Growing bamboo in the garden

Bamboo as an evergreen privacy screen

In many cases, a garden in the midst of dense development only becomes a relaxing natural idyll if it is also visually separated from the neighboring gardens. Should a living privacy screen be for an undisturbed relaxation atmosphere, bamboo can definitely be used as an evergreen plant. In addition, the privacy protection function of bamboo can of course also be particularly decorative around swimming ponds or next to a sun terrace. However, amateur gardeners should carefully consider what they are doing before planting bamboo. After all, not all bamboo is created equal and the different varieties differ in many ways:

• in terms of their tolerance to frost
• at growth speed and maximum height
• in optics
• in the formation of runners or clump-shaped growth

Only with the best possible information research and planning can mistakes be avoided that could otherwise literally grow over the head of a gardener with bamboo years later.

Keep the necessary distance to the neighbors

If bamboo as natural privacy hedge is planted, then a rather larger minimum distance to the Property line be respected. Usually it is regulated at the municipal level or by the legislation of a federal state how high hedges may be at what distance from the property line. Once a vigorous bamboo variety has been able to develop in one location over several years, the growth in height can sometimes go very quickly. Then individual shoots shoot up to several meters within a few days due to the special type of growth of bamboo. While some varieties only grow clumpy on their own, there are also types of bamboo that have one Rhizome barrier is absolutely necessary.

Set fixed limits for the bamboo

In bamboo, the rhizome is the subterranean part of the plants, which is more than just a mere root system for absorbing water and nutrients. In the bamboo rhizomes, forces can slumber, from which long bamboo industries can develop within a very short time. With some types of bamboo like that Giant bamboo you should definitely have a rhizome barrier in the soil, while one in the Red bamboo is not necessary. The runners-forming bamboo species can be a nuisance in a garden with suitable site conditions, so this topic should not be taken lightly. For an effective rhizome barrier, special foil strips or metal sheets must completely enclose the bamboo rhizome like a ring to a depth of at least 60 cm. Even above the surface of the earth, this ring should protrude about 5 to 10 cm above the earth, so that really no runners can form.

Beware of dehydration

Many types of bamboo are perfectly hardy even in central European locations. However, it can happen that the bamboo is damaged over the winter and then only sprouts out of the rhizome with great difficulty over the course of the year. In many cases, this is not due to cold winter temperatures, but rather to the dehydration caused by persistent cold frosts. Therefore, planted bamboo should be watered a little on frost-free days in winter.