Andy Crimp on thu 18 feb 99
We have a clump bamboo growing in our yard up here on Vancouver Island. It
does send out a few runners but it is very easy to contain them.
We have a friend with a "runner" bamboo that came from a yard like Joseph
has described. When they took a cutting to plant in their own yard they
first prepared a bed, surrounded the bed with a plastic curbing
aterial( about 6-8" in depth) and then planted their bamboo. It has been
growing now in the same spot for approx. 10 years and the only way it grows
is straight up. It looks luxurious and supplies lots of materials for
handles, etc.
Les Crimp in Nanoose Bay
-----Original Message-----
From: Joseph Herbert
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Wednesday, February 17, 1999 6:15 AM
Subject: Bamboo handles and brushes
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>If any of you are considering bamboo culture, BE ADVISED: Bamboo is an
>extremely invasive, energetic plant. Bamboo propagates by underground
>runner (rhizome?) that travels along under the ground sending up a new
>plant every foot or so. You can easily loose your yard to this plant.
>
>I visited a home in Ft. Worth, Texas where the resident had planted
>bamboo, probably as an ornament, some years before. The back part of
>the property was a wall of 30 foot high canes about 1 inch dia at the
>base and less than a foot apart. The yard had been kept mowed but you
>could see the knuckles of bamboo roots sticking up every few feet. If
>the mower rested for a few minutes in the spring, the yard would be
>gone. The only control of bamboo is eternal vigilance or Round Up.
>
>There are, they say, clump bamboos and running bamboos. I would not
>take the chance. An error in this case leads to a difficult eradication
>program.
>
>If one must have bamboo, you could entice a neighbor (preferably across
>a paved street) to plant some. A better choice is a sunken chimney
>tile. The planters at the Cleveland Zoo contained their bamboo by
>sinking a 12 x 12 ceramic chimney liner tile in the ground. The bamboo
>was planted inside the tile. I suppose that the power of hydrating
>wood and freeze and thaw might eventually break the tile but it seems
>like it might work for a while. Keep your eye on it though.
>
>Kudzu, Honeysuckle, Wisteria, Bamboo - no thank you.
>
>Joseph Herbert
>Joseph.Herbert@att.net
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