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Old 26-12-2006, 02:01 AM posted to rec.gardens.bamboo
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Default Bamboo Privacy Screen

I'm looking for recommendations for the variety, spacing, and
planting of a bamboo to QUICKLY grow privacy screen in Victoria BC
(Zone 9).

If you wouldn't mind providing a few suggestions, here is my
situation:

· The ideal bamboo would grow to 20' (6 meters) very quickly.
· Any growth above the 20' (6 meter) minimum is not a significant
concern.
· The length of the screen we plan on growing is 60' (18 meters).
· The area we plan to plant is now partially shaded, but once the
bamboo reaches 15' (4.5 meters) and clears some cedars it should have
full sun.
· Leaves for privacy are not needed below the 5' (1.5 meter) fence
height, and we like the look of bare culms for the first few feet off
the ground.
· The area we need to screen for privacy is between 5' (1.5 meters)
and 20' (6 meters) from the ground, and any growth over 20' (6
meters) is not an issue.
· While the screen will be planted along a 60' (18 meter) fence, we
would prefer a narrow dense long line of bamboo rather than a thick
bushy grove. Imagine a solid bamboo fence with a leafy canopy.
· We would prefer a green over a yellow colour, but cost is a greater
factor, so we don't need any exotic species (perhaps later for
strictly ornamental purposes).

I do plan on digging a trench, adding good soil and compost manure.
We will use a barrier to prevent the bamboo from migrating over to the
neighbor's property, and I'm prepared to spend the time required to
maintain the grove.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you can provide... Mitch

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Old 26-12-2006, 08:18 AM posted to rec.gardens.bamboo
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Default Bamboo Privacy Screen

"Mitch" wrote in message
oups.com
I'm looking for recommendations for the variety, spacing, and
planting of a bamboo to QUICKLY grow privacy screen in Victoria BC
(Zone 9).

If you wouldn't mind providing a few suggestions, here is my
situation:

· The ideal bamboo would grow to 20' (6 meters) very quickly.
· Any growth above the 20' (6 meter) minimum is not a significant
concern.
· The length of the screen we plan on growing is 60' (18 meters).
· The area we plan to plant is now partially shaded, but once the
bamboo reaches 15' (4.5 meters) and clears some cedars it should
have full sun.
· Leaves for privacy are not needed below the 5' (1.5 meter) fence
height, and we like the look of bare culms for the first few feet
off the ground.
· The area we need to screen for privacy is between 5' (1.5 meters)
and 20' (6 meters) from the ground, and any growth over 20' (6
meters) is not an issue.
· While the screen will be planted along a 60' (18 meter) fence, we
would prefer a narrow dense long line of bamboo rather than a thick
bushy grove. Imagine a solid bamboo fence with a leafy canopy.
· We would prefer a green over a yellow colour, but cost is a
greater factor, so we don't need any exotic species (perhaps later
for strictly ornamental purposes).

I do plan on digging a trench, adding good soil and compost manure.
We will use a barrier to prevent the bamboo from migrating over to
the neighbor's property, and I'm prepared to spend the time
required to maintain the grove.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you can provide... Mitch


This site may be helpful. http://www.bambooweb.info/

Are you sure you are in zone9?

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

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Old 26-12-2006, 06:46 PM posted to rec.gardens.bamboo
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Default Bamboo Privacy Screen

Hello Travis:

Thanks very much for the link to Bambooweb.

I'm not positive that we are in Zone 9, but Victoria British Columbia
has the mildest climate in Canada, and is described as a
sub-Mediterranean zone.

I believe my area (we have many micro-climates) of Victoria falls under
Plant Hardiness Zone 8 or 9, and I am specifically at North 48 27.139
by West 123 26.501. We average 2,183 hours of sunshine each year, and
rainfall of 23" (592 ml) per year.

.... Mitch

Travis M. wrote:
"Mitch" wrote in message
oups.com


This site may be helpful. http://www.bambooweb.info/

Are you sure you are in zone9?

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5


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Old 26-12-2006, 10:26 PM posted to rec.gardens.bamboo
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Default Bamboo Privacy Screen

Mitch,
There is a person on the forum at bambooweb.info that also lives in
Victoria. If you look at the thread
http://www.bambooweb.info/bb/viewtop...light=victoria he talks
about the bamboos that he is growing and has a link to photos of his bamboos
and other subtropical plants.

He also said that Victoria is in Zone 9.

Bill




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Old 02-01-2007, 02:47 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mitch
I'm looking for recommendations for the variety, spacing, and
planting of a bamboo to QUICKLY grow privacy screen in Victoria BC
(Zone 9). [snip]
· The length of the screen we plan on growing is 60' (18 meters). [snip]
· While the screen will be planted along a 60' (18 meter) fence, we
would prefer a narrow dense long line of bamboo rather than a thick
bushy grove. Imagine a solid bamboo fence with a leafy canopy.
· We would prefer a green over a yellow colour, but cost is a greater
factor [snip]
The obvious suggestion is Semiarundinaria fastuosa or (better) Semiarundinaria fastuosa var viridis. It is known as temple bamboo and commonly used for hedging temples in Japan. The point about S. fastuosa is that it can be easily persuaded to spread in straight lines, which you achieve by enclosing it both sides so that only the direction you are interested in is available to it. I believe it satisfies your other requirements, especially in your climate, apart from the fact that it leafs to the ground so you will have to clear the lower part of the culms if desired. (The var viridis stays greener, and possibly even more straight-line, whereas the species tends to lose the green colour after a while, but is more easily purchased.) As to quickly, you will have to wait some years for the final effect, unless you have a budget in 1000s, but that will be true of any bamboo. I understand bamboos tend to be fairly rampant in your climate, so perhaps not too many years. But with the straight line tendency you can probably get away with rather fewer plantings than might otherwise be necessary, since most running bamboos have a grove-forming tendency. The semiarundinarias are also a relatively cheap bamboo, though all bamboo tends to be expensive, very expensive when you are buying 18m of it. The alternative is to propagate your own, but that is time-consuming.

