Bamboo

My husband and I began growing bamboo in 2011 when we moved into our new house with a long, narrow back yard. We wanted privacy and something that would grow in fast. We love bamboo and it helps that it's evergreen. After much research, we decided to put it along the back of the fence to create a screen and something green year round to view from our kitchen window. We planted five Yellow Groove (phyllostachys aureosulcata) plants purchased via mail order. These plants were in 5-gallon containers and about 4 feet tall. One died and one didn't shoot. We suspect they are too shaded (from the neighbor's maple tree seen behind the fence). We also planted three Harbin Inversas (a phyllostachys aureosulcata cultivar).

We were inspired by this patch of Yellow Groove bamboo bordering a neighbor's yard. It's heavily populated by birds! They cut the plants back to about 15 feet tall once a year. This keeps the bamboo very thick.

Because the planting site bordered a neighbor's property, we installed a 2 foot deep rhizome barrier along three sides. My husband prunes the rhizomes on the 4th side with a long spade that he uses to snap off any rhizomes making their way into our yard. The shot above was taken just after the barrier was installed (about 30 feet by 3 feet), April 2011.

First year plants along the back fence

Beginning of the third year, before shooting

The neighbor with the thick bamboo hedge saved us two plants they dug out of the yard. This is after one year. They put up several shoots. We were surprised they took. Apparently, they were left out of the ground for a few weeks. They were about a foot tall when we planted them. These are tough plants.

 Bright yellow culms of the Yellow Groove, year one, about 4 ft. tall.

Spectabilis (another cultivar of phyllostachys aureosulcata), planted next to our compost bins in the vegetable garden. It is also enclosed on three sides by a rhizome barrier. This bed was planted last year (2012)  from two 3-gallon plants.

 In spring 2012, we extended the bamboo bed to the other fence and planted five more bamboo (pyhllostachys bissetii).  First my husband dug another trench to fit the rhizome barrier (and our dog Riley). 

Then, he prunes along the long side facing the yard a few times a year.  He prunes down about 18 inches. We'll see if that's enough!