Need Recomendation to go w/ Oldham for Screen

15 years ago

I have a post in the Southern California forum in which I asked about screening recommendations. This link has a picture of my neighbors house that I want to screen out. His two story back house overlooks my yard.

http://lqdsky.smugmug.com/photos/358161488_Me5Ss-XL.jpg

I ended up settling on B. Oldhamii. I purchased four 3 gallon plants to cover a 38" x 25' bed that I had cut through concrete. I am building a 2' raised retaining wall.

In the other forum they had recommended mixing another bamboo to give me better screening.

With such a narrow bed, would I be able to mix another species?

What would you recommend that I mix with the Timber Bamboo?

The local Lowes is currently carrying Alphonse Karr, Buddha's Belly, Golden Goddess & Golden Bamboo. Will any of these work?

One last question...When I cut away the concrete, I was left with a hard packed clay. How would I condition the soil? Or do I dig it up and replace it with top soil?

Thank You

Ralph

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

raiz
15 years ago
If you want to mix bamboo, I wouldn't use Buddha's Belly. The green stalks and similar leaves will just look like more Oldhamii, though not as tall. Any of the others should look very different as they have the yellow stalks.

I have the same clay here in Long Beach. All I did was make a hole about a foot and half wide, and just as deep, filled it with good quality topsoil, and planted the bamboo so that it was even with the top of the soil. It seems to be growing well. I'm not sure, however, how well the plant will do once it reaches the harder clay soil.
0
drexciya
Original Author
15 years ago
raiz,

Thanks...as far as the clay. Since I'm building a raised 2' retaining wall,. That will give me 1.5' of top soil. I guess I can loosen up the clay a bit and mix some top soil with it.
0
Related Discussions
32' Magnavox model 32MF605W/17 black screen green led
Q
Comments (2)
I TOO AM HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY MAGNAVOX T.V....IS THERE ANYONE WHO COULD HELP????
...See More
Need a new toilet. Recomendations?
Q
Comments (30)
Our house had been re-done right before we bought it and every toilet replaced so they are all brand new, however we hate them. They are all eljer brand which I thought was a decent brand. They clog very often with no reason to and they are dual flush but they never flush anything with the light flush, you have to keep the handle held down till it finally puts enough water in to flush which is frustrating. The flush levers have broken on 2 of them already which we had to replace. And they are the low ones with the round seat not elongated I absolutely hate round seats. It is a shame to have to replace such new toilets but we are definitely shopping for at least 2 of them. Looking at the Eljer website shows that the ones in our house are quite expensive ones too. I have found those molded with the curves toilet seats available in replacement seats so you may want to check around and just replace your seat with one of those.
...See More
Our floor - stick w/ the current pattern, or go with new - pics
Q
Comments (22)
ci lantro - The original viny is a Mannington product, DuPont Stainmaster Xtra Life. It's top of the line. The patter is # S3042. I got it at Flooring America. Thanks everyone. I was feeling very similar with the small pattern. When I showed it to my family over the weekend, they all liked the smaller pattern, but I'm was hesitant. I'll be going back to the store to see if I can find a larger, realistic tile look and will post pics of my findings. I just wish I could find one a tad darker than the original with the same coloring in it, but keeping to the same brand, because it's a good one. I'll be updating this post.
...See More
Need recomendation to fill in back fence area
Q
Comments (53)
"Logan, Are you suggesting the Annabelle AND loropetalums ? Or just one of the two ? I chose Oakleaf because the area has a lot more shade and I don't think an Annabelle will get enough sun." The only place I see nice hydrangeas is in the shade. You could choose only one, or you could alternate between the two. Loropetalum will provide winter interest with purple leaves, and brightly colored, fragrant flowers in the spring. Hydrangea ('Annabelle') will provide summer interest with it's large flowers. Wax myrtle will provide fall/winter interest as well with its berries and evergreen foliage. I would only put one shrub between each tree (both of my suggestions can get big, cluttering won't look good in this space) but I would move them out a bit farther than the wax myrtles so they don't grow together. The loropetalums can be tip- pruned or lightly sheared annually after bloom. Once they grow to be too big, they take well to hard pruning every so many years to produce flowers and good foliage color. Hydrangeas do not really take well to pruning, but they can be tip-pruned in early spring before they leaf out to encourage them to grow a bit more evenly. Wax myrtle can be "topped" crepe murder style to make it dense, and formal (if that's your thing), but takes better to light tip-pruning. It can also be sheared, if you desire. I would just ignore Dave. He always suggests chindo viburnum to people who ask for screening plant suggestions. Viburnums are not screening plants (mostly because the flowers smell like dirty socks).
...See More
drexciya
Original Author
15 years ago
The Alphonse has green stripes on yellow culms. Max height is around 10'....so it looks like that might work. Any opinions?

This is a first for me with Bamboo, so I do not know the nature of the plants. With a mature Oldhamii, how far from the top does the foliage grow? 10/15' from the top?

Ralph
0
kentuck_8b
15 years ago
Oldhamii will reach 45 to 50 feet in your area and it grows very erect. It does well in clay but may spread a bit slower which would be a good thing in a smaller growing area.

Alphonse Karr will grow to about 25 feet in height in your area, it likes the warm weather.

There are a few other varieties that have yellow culms with green stripes that grow taller, up to 30 feet.

Bambusa eutuldoides 'Viridivittata', Bambusa pervariabilis 'Viridistriatus', and Bambusa vulgaris 'Vittata' PAINTED BAMBOO.

As all of these bamboos grow taller, they produce limbs higher up and usually have no limbs low to the ground.

Bambusa textilis, which is a green bamboo, doesn't produce limbs low to the ground once it matures, but the culms are so thick and numerous that you can't see through them. Here it grows to over 40 feet in height.

Kt
0
kchedville
15 years ago
Plant the Big Banana Plants, they grow fast and tall, die in winter but grow back just as guick the following summer.
0

Need Recomendation to go w/ Oldham for Screen

Comments (5)

raiz

drexciya
Original Author

Related Discussions

drexciya
Original Author

kentuck_8b

kchedville

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Need Recomendation to go w/ Oldham for Screen

Comments (5)

raiz

drexciyaOriginal Author

Related Discussions

drexciyaOriginal Author

kentuck_8b

kchedville

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

drexciya
Original Author

drexciya
Original Author