Bamboo Plant Question

[ohanamama]

I love bamboo and want to plant some bamboo as a privacy screen, I've heard some are invasive, any advice on what to plant? Or what not to? Uhhh any advice on where and how to plant it? I'm a novice gardener...

[Noel M2]

There are a number of resources online and on island who can help you assess the best species for your location and intent. We've purchased material from Susan at Quindembo (http://www.bamboonursery.com/). A nice specimen for a screen is DREPANOSTACHYM KHASYANUM. We have this growing in our back yard.

Ano at Gaia Yoga also has decent specimens. He supplies Home Depot and is located in Pahoa. His site: http://www.gaiayoga.org/nursery/hawaiian...chart.html

Focus on clumpers and you'll be fine. There are some 'running' specimens that can easily take over your back yard if you don't build barriers to contain them.

Noel
http://HiloParadise.com

[Les C]

Be aware, too, that some clumping types grow large and tall enough to be used for lumber! You may want the smaller clumping bamboo.

[Noel M2]

quote:

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Originally posted by Les C

Be aware, too, that some clumping types grow large and tall enough to be used for lumber! You may want the smaller clumping bamboo.

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Excellent point. Do consider the mature height and breadth of a specimen when deciding on what to purchase. A good nursery can help you pick out the right bamboo. Clumpers range from really tiny, almost shrub height plants, to giants like the 100 ft hitam.



Noel
http://HiloParadise.com

[ohanamama]

Thank you for the input, I'm getting ready to plant my bamboo now! Time will tell if I chose the right one! And I did buy from GaiaYoga nursery, he also has a stall at the market[]

[Fishboy]

My wife planted a bamboo in a large pot two years ago and the thing is now thoroughly root bound. I don't know the species, but the stems are bright yellow. Anyway, I want to pull this thing out of the pot, but it's like a stone in the center. When I used one of those post hole digging iron bars as a chisel, it just bounced off this rock thing. I don't want to break this pot, but that may be my only choice if bamboo forms a solid corm or such structure.

Do these plants form a solid mass underground? I thought of using a sawsall to cut the mass in fourths and pull them out separately, but wanted to ask you guys if there's any easy way (besides breaking the pot) to get this out. I may sound desperate, but I'll appreciate any thoughts.

Mahalo nui loa,
Brian and Mary
Lynnwood, WA\Discovery Harbour

[allensylves]

Brian,
You have a real problem. I have grown several varieties of bamboo and they all have REALLY tough underground rhizomes connecting the aboveground canes. You probably have pretty much a solid mass of intertwined rhizomes and there is no way you can undo them inside the pot. If you want to save the pot and the plant, I would take the Sawzall and cut out a wedge with the length a little more than half the diameter and the width such that it would give you room enough to pull out 1/4 or 1/3 or so of the remaining rootball. Then cut the rootball into 3 or 4 pieces and pull them out one at a time.
Good luck. I am glad it is you and not me!!!

UW class of '67

Allen
Baton Rouge, LA & HPP

[Fishboy]

Allan,
Thanks for the thoughtful advice. Not looking forward to wrestling this ~150lb monster (it's a BIG pot) off my deck to do this dirty work. I'm going to look for a slower growing variety[]

Mahalo nui loa,
Brian and Mary
Lynnwood, WA\Discovery Harbour

[guiness]

I had a plant on a barrel that snapped the straps. I hacked it into 6 pieces with an ax and planted them in buried containers. Even with what looked like terrible rot damage none missed a beat and filed in over the next year. Sawsall soundslike a good idea, don't be shy.