[klaaar]

Here in southeast PA, I'd like to plant some sort of privacy screen. The site is somewhat exposed, being on a hilltop; windier in the winter after the surrounding forests de-leaf. Plants will be installed on a 4 foot high, 10 foot wide raised bed. Soil can be considered well-drained. The planting site gets a good deal of sun. The screen will be 250' long.

The plants need to be evergreen. I'd like to be able to grow the plants to 8 feet high rather quickly. I'd also like to be able to maintain the plants' heights at 4 to 12 feet (don't ask why the range).

Could bamboo be the answer? If you head off a certain type of bamboo, will it resprout below the cut? Can you lay cut stems of bamboo on their side in a shallow trench to get them to root and resprout from the nodes? (someone told me this was possible). Can you dig out plants from an established grove and re-plant them successfully in the early spring?

Obviously I know very little about bamboo. Maybe someone can enlighten me, or suggest some other plant that might nearly fit the bill.

[GLAN]

Golden Bamboo is invasive..........Fantastic plant.....very dense, not necessarily evergreen, still dense enough that in winter it will obstruct view.......heights in excess of 15' ......clumps get bigger like Hostas........but the bamboo also spreads on stolons....that's why invasive.......and not easy to eradicate.


I have been hearing about Bamboo varieties that are more clump habit........One that I have been using. Black Bamboo......it has black stalks.....nice looking plant. Not as vigorous growth as Golden......but much, much easier to work with cause of it's clumping habit and not being invasive.

Another variety I have been using is Heavenly Bamboo.....nice redish new growth coloring, also produces berries.....a much smaller stature plant that is much slower growing.

[Fine Edge]

Beware!!!! I planted some for a screen 14 years ago and have been fighting it for the last 7 years. I can't find anything to spray on it, we've tried all chemicals. been digging by hand to remove all roots.
This is golden bamboo, wish I never planted it, grows like crazy in the Spring.
It even went under an aboveground pool and surfaced through the liner.

Again.... BEWARE!!!!

[Lanelle]

Heavenly Bamboo isn't a bamboo. That is the common name for Nandina Domestica.
I agree with everyone that you should be looking for a clumping bamboo. There are a couple of growers in Maryland, north of Baltimore that grow lots of bamboo varieties and are knowledgable about which will work for your requirements.
PM me for the growers info.

[GLAN]

I guess why it's named Heavenly Bamboo is cause it very closely resembles bamboo........and it sure does. Come to think of it.

It doesn't grow anything like bamboo, but for appearances sake my people are happy with it and it's common name

[klaaar]

It turns out we'll be studying black and golden groove in a continuing education class next month.

Thanks for sharing the experience. I guess a clumping variety would br preferable!

I still would like to know if bamboo would resprout below a heading cut, and if anyone has ever heard of laying a stem in/ on the ground lengthwise with successful rooting/shooting results.

[Malrex]

I studied bamboo a little bit before I installed it in my yard a few years back. I planted it...but then moved about 6 months later so didn't really get to see what happenned.

Two ways a bamboo grows--depending on species. Some grow with runners and keep spreading out, while others grow in clumps. I went with the clumps as I heard it takes a bit longer for them to spread out and I was worried that runners could quickly start growing on the other side of the fence and into my neighbor's yard.

One way I read about stopping the runners is to dig a trench and put in some sort of metal barrier thats deep enough at the bottom and yet shallow on the top to stop the runners. I've never tried it.

My guess is that the bamboo would grow back if you cut it and I think it would definately be possible to grow bamboo from cut stalks--but this is just my GUESS. I would definately talk to someone more knowledgable about bamboo and get the info from Lanelle.

[GLAN]

Bamboo does have the ability of lateral budding and branching......Look at those good luck bamboo in those little gravel pots for the home

Although in the garden........I have Golden in the ground at places for the last 15 years or so.........I don't recall any lateral budding that develoded into stalks

Bamboo is not one of those plants you cut the tops off anyway.


Wait, wait..........memory is kickin here...We've had to trim and keep it contained at a couple properties and it will push lateral branching that will immediately shoot straight up.......but then again I never forced the Bamboo.....I am talking about Golden....it is quite thick and dense right from the git go...


Now the black Bamboo........I only have that in the ground a couple years...........were I have it........it is not optimum but it is living and doing well.........does not grow as quick as Golden.........so I have had no reason at all to do any trimming or nipping of any kind.........though I will probably experiment now.

[dan deutekom]

My only experience with bamboo is in interior plantscapes and it is very vigorous. My experience with both black and golden is that they do not form lateral buds but cutting does promote new shoots from the soil.

Lucky bamboo is not a bamboo at all. It is Dracaena sanderana with the leaves pulled off. It was developed by some slick promoter.

[klaaar]

I had another thought today. A customer has an ornamental grass growing: I've seen them before in my area. Roughly, their leaves grow to 6' and the flower stalks to 12'. Anyway, the plant I looked at today had leaves beaten down to 3-4', but had ten flower stalks topped with decent plumes, over 10' high. The stalks themselves reminded me of bamboo stems.

1. What is this plant?

2. If I planted #1, quart, or 2" containers now, what sort of heights could I expect by fall, assumming good conditions and a little fertilizer?

3. If one left this plant grow for two years without any pruning or cutting, what would happen in the second growing season? I assume the leaves then the flower stalks would fall at some point, but would the new growth be hindered much by the standing old growth?

It is a plant I'm now considering for the privacy screen - its not evergreen, but stands up all through the winter. Seems like the past year's growth might stand up and give privacy through spring until the new growth can achieve a decent height.

[dan deutekom]

This plant sounds like it might be Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus'. It grows very quickly and will be quite tall providing the privacy you are looking for. I find that by the end of winter it starts to look ratty if left standing but you just cut it down in spring and within 4 to 6 weeks it will be tall enough to be a privacy screen again. I wouldn't count on this seasons planting to provide the privacy you seek until next season.

[LabourofLove]

Sounds more to me like 'Miscanthus floridulis' - this puppy goes to 12' EASY. Here, in Zone 3, sacchariflorus only goes to 9' and rarely blooms fully (too short a season).

[klaaar]

The client just found the name - it is Saccharum ravennae. Anyone familiar with it? See questions 1,2,3 above.

[LabourofLove]

Here you go:

http://www.google.com/search?as_q=mi...ghts=&safe=off

[klaaar]

Thank you for the suggestion, Kate.

How about any personal experience out there?