On 1/11/2009 9:07 AM, Dan Listermann wrote:
"David E. Ross" wrote in message
et...
On 1/11/2009 8:28 AM, Dan Listermann wrote:
"David E. Ross" wrote in message
et...
On 1/10/2009 4:30 PM, Dan Listermann wrote:
What considerations are there to using decorative grass as a privacy
fence?
We are looking at a bit of property that gets flooded annually. A
normal
privacy fence would probably be damaged during the flood. I figure
that
a
line of this very tall dense grass, while damaged, could just grow back
every year.


I would avoid pampas grass. In many areas, it's considered an invasive
pest. No, it doesn't spread by runners the way bamboo spreads.
Instead, it scatters seed.

Other tall ornamental grasses go dormant in the winter. They need to be
cut quite low before new growth starts in the spring. This eliminates
them from use as a privacy screen.

As someone else suggested, you might try a clumping bamboo. Look up
bamboo in Sunset's Western Garden Book. For each species, it tells how
big it grows, its climate adaptability, and whether it's clumping or
running. (If you plant running bamboo, your neighbors might visit you
in the middle of the night with tar and feathers, to ride you out of
town on a rail.)
I would not mind them going dorment over the winter so long as they
stand.
When do they need to be cut back and how long will it take for thehm to
regrow to full height?
It should be cut back before new growth starts in the spring. You would
have a few weeks without the screening effect.

How "thick" is bamboo? Can it work as a privacy fence?
It can create quite an effective screen, even 30 ft tall (depending on
the variety, some are only 6 ft tall). It won't grow thick enough to be
a fence that can keep animals out of your yard and probably won't even
keep people out.

It would seem that to produce a fence, it would be very expensive. How
could these bamboo be propagated. Can you divide the clump?
The cost depends on the variety of bamboo. Yes, bamboo can be divided.
Because of a strong root system, however, dividing a clump of bamboo
might require more effort than you want to invest.

However, bamboo can be easily propagated from cuttings. Take a young
shoot, cut it into sections with at least two nodes (the ring where the
shoot is solid) in a section, and use the sections to start new plants.

One advantage of bamboo is that it doesn't go dormant in the winter. It
might stop growing, but it stays green. It does need occasional
grooming, which involves cutting down dead shoots.

WARNING: Do not mistake giant reed (Arundo donax) for bamboo. Arundo
is a very invasive pest. It's illegal to plant it in some jurisdictions.

I would not expect it to keep animals out.

How much width would one need to allow for such a fence? Is there a way to
control the width like buried solid fencing and if so, how deep?

The width of the bamboo bed depends on the variety and your climate.
Some varieties grow more open or dense than others. You might need to
allow a width of at least 5 feet or even more.

Clumping bamboo can generally be controlled merely by cutting down any
shoots that appear where they are not wanted. Once the top of the shoot
is removed, it stops growing and will soon die.

Underground barriers may work, but I've seen some that were not
effective against running bamboo. The best barrier would be a concrete
wall that extends 3 feet below the surface; it should also extend about
6 inches above ground so that you can monitor any runners trying to
escape.

I know of a planting of "Golden Godess" bamboo (Bambusa multiplex
'Golden Godess') that was planted in large plastic tubs set into the
ground. I think at least one tub cracked. I can also see runners
coming out of the soil, going over the edge of a tub, and then growing
back into the soil, thereby escaping. BE CAREFUL! Sunset lists this
one as clumping, but it's definitely a running bamboo. Shoots are
coming up several feet away from where it was planted. In that garden,
similar problems are seen with black bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra), which
Sunset correctly lists as running.

On the other hand, the same garden has giant timber bamboo (Bambusa
oldhamii). Shoots grow some 30 feet high and are 2-3 inches in
diameter. This makes a nice, dense grove that has not really spread;
it's truly clumping. In a bed some 10 feet wide, it can be a very
effective screen. (It would be too crowded in a narrower bed.) Do not
confuse B. oldhamii with the other giant timber bamboo (Phyllostachys
bambusoides), which is definitely a running bamboo.

If you are really interested in bamboo, you would be best served by
viewing the variety you want as an established planting either in a
neighbor's private garden or in a public garden.

--

David E. Ross
http://www.rossde.com/

Q: What's a President Bush cocktail?
A: Business on the rocks.