Planting Bamboo
I would to plant a row of bamboo to screen off the back of my yard. There is a building with high windows that is built on the lot line. Bamboo seems a good choice to screen off the building but not block the windows. I am getting dizzy researching bamboos, rhizome barriers or clumping…
I would to plant a row of bamboo to screen off the back of my yard. There is a building with high windows that is built on the lot line. Bamboo seems a good choice to screen off the building but not block the windows. I am getting dizzy researching bamboos, rhizome barriers or clumping and would like to go to a professional with experience to advise and plant. Does any one have any recommendations ?
Bamboo does spread like wild fire, however it is a myth that it is a mosquito magnet. Still, anything else would probably be preferable.
I am very glad to get these posts !! !
I had been warned of the wrong choice would be invasive, but never heard barriers would have to be 6 feet down !! ! I like the idea of snow on them, and was thinking the rustling would be nice, but there are power lines there as well, and I hate mosquitoes, so all this has been very helpful.
I like the sound of pyracantha and will look into Eunonymous and Nandina as well. I had thought of a trellis and Hops at one time, but it dies down in the winter. Now feel I should maybe rethink evergreen , like Leland Cypress..
Does anyone recommend a professional to advise and do the planting ?
Don’t do it. Planted a bamboo screen across my back yard and ripped it out 4 years later. It took 2 years to finally kill all of the roots. Not only is it invasive, but it is a huge mosquito magnet. Have replaced the bamboo with Crepe Myrtle and couldn’t be happier.
If you DO do it, I would dig a trench 4 ft deep and pour in a 6″ concrete foundation wall. You are going to want to do that between your back and the neighbor’s building foundation as well, cause in a match between bamboo and old brick & mortar, bamboo will win hands down.
We have pyracantha and it is awesome. Looks amazing in every season. We don’t do a thing to it. Also a very very very effective barrier, since it is dense and thorny.
Pyracantha has thorns FYI but that would only be an issue if it’s gotten overgrown. They are attractive and birds love the pretty red berries.
I also strongly urge against planting bamboo. It is very hospitable to aphids which in turn becomes an ant mecca. It is also incredibly “dirty” and you will have tons of pieces of its stem as well as leaves to pick up, all the time.
We had a stand of bamboo that had been planted by the previous owner in strict accordance with all the “right stuff” to do and it still managed to find its way under the bricks of the patio. Took two gardeners 7 hours to completely remove it. I would suggest you look at Nandina which is called heavenly bamboo although it is not in the bamboo family.
Good luck!
I have an alternative I urge you to consider, from my experience in three locations with a similar need as yours. Think about pyracantha (firethorn). Train it (or them, if the space is wide) against some kind of trellis or support, and prune it flat or openly as you like. Its dark glossy evergreen leaves look great all year, and it is covered with white flowers in spring and red berries in fall and winter.
Euonymous could also be used in the same way.
The problem with bamboo is that you need a real thicket to get the effect I suspect you’re after. Otherwise you will be looking at something straggly and often brown.
Lots of great bamboo out there that looks great. As pacJ said, it’s very invasive so you have to install a dard plastic (rigid) barrier at least going down 12″ from the surface to prevent it from spreading further in a direction you don’t want it.
You needn’t get a species that grows 25′, there are so many different ones out there from 10″ grouncover to 40′ high. So many on the internet.
It’ll look great once it fills in but be careful about the edging and get a recommendation on the required depth from the nursery.
be very very cautious about this. A prior owner of our house planted a stand of bamboo in the back of our house about 20 years ago or so. It is very difficult to control. We spend about $700/year to cut it back. A heavy wet snow, and you have a mess of bent over, 25 foot long bamboo stalks laying on your powerlines. If you don’t take the proper precautions such as sinking barriers (like 6 feet deep) to prevent it spreading, it will go everywhere! This may not be true for all bamboo, but beware!