Bamboo is the King of grasses. Upright and elegant, bamboo can add a distinguished vertical line to any landscape. Although bamboo has earned a reputation for being a fast spreading menace, not all bamboo are runners. New introductions of non-invasive clumping bamboo are now available. All of the bamboo at Peninsula Gardens offer cold hardiness, a variety of form and texture, and a myriad different cane colors.

General Care:

Bamboo is most commonly used as a fast growing evergreen partition allowing privacy screening and texture in all seasons. The myth about bamboo: Stick it in the ground and it will take over! In truth, bamboo needs routine care and attention the first 2 to 3 years until the rhizome system becomes established. After this, bamboo can fend for itself. To encourage new growth, it is important to adequately feed and water your plants to ensure large, healthy, and robust growth the following spring.

Planting:

·          Dig a hole twice the width of the container and 1 times the depth.

·          Add a few inches of  compost or manure and incorporate into the existing soil.

·          Plant your bamboo level with the existing soil.

·          Water thoroughly.

·          Cover the planting with 2 to 3 inches of bark or compost to keep moisture levels high and insulate the planting through the winter.

Watering:

·          New plantings require regular watering the first 2 to 3 years to become established.

·          Water thoroughly once or twice a week depending on weather conditions.

·          For a running bamboo, make sure to saturate the soil around the entire planting area to allow for rhizome expansion.

·          For a clumping bamboo, it is only necessary to water around the base of the plant, as you would for a tree or shrub.

·          Once established, water 1 to 2 inches per week during the growing season (May through September).

·          Water stress is indicated by leaves curling up into a “V” shape: water immediately.

·          Allow for good drainage. Symptoms of over-watered bamboo or bamboo planted in a soggy site include excess yellowing of leaves and rotting new canes.

Fertilizing:

·          Beginning of March: Apply a quick soluble fertilizer high in nitrogen to your bamboo groves. Look for a ratio of  approximately 3:2:1, with the 3 representing the nitrogen level. Fertilizers formulated for lawns are usually quite compatible with bamboo. Apply the quick soluble product every 2 to 3 weeks until May.

·          Beginning of May: Apply a slow-release fertilizer to feed the bamboo throughout the remainder of the year. Again, most slow release lawn fertilizers will have the perfect nutrient formulation for your bamboo.

Thinning:

·          Bamboo can be kept as thin or as dense as desired. Once a cane is cut, it will never again gain in height.

·          Remove old, dead, or leaning canes, but never remove more than 30% of the grove.

·          You can clear-cut or mow groundcover bamboo at the end of February to get rid of old canes and maintain a compact appearance. The new growth to follow will be healthy, vibrant, and outstanding in appearance.

Bamboo Containment - What Works and What Doesn’t:

Physical Barriers:

·          Most bamboo growers recommend a 60 mil. High density polyethylene plastic material for in-ground barriers. The material is sunk into the ground around the grove’s perimeter at a depth of 24-36 inches

Maintenance Barriers:

·          Bamboo can be maintained by seasonal root pruning. This option may be preferable in wet, saturated soils as a physical barrier can act like a dam and keep water trapped inside the system.

Above-ground Containment Systems:

·          Running bamboo needs adequate space and protection from cold damage if planted in a container. Use the largest container you can accommodate in the space provided. Plastic pots are prone to splitting. Choose hardy varieties. Whiskey barrels work well to insulate the root system, better than metal or cement containers. Clumping bamboo do not require containment, as unlike runners, they increase in diameter only a few inches per year. They can be successfully grown in the ground or in containers.

BAMBOO for Containers or Ground:              BAMBOO for Ground Only:

Golden Goddess (clumping)                            Black (running)

Alphonse Karr (clumping)                                Dwarf White-Striped (running)

Spectabilis (running)                                       Yellow Groove (running)

Little Zebra (running)                                      Golden Golden (running)

Arrow (running)                

Golden (running)