bamboo as a Neighbor-Divida?
 

Hi,
We have an apartment complex (2 stories) right againt our back yard
fence. We've been thinking for some time about putting in Arbor Vitae
to give us some privacy, but have been considering the expense and the
length of time it will take to grow tall enough to give us some measure
of privacy. And, the amount of care involved.
A garden store representative recently recommended bamboo. I've looked
at a few varieties that are very beautiful and have been impressed by
their hardiness, amount of care needed and fast growing ability! But,
I'm concerned that they are a non-native invasive plant that may cause
more problems down the road.
We live in Portland Oregon.
Any suggestions?

wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi,
We have an apartment complex (2 stories) right againt our back yard
fence. We've been thinking for some time about putting in Arbor Vitae
to give us some privacy, but have been considering the expense and the
length of time it will take to grow tall enough to give us some measure
of privacy. And, the amount of care involved.
A garden store representative recently recommended bamboo. I've looked
at a few varieties that are very beautiful and have been impressed by
their hardiness, amount of care needed and fast growing ability! But,
I'm concerned that they are a non-native invasive plant that may cause
more problems down the road.
We live in Portland Oregon.
Any suggestions?

1) There are native North American bamboos, if that is your concern
2) You will have to worry about the bamboo spreading outside of your desired
area. Unless you can find a clumping bamboo that will live in your climate,
you'll have to go with a running bamboo, which automatically requires you
put in a barrier to keep it within bounds.

We have clumping bamboo types which shield the north side of our house and
I'm sure were a factor in seeing that we had NO damage during three
hurricanes last year. I've also had some of the running types, but have
gradually moved them either into pots or into controlled areas, to keep them
out of the citrus and other garden areas.

ps -- our clumping bamboos -- Buddha Belly and Giant Timber bamboo, are
tall enough and thick enough after four years so that they would provide you
with both an attractive appearance and a privacy screen from your 2-story
neighbor. Regards --

Jeff, I am wondering if perhaps bamboo just might offer some protection
during a hurricane, It seems like it is possible that it would "dampen"
the wind somewhat. Have you planted any?


World Traveler wrote:


wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi,
We have an apartment complex (2 stories) right againt our back yard
fence. We've been thinking for some time about putting in Arbor Vitae
to give us some privacy, but have been considering the expense and the
length of time it will take to grow tall enough to give us some measure
of privacy. And, the amount of care involved.
A garden store representative recently recommended bamboo. I've looked
at a few varieties that are very beautiful and have been impressed by
their hardiness, amount of care needed and fast growing ability! But,
I'm concerned that they are a non-native invasive plant that may cause
more problems down the road.
We live in Portland Oregon.
Any suggestions?

1) There are native North American bamboos, if that is your concern
2) You will have to worry about the bamboo spreading outside of your
desired
area. Unless you can find a clumping bamboo that will live in your
climate, you'll have to go with a running bamboo, which automatically
requires you put in a barrier to keep it within bounds.

We have clumping bamboo types which shield the north side of our house and
I'm sure were a factor in seeing that we had NO damage during three
hurricanes last year. I've also had some of the running types, but have
gradually moved them either into pots or into controlled areas, to keep
them out of the citrus and other garden areas.

ps -- our clumping bamboos -- Buddha Belly and Giant Timber bamboo, are
tall enough and thick enough after four years so that they would provide
you with both an attractive appearance and a privacy screen from your
2-story
neighbor. Regards --

Will giant clumpers survive in Oregon? They are usually tropical or
semitropical plants.

Tihomir


"World Traveler" wrote in message
k.net...

wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi,
We have an apartment complex (2 stories) right againt our back yard
fence. We've been thinking for some time about putting in Arbor Vitae
to give us some privacy, but have been considering the expense and the
length of time it will take to grow tall enough to give us some measure
of privacy. And, the amount of care involved.
A garden store representative recently recommended bamboo. I've looked
at a few varieties that are very beautiful and have been impressed by
their hardiness, amount of care needed and fast growing ability! But,
I'm concerned that they are a non-native invasive plant that may cause
more problems down the road.
We live in Portland Oregon.
Any suggestions?

1) There are native North American bamboos, if that is your concern
2) You will have to worry about the bamboo spreading outside of your
desired area. Unless you can find a clumping bamboo that will live in
your climate, you'll have to go with a running bamboo, which automatically
requires you put in a barrier to keep it within bounds.

We have clumping bamboo types which shield the north side of our house and
I'm sure were a factor in seeing that we had NO damage during three
hurricanes last year. I've also had some of the running types, but have
gradually moved them either into pots or into controlled areas, to keep
them out of the citrus and other garden areas.

ps -- our clumping bamboos -- Buddha Belly and Giant Timber bamboo, are
tall enough and thick enough after four years so that they would provide
you with both an attractive appearance and a privacy screen from your
2-story neighbor. Regards --

Thanks for the feedback. Does anyone have more info about Incense
Bamboo? I wonder if it would meet our needs.

"Paul E. Lehmann" wrote in message
...
Jeff, I am wondering if perhaps bamboo just might offer some protection
during a hurricane, It seems like it is possible that it would "dampen"
the wind somewhat. Have you planted any?

I'm not sure who "Jeff" is, but I'm convinced that the bamboo on one
perimeter of our house was significant in protecting it, particularly in
Hurricane Jeanne (the worst of the 4). A few of the canes broke (split open
at one of the sections and bent over, but never broke completely off) out of
the hundreds that had grown up. My nearest neighbor, who could see this
better than we could, said the 100+ mph winds bent the bamboo over our roof,
but it (the bamboo) gave with the wind and returned upright as each gust
passed. Our clumping bamboo types are about 5 years old and are planted
about 20' from the house on the north side. Five clumps of the large
bamboo, which have grown from sets of roots in 2000/2001 to a solid shield
of bamboo that is about 40-50 feet high.

The wind and storm surge was so strong that it actually blew away the huge
mass of aquatic plants growing in the lake near the shoreline behind the
house, a task I had on my to-do list for later in the year --

Regards -- WT

World Traveler wrote:


wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi,
We have an apartment complex (2 stories) right againt our back yard
fence. We've been thinking for some time about putting in Arbor Vitae
to give us some privacy, but have been considering the expense and the
length of time it will take to grow tall enough to give us some measure
of privacy. And, the amount of care involved.
A garden store representative recently recommended bamboo. I've looked
at a few varieties that are very beautiful and have been impressed by
their hardiness, amount of care needed and fast growing ability! But,
I'm concerned that they are a non-native invasive plant that may cause
more problems down the road.
We live in Portland Oregon.
Any suggestions?

1) There are native North American bamboos, if that is your concern
2) You will have to worry about the bamboo spreading outside of your
desired
area. Unless you can find a clumping bamboo that will live in your
climate, you'll have to go with a running bamboo, which automatically
requires you put in a barrier to keep it within bounds.

We have clumping bamboo types which shield the north side of our house
and
I'm sure were a factor in seeing that we had NO damage during three
hurricanes last year. I've also had some of the running types, but have
gradually moved them either into pots or into controlled areas, to keep
them out of the citrus and other garden areas.

ps -- our clumping bamboos -- Buddha Belly and Giant Timber bamboo, are
tall enough and thick enough after four years so that they would provide
you with both an attractive appearance and a privacy screen from your
2-story
neighbor. Regards --