneaks up in a densely planted bed where it can hide as it grows.



my biggest problem is that exists across propery lines....even if I get mine under control.....  the neighbor's are renters.. and the landlord doesn't give a crap.


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## begreen (Sep 19, 2015)

Yes, I have the same issue in reverse on our property with an English elm that spreads forever underground. You have to admire bamboo's persistence. Tough plant.


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## mass_burner (Sep 19, 2015)

begreen said:


> Yes, I have the same issue in reverse on our property with an English elm that spreads forever underground. You have to admire bamboo's persistence. Tough plant.


You sound like the cyborg on Alien.


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## begreen (Sep 19, 2015)

I am. All your bytes are belong to us.


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## mass_burner (Oct 4, 2015)

So back to the bamboo, how far apart should I place them. I have 3 about 3' tall. I have 20-25' to screen.


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## begreen (Oct 4, 2015)

4-5 ft apart. You may need a couple more plants. 
http://www.bamboogarden.com/Bamboo growth rate.htm


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## mass_burner (Oct 4, 2015)

begreen said:


> 4-5 ft apart. You may need a couple more plants.
> http://www.bamboogarden.com/Bamboo growth rate.htm



The tag read 3' wide. So put them about 40" apart starting from the right. The right 15' side is what I'm really concerned with screening. On the left side, I put the fake bamboo in a semi circle around a stump, then continuing the line with the real bamboo. 

Planting around mature trees is a pita, and our rock soil doesn't help either.


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## BlueRidgeMark (Oct 15, 2015)

mass_burner said:


> My only concern is rate of vertical growth won't be fast enough.




Try Spray-n-Grow.  That stuff is amazing.  As an experiment, I tried it on half of a privet hedge one summer.  I did only two applications, and forgot about it. The next spring, I was looking out the back door wondering what in the world was going on.  Half my privet hedge was a good 18" taller than the other half, and bushier, denser, and in all ways healthier than the other half.  My wife and I scratched our heads for a bit until we remembered my experiment.


Just.  Two.  Applications.


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