How big should a small bamboo grove be?

[momo]

Hello, I would like to have a small grove of giant timber bamboo in my backyard and I was wondering how much room they need to be healthy and happy. The area I have available is roughly 10 x 20 ft, there is some shade provided by tall oaks and pines but it also gets direct sun for part of the day. I was thinking of growing Black Bamboo there, do you think it would do well? I live in USDA zone 9b, Western Garden zone 14. Thanks in advance!

[ShmuBamboo]

That area should be fine for a grove of Black (Phy. nigra). Black likes a bit of shade and they will do well in zone 9. Just make sure that you have enough room for the culms to grow up and out. Phy. nigra (type) can get to 30 feet, while Phy. nigra Punctada (very similar to Black type but larger) can get to 60 feet.

[momo]

That's right, thanks for reminding me :eek:

With that in mind I'd like to rephrase my question. :p I want to have a screen of black bamboo in my back yard and I am planning on digging a trench around it and putting in a barrier of some kind (metal, plastic or concrete, I haven't decided yet.) How wide does it need to be for the bamboo to be healthy and happy? The space I have is 10 ft at the widest, but can I squeeze it down to 5 ft for areas with more limited space?

Thanks again!:o

[R e x]

I've read that black bamboo gets darker in when grown in shade, so that's a plus for your location.

I purchased a huge Phyllostachys nigra from Home Depot for a very good price. It was bursting at the seams with growth! I stuck it into the ground around April-May and it put up 3 shoots really fast! Black bamboo doesn't get as wide and tall as some other species. You mentioned that you want giant timber bamboo ~ What are your expectations for culm diameter and height?




No containment! Let it run rampant ;)!!

I don't believe in bamboo containment much because I think any contained bamboo will eventually become unhappy someday ~ but I don't know a lot about it. I hope someone else here will be able to help you!

[stevelau1911]

I don't believe in bamboo containment much because I think any contained bamboo will eventually become unhappy someday

I completely agree with that because bamboo will do better when the rhizomes spread beyond the grove and store up more energy while you don't need to worry about them getting rootbound if theres no barrier.

My dulcis is about 7 feet from my neighbors yard and he wants some of it so I'm going to let it run to hopefully reward him with some of the good stuff in a few years. The only instance I ever used a barrier is when I planted 2 different species of bamboo close together, and I don't want them to mix.

I think the wider the space= the more potential size the bamboo can put on so I would maximize all the area you got.

[ShmuBamboo]

I think that the height and size of black depends on the environment and growing conditions. For example, I was in a bamboo plantation today and we measured the width of several culms and they were 2.5 inches in diameter. They were upwards of 40 feet tall. The owner of the grooves is of the opinion that there is only one type of black, and that all the sub-types are the same: nigra, Punctada, Othello, Hale, Daikokuchiku, etc. I have several of these types, and I am inclined to agree.

[momo]

I realize that bamboo, and indeed any plant, will be happier with it's roots unrestricted. Unfortunately I only have a half acre of property and I cannot devote too much space to bamboo. I need a tall evergreen screen between my property and my neighbors and after doing some research I decided that bamboo is the best option.
While I would love to have Black Bamboo it is looking like I'll have to go with a clumping type instead because of space restrictions.
Thanks for your help!