keeping bamboo in pots for privacy screen
Elizabeth Loparco
9 years ago
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Embothrium
9 years agoUser
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Fastest privacy bamboo for Oregon - pic link
Comments (1)The safest and easiest way would be to buy clumping bamboo so you don't have to worry about stopping it from running. There are several varieties that will get over 6' tall pretty quickly, I often see several varieties close to that range in the Portland area. You could use the bathtubs with running bamboo, but they'd probably get really swampy in the winter, which would be tough on them. Or you can buy bamboo membrane, which is what I've done, but that takes a lot of work (trenching 3' down, for starters), and still requires some upkeep over time....See MoreHow far to space bamboo for privacy screen?
Comments (2)In general a 5-6 foot spacing with most running species will close that gap in 4 years, possibly 3 depending upon species. I'm too cold here to keep arrow happy here so I can't say with certainty how fast but for me it did spread quickly before I killed it off. Also, it depends upon your climate, I see your warm enough in winter but summers largely dictate spread rates. Hot humid, rainy areas will get good rhizome spread and will take less time to fill-in; areas with drier summers and less humidity will take longer. If there is a particular area you need to screen faster, consider planting 2 rows on 5-6 foot spacing in that area - offset the planting holes so that a row 1 plant is in between 2 row 2 plants. In 4 years or so then you can start digging your own divisions and moving them down the fenceline....See MoreLeast Dangerous Bamboo Privacy Screen?
Comments (26)I had written off bamboo, but I'm considering it again en lieu of installing motorized drop down privacy screens on my patio cover that I have been quoted from $3.5K to $7K to install. For much less than $3K should I be able to put some kind of containers against approximately 30 ft of fence pictured at the beginning of this thread that will allow me to plant super-fast growing running bamboo, while also making it physically impossible for them to get out of control? I would like something that will be low maintenance and will grow to a height of 15 feet or more and be thick enough to block the view down into my patio from the neighbor's upstairs window within a short period of time. I need something that grows pretty much straight up without much of of it hanging down or sticking out into the limited space of the patio. Can they be planted in the largest containers to start or do they have to be started in small containers and repeatedly transferred to larger and larger containers as they grow larger? I'm thinking of getting beds raised at least 3 feet so it will raise the planting level so that they have a head start to reaching the height required over the 6 ft fence required for the privacy screen effect. Container This will be in the Sacramento, California area....See MoreWhat plants are good for narrow privacy hedges/screens?
Comments (0)Thuja occidentalis What plant to use to screen a view that grows fast, tall and very narrow is one of the most commonly asked questions. If the space is VERY narrow, the best solution is to put up a trellis and cover it with a well behaved evergreen vine like Trachelospermum jasminoides, Solanum jasminoides or Hardenbergia violacea. Another option is to espalier plants that have a habit of growing flat to begin with.Grewia, Xylosma, Podocarpus gracilior, and Cocculus being good choices.The other possibility is bamboo, but be SURE that you plant a clumping bamboo, rather than a running species, or you and your neighbor will live to regret it. Good clumping bamboos for screening are varieties of Bambusa multiplex. They have foliage nearly to the ground, are very dense clumps, and are from 6' to 15' tall. They can even be sheared. If there is a bit more space, a fastigiate shrub or small tree may be the answer. These are plants that have mutated from the normal growth habit, and grow much narrower than usual. Italian Cypress is the most commonly seen fastigiate plant, but there are many others that are potentially useful. Possibilities are Juniperus scopulorum 'Skyrocket', Deodara 'Gold Cone,' Juniperus communis 'Gold Cone', Thuja occidentalis 'Emerald', Buxus sempervirens 'Graham Blandy', Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil', Ilex vomitoria 'Will Fleming', and Euonymus japonicus 'Chollipo' and 'Beni Komachi'. There ARE a few plants that naturally grow tall and narrow, Nandina, Mahonia japonica and Podocarpus macrophyllus are the easiest to find. If you are trying to extend the height of a fence, you could plant a large shrub or small tree alongside the fence, then prune up the lower branches to provide room to walk (and even plant) underneath. Photinias, Pittosporums , Oleanders, Arbutus unedo and Prunus caroliniana 'Brite n tite' and 'compacta' are good candidates for this treatment. The last (and most labor intensive) option is to plant a row of evergreen shrubs and keep it sheared to the width desired. Keep in mind frequency of shearing will depend on the growth rate of the plant. I have an evergreen privet hedge (one of the fastest growers) that needs to be sheared twice a year to keep it under control, and could use a third if I was a perfectionist and less lazy. I highly recommend purchasing and using electric shears to make the job more bearable. However, if you go this route, DO NOT plant a broadleaf plant like English laurel (electric shears result in mangled and shredded leaves that look awful). Highly recommended species for a sheared hedge are Pittosporum tenuifolium, Myrtus communis and Eugenia. You also need to think of what is on either side of the planting area. If it's an asphalt driveway or your neighbor's foundation, you don't want the heartbreak of having to remove your hedge (tree) 10-15 years down the road when it's looking perfect but starting to cause underground structural damage....See MoreElizabeth Loparco
9 years agoUser
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Elizabeth LoparcoOriginal Author