Best hardy bamboo for screening - non invasive!

[cordyman]

Hi guys,

i'm after screening two small fence panels which are 4 foot across, so 8 foot distance.

I would like a height of 6-8 foot.

What kind of litre pot/container could this be done in? How many plants and what variety of bamboo would be good for screening?

I'm sure i've seen some pics on here of various garden with bamboo in pots and i've been impressed at how well they covered.

EDIT - removed "in a pot" from title and added "non invasive"

[cordyman]

and after a morning of research the Bissettii seems a good hedge choice..

"Phyllostachys bissettii is a striking bamboo with glossy grey-green canes. A very strong growing species that retains its dark, fresh green colour throughout the worst winter. It produces masses of leaves and can grow up to 5 metres in height. Ideal for a tough hedge or as a specimen. One of our best sellers as a hedging plant due to its dense canopy. A great value bamboo. We recommend using bamboo root barrier for this bamboo"

This would be the sort of size initial plant i'd buy the £40 one

http://www.bigplantnursery.co.uk/Phyllo ... ettii.html


I've found this place for large pots - as reccomended on here >>>

http://www.hartcanna.com/


What litre "planter with handles" would you go for?

[huporhaha]

Give this people a ring..........
http://www.scottishbamboo.com/Bamboo_Plants.htm

They are brilliant at know what bamboo is best for any given site - in ground or in container etc.

They provide a good service and supply good healthy plants.

[musa_monkey]

Depends how dense you want the screen. Bissettii is a good choice although mine is looking at bit scrappy after the winter. If it were me i would go for Pseudosasa japonica and keep it trimmed to size

[cordyman]

thanks

If I bury pots in the ground do I have to remove the bottom of pot, or just leave drainage holes? can the rhizomes spread through said holes?

[huporhaha]

It depends if you buy a clumper or a runner. Sasa is a runner and if you just knock the bottom of the pot out, you may get some escaped rhizomes. In a very deep pot, you may get away with it but runners are good at escaping!

I'd go along with the pseudosasa japonica - I've got one and it does well without invading. It is looking much less scrappy than my bissetti after the winter.

It's a matter of preference really - I love the large leaved bamboos as I think they look more tropical but they are no use in a windy spot.

Hope this helps

[Lazlo Woodbine]

I'd maybe look at some of the Fargesias - no running problems, hard as nails and many species hold their foliage well during the winter. Most do well in pots too. I wouldn't think Ph. bissettii would do that well in a pot for any length of time as it can be quite invasive. Great choice for a hedging plant generally but really far too tall given your requirements.

Have a Look at F.scabrida,nitida,rufa,robusta or murieliae.



Fargesia rufa hedge.....

Laz

[brendan]

my local b&q stock bissettii for £40 so it might be worth you having a look in your local one.The bissettii in my garden is about 10 foot so could be taller than you are looking for.mine is planted in a large water butt thats cut in half and planted in the ground beware they can go over the top of the pot as well so dont sink all the way down

[cordyman]

evening guys i had a look round b+q earlier and seen the bissettii's for £40! Although it seems they are a true runner contrary to many sites labelling them a clumper. - also evident were the b+q stock and the metre long runner coming off one of them ROFL

Thinking about it i don't want to mess around with barriers and buried tubs going brittle and a rhizome escaping as its so close to the house and supporting wall.

I dismissed Fergesia's as I presumed clumping would be too slow growing and i've got two Fergesia Simba's which have hardly budged in 2 years!

Lazlo your Rufa hedge has made me think otherwise though! Wow

How many plants were there originally, and how long did that take to establish?

Do you get any control problems at all or does it simply add new clumps directly next to the plant itself?

[jonny]

I have found Rufa and Robusta to be fast to bulk up and they have both produced many culms each season. Take Lazlos advice and go for a fargesia

[cordyman]

Heres a pic of the garden retaining wall where I want to plant the bamboo screen in soil on top, the house is 2 metres away to the left of the pic.






Here's Simba he doesn't want any invasive rhizomes ruining his favourite basking spot!

[cordyman]

I've decided on a Fergesia, the Robusta Campbell or the Rufa, just need to find somewhere that sells it at a decent size now.

The Campbell in particular looks very upright and love the while canes

http://www.bamboogarden.com/Fargesia%20robusta.html

[Lazlo Woodbine]

Hi cordy

The hedge was started 2 1/2 years ago and was done in 2 parts - but the smaller part will soon catch up.

I built up the soil level on the other side of the wall and used bamboo edging .... which will probably need to be replaced with something more substantial!

This was all one plant about 7 years ago and the hedge uses 7 of the 20 or so divisions it has created thus far...

Taken this morning....

Simba wll love it .... heres my name sake .... Lazlo Woodbine enjoying the shade - taken July 2009.....

Laz

[cordyman]

Thanks laz, impressive hedge there!

I've found a lof of bamboo suppliers don't state the height of the plant their selling just the litre of the pot, makes it hard for me to find a well established one.

[Nigel]

Depends how dense you want the screen. Bissettii is a good choice although mine is looking at bit scrappy after the winter. If it were me i would go for Pseudosasa japonica and keep it trimmed to size

I agree 100% with this. I first tried bissettii but was disappointed, pseudosasa made a fantastic screen for me very quickly and dint suffer in winter.