Chris wrote in message
om...
"Bob Hardy" wrote in message
news:XFvDa.1460$2A2.1342@lakeread05...
We want to have a pretty dense screen that will grow to 20 feet or so
(in
our climate, not just theoretically in the tropics). We will improve
the
soil with plenty of peat moss and composted cow manure, so nutrients and
drainage should not be problems. We are in zone 6, and soil runs
somewhat
acid. The site is 125' by 6' and will have rhizome barrier. Lighting
varies from part-shade to full sun. Given the fairly large area, I
would
like something that spreads quickly. Ideally, I like large leaves and
leaves as far down the culm as possible (but a dense screen is the most
important characteristic). We are considering:

P rubromarginata
P bissetti
Pseudosasa Japonica




I like the larger leaves of the P Japonica, but I am concerned that 12'
might be the max in this area. I have considered dividing my 6' depth
with
rhizome barrier and planting a taller bamboo in the back and pseudosasa
japonica in the foreground. Will having only three feet of depth limit
the
height on these?

Do you have any other suggestions for my situation?

Three feet is plenty. Have you considered P. Aurea? It grows in a
dense hedge from 15-25' in height, it is evergreen and it is cheap.
It is about as cold hardy as P. Bissetti (per the documentation.. I've
never tested either of them for cold hardiness). How cold does it get
in your area??

Golden bamboo is more golden due to its utilitarian nature... not so
much the color. It takes intense sunlight to turn it yellow.

As for soil amendments.. I'd avoid peat, there was some discussion a
while back that peat somehow stunts shooting. Most bamboo are "bottom
feeders" and will thrive in most types of soil and just about any type
of fertilizer. Acidic soil is a plus. In the beginning use some time
release lawn fertilizers and then once established you can move on to
other fertilizers like manure. I've used Ammonium Sulfate with no ill
effects on the boo, it did however kill the grass in between.. within
minutes :-)



Thanks Chris. We theoretically get to -10. Last winter was by far the
coldest I've experienced and we got to -2. In the 6 years before that, we
never recorded a temp lower than +5.

I think golden bamboo would survive here, but it would lose its leaves every
winter (loses leaves between +5 and +10), and in some winters would die back
to the ground. Bissetti does not lose all its leaves until you get below -5
(per EndangeredSpeices.com anyway). Thanks for the comment about peat moss.
I was unaware that was a problem. I thought about using it because I knew
bamboos liked adequate drainage. Soil here is pretty good anyway.

-------------
Bob