For the reasons I explained, seeds aren't available from many sources, particularly commercial ones because they can't maintain a continuing supply. eBay is the most common place to look, but many of the sellers are foreign (i.e., making illegal sales) and in addition there is no way to be sure of quality of any of the sources. Most of these folks are not in the bamboo business, so it's impossible for me to name any of the vendors as long-term, reliable sellers...they just come and go. I have grown from seed 5-6 times and most of the time I got my seeds from other U.S. bamboo growers that I keep in touch with. I did buy Moso seeds once on eBay, from a source in Florida, and I got 100 seeds for $6 and they were fresh and viable. If you want to try growing from seed, take a look at the eBay listings, see which ones are domestic, and email any vendors you are interested in to see if you can find out how fresh the seed is. And don't pay too much...I've seen people on eBay trying to sell a couple of bamboo seeds for as much as $10. So, now that you are educated about seeds, you can appreciate why bamboo is more expensive than you would think it should be: sellers of bamboo plants don't usually grow it from seed...they have to make a field division off of a plant which they have been growing for a couple of years, pot the division, stabilize it, tend it, and preferably let it grow in the pot for 6-12 months before offering it for sale. For a hedge that is 20' long, you would probably want at least 5 decent-size plants, and that might set you back $150-$200 or more total from a reliable commercial source, depending on the species. I do not recommend buying bamboo on eBay: almost everyone I know who has done it has been sent only rhizome or plants that are half-dead or worse on arrival. Many of the people selling bamboo on eBay don't know how to properly divide it: they're just people who have a patch of bamboo out on the back forty and are trying to make some money by digging up chunks and selling them to the unwary. If you planted runners, you could start making your own divisions in 2-3 years to fill out your hedge or to extend it. It's just the initial getting started that takes a while. My email is available if you click on my screen name. If you contact me, I'll give you some info on how to maybe get some decent plants at a lower cost.

dasiway, if you go into the Utah Gardening forum and move down to the second page, there's a post entitled "bamboo enthusiasts". It has quite a few posts, but down a ways, there's someone in layton who grows about 30 varieties of bamboo in his yard. He goes by "Eric Layton", or "Eric in Layton". He is usually thining out some of his bamboo to make room for newer varieties. He gave me a couple of starts last Spring of Phyllostachys Nuda. You may want to click on his name in one of his posts and that will take you to his profile and a spot where you can send him an e-mail. I live in Cache Valley, and believe it or not, have seen bamboo in Logan that has been there for years. Kevin

Hi If you come to Georgia, you can have many bamboos free ^^ 1"x2" strip at Home depot ,Lowe's can be use to make teepee. If you can spend more, then pine dowel of 1" to 1-1/2" will substitute. If you want to make real teepee, you should find sapling of trees in your area. American Indian din't use bamboo for teepee.^^ If you can't find bamboo and you want to stick to bamboo and mail order place are ok, I will find supplyer yama

I cut my on. You should check country roads or ask farmer do they need they bamboo cut back. You trade labor for stakes, I have some 1 1/2 dia. X 12 -18 feet long. that is two or three 6 feet stakes. I use a sawzaw with the 4 or 6 in 14 teeth blade, bring an spare battery. Big lots have a few now & then but they are not 6 feet.