Bamboo can be a fantastic addition to any garden. It can serve as a windbreaker in more gusty areas, give an oriental look to water features and give a soothing whisper to any sensory garden.
There are a great many different types of bamboo to choose from, each with their own strengths. Here I will run through a few different types and give a couple of tips on where and how to plant.
Firstly, it is important to know that Bamboo comes in dwarf and 'normal' sizes, the dwarf varieties are far more suitable for smaller gardens as if you go for the general or giant varieties you will quickly turn your garden into a bamboo jungle!!
Secondly, Bamboo can become invasive if the wrong variety is planted in the wrong place, some varieties have more of a tendency to shoot off opportunistic rhizomes (underground plant stems) which if unchecked, can lift patios, infest borders, and generally make a nuisance of themselves.
All Bamboo likes well drained but moist areas, so not too wet and not too dry. They are also very 'hungry' when first planted so need a decent amount of manure dug into wherever you are going to place them. Shade or sun, they are not overly fussy however they do well with a little of both.
When placing them near a patio or path it's best to either leave them in a large pot or put a barrier such as a strip of high density polyethylene to prevent them spreading to off-bounds areas. Should you not use a barrier try and get a 'running' variety as opposed to a 'clumping' variety. The 'clumping' varieties tend to do more damage when free planted.
The hole you dig to plant in should be as deep as the pot size you're planting, if you plant it deeper than this there's a danger of rotting the new stems that are coming up. Once your hole is dug put a decent amount of manure mixed in with the soil at the bottom. Water it well before placing it in the hole and then covering up with more of your manure soil mix and tap down.
If you choose not to use the pot method or put down a barrier just be mindful of any wandering shoots you might see and cut or dig them out as you go.
Water heavily in late spring to early summer, this is when their main growth happens and they get incredibly thirsty at this time.
Bamboo comes in all sizes and colours, here are just a few to give you an idea;
Phyllostachys nigra - 'Black Bamboo' - this has tall black canes when mature and deep green canes when young. It can work very well as a wind blocker or just as a mid garden centrepiece.
Fargesia jiuzhaigou - 'Red Dragon Bamboo' - This has striking red/orange canes and a more 'palm' like leaf. It is a 'clumping' variety though so be sure to plant it in a pot or with barriers in place if planting near a patio or path.
Phyllostachys bissetti - This is an extremely popular variety due to it's hardiness. It will put up with hail, rain, shine and some gusts blown in! It is a staple for wind blocking and for screening. It has a thick green foliage and is generally well behaved in so far as spreading goes.
Those are just a few of the many varieties of Bamboo we can grow here and they can be a pleasure to grow, just keep an eye on those wayward shoots!! :)