Otherwise several of the green Phyllostachys spp (P bissettii, P vivax, P dulcis, etc, etc), are relatively quick to give height, and energetic in their running, and I think would tend to spread pretty quickly in your climate; but you could need more starter plants to fill out a fence given their generally grove-forming tendencies. Vivax in particular will have lower culms free from leaves; as well as the green species you can get a variety called huanvenzhu which has a nice yellow stripe on it, (as well as var aureocaulis, yellow with a green stripe).

Best to avoid the utterly rampant Sasas which are too likely to escape and become an ineradicable invasive weed in the PNW, even if you try to enclose.

I would also suggest posting the question to the forum at www.bambooweb.info, where you will find more bamboo traffic, with a US/Canada bias. There are also quite a few active PNW posters at the otherwise UK-focused www.ukoasis.co.uk exotic plants forum.


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Old 03-01-2007, 05:54 PM posted to rec.gardens.bamboo
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Default Bamboo Privacy Screen


echinosum wrote:
Mitch Wrote:
I'm looking for recommendations for the variety, spacing, and
planting of a bamboo to QUICKLY grow privacy screenCUT


The obvious suggestion is Semiarundinaria fastuosa or (better)
Semiarundinaria fastuosa var viridis.


Just curious, why would "var. viridis" be better than the type form? Is
this purely a question of taste in coloring, or does the variant have
some hedge properties that the type form doesn't?

(I ask because I am also making a hedge, but prefer the coloring of the
type form)

Also, FYI to the original poster, many consider it wise to mix
varieties in a hedge... I alternated Ph. nuda and S. fastuosa in my
hedge. The main reason is the tendency for bamboo to flower
gregariously (meaning all ast once) and die.

If you have only one variety of boo in your hedge, there is a risk that
after 10 long years of getting it established well, it will simply
flower and die. Mixing varieties greatly reduces this risk.
Alternatively, you can use a variety that is known to have recently
flowered, so you at least know it won't die for 60+ years.

Good luck.

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Old 01-03-2007, 02:52 AM posted to rec.gardens.bamboo
hvt hvt is offline
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Default Bamboo Privacy Screen

On Jan 3, 2:47 am, echinosum
wrote:
Mitch Wrote: I'm looking for recommendations for the variety, spacing, and
planting of a bamboo to QUICKLY grow privacy screen in Victoria BC
(Zone 9). [snip]
· The length of the screen we plan on growing is 60' (18 meters).
[snip]
· While the screen will be planted along a 60' (18 meter) fence, we
would prefer a narrow dense long line of bamboo rather than a thick
bushy grove. Imagine a solid bamboo fence with a leafy canopy.
· We would prefer a green over a yellow colour, but cost is a greater
factor [snip]


The obvious suggestion is Semiarundinaria fastuosa or (better)
Semiarundinaria fastuosa var viridis. It is known as temple bamboo and
commonly used for hedging temples in Japan. The point about S. fastuosa
is that it can be easily persuaded to spread in straight lines, which
you achieve by enclosing it both sides so that only the direction you
are interested in is available to it. I believe it satisfies your other
requirements, especially in your climate, apart from the fact that it
leafs to the ground so you will have to clear the lower part of the
culms if desired. (The var viridis stays greener, and possibly even
more straight-line, whereas the species tends to lose the green colour
after a while, but is more easily purchased.) As to quickly, you will
have to wait some years for the final effect, unless you have a budget
in 1000s, but that will be true of any bamboo. I understand bamboos
tend to be fairly rampant in your climate, so perhaps not too many
years. But with the straight line tendency you can probably get away
with rather fewer plantings than might otherwise be necessary, since
most running bamboos have a grove-forming tendency. The
semiarundinarias are also a relatively cheap bamboo, though all bamboo
tends to be expensive, very expensive when you are buying 18m of it.
The alternative is to propagate your own, but that is time-consuming.

Otherwise several of the green Phyllostachys spp (P bissettii, P vivax,
P dulcis, etc, etc), are relatively quick to give height, and energetic
in their running, and I think would tend to spread pretty quickly in
your climate; but you could need more starter plants to fill out a
fence given their generally grove-forming tendencies. Vivax in
particular will have lower culms free from leaves; as well as the green
species you can get a variety called huanvenzhu which has a nice yellow
stripe on it, (as well as var aureocaulis, yellow with a green
stripe).

Best to avoid the utterly rampant Sasas which are too likely to escape
and become an ineradicable invasive weed in the PNW, even if you try to
enclose.

I would also suggest posting the question to the forum atwww.bambooweb.info, where you will find more bamboo traffic, with a
US/Canada bias. There are also quite a few active PNW posters at the
otherwise UK-focusedwww.ukoasis.co.ukexotic plants forum.

--
echinosum


Try Bambusa Edulus

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Old 17-03-2007, 08:24 AM
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before you do mak sure that you look around and price up the best deal. There are a lot of options out there. I disagree with the last comment, but we all cant have the same taste.
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