Bamboo as a Hedge or Privacy Screen

Posted on February 10, 2010 | Posted by tropicalbamboocloseAuthor: tropicalbamboo Name: Robert Saporito
Email: robert@tropicalbamboo.com
Site: http://www.tropicalbamboo.com
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About two decades ago, I had my bamboo-epiphany while working in the West Indies and in South America.

Guadua angustifolia

The massive, timber bamboos (mostly Bambusa vulgaris and Guadua angustifolia) were impressive and I was sure I should grow these in my South Florida garden. I did eventually plant both species in my home garden but soon learned that timber bamboos were not necessarily the best choice for a relatively small space. The lesson learned was that, as with all plant groups, it’s important to choose the right variety for the application.

Many different tropical bamboo species and varieties were imported through U.S. quarantine stations in the 1990’s by the American Bamboo Society. By the end of the decade, I had plenty of options for just about any bamboo-application in any tropical garden. There were bamboos that matured at sizes 3′ tall up to 100′ tall. There were different overall forms, different leaf sizes, and several different culm colors. Some came with striated culms and some with variegated leaves. All were non-invasive, clumping bamboos. I became somewhat of a clumping bamboo snob. Running bamboos were invasive “weeds” and my belief was supported by emails and phone calls from people pleading for instructions to get rid their invasive bamboo.
Of course, I was ignorant and I failed to realize that those cases represented people who planted the wrong type of running bamboo in the location it was planted. Or, they failed to install the bamboo with a rhizome barrier. In South Florida, we cannot successfully grow many of the running bamboos because they are generally temperates – it gets too hot in our summers and not cool enough in our winters. Since my original snobbery, I’ve traveled worldwide and have seen amazing temperate bamboo gardens. Gardeners always covet what we can’t grow and I certainly now wish I could grow many of these ornamental temperate bamboos.

OK, the subject of this blog is: Bamboo as a Hedge or Privacy Screen. Sorry for the seemingly unrelated preface! Let me explain…
You may find temperate bamboo growers who claim that clumping bamboos make a poor hedge and running bamboos are superior as hedge material. This is surely based on the same ignorance that I had years ago. They’re either unfamiliar with all of the clumping bamboos or they’ve only been exposed to the clumping species that do not belong in a screening application. Of course, they also could be simply trying to sell what they grow. Seriously, aren’t traditional hedge plants just individual trees or shrubs that are planted in a row? In my climate, Ixora, Cherry, Podocarpus, Orange Jasmine, Cocoplum, and Silver Buttonwood do not “run” but do form nice hedges when planted for that purpose.
There are many temperate, running bamboo species that are not appropriate for hedging because of their mature size, form, or culm spacing. Some of the more popular and appropriate species are Phyllostachys aruea, Phyllostachys aureosulcata (either Yellow Groove or Spectabilis), and Phyllostachys humilis. All should be maintained by root pruning or a rhizome barrier can be installed prior to planting to control the growth pattern.
There are also many tropical, clumping bamboo species that are not appropriate for hedging for the same reasons as the temperates.

Bambusa textilis gracilis hedgeBambusa textilis gracilis hedge

Some of the more appropriate species (from smaller to larger) are Bambusa multiplex riviereorum, Bambusa glaucophylla, Bambusa textilis Gracilis, Bambusa malingensis, and Bambusa oldhamii. They are planted 3’ to 6’ on centers, depending on the species and screening requirements. They don’t generally require root pruning and will clump together to form a homogenous row of bamboo. Old culms can be culled out over time, the roots/rhizome can be selectively pruned, if desired, and the entire hedge – top and/or sides can be shaped, if desired.

For a complete list of the best tropical clumping bamboos for screening, there is a search feature within the Tropical Bamboo Nursery website – Click HERE to search.  Just check the Hedging/Screening/Privacy box, and any other applicable parameters, to reveal your options.
Robert Saporito
Tropical Bamboo Nursery & Gardens
www.TropicalBamboo.com

Bamboo Hedge Maze - Bambusa textilis gracilis

Forever Nijmegen Bamboo T-shirts

Posted on July 16, 2009 | Posted by JespercloseAuthor: Jesper Name: Jesper Popma
Email: jesper@jazzyetjames.com
Site: http://jazzyetjames.com
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In context of Nijmegen citymarketing we developed promotional T-shirts for Nijmegen tourist-office and the city of Nijmegen. In line with our philosophy of promotional clothing, Nijmegen tourist-office chose for T-shirts with the look and feel of a real clothing brand. No standard unisex shirt with a chest logo, but fashionable T-shirts with trendy prints, labels and hang tags.

Forever Nijmegen Bamboo T-shirts Men Black

Besides providing the bamboo T-shirts we designed – in accordance with the “Forever Nijmegen“ marketing style – the prints, labels and hang tags for the T-shirts.

Forever Nijmegen Bamboo T-shirts Women White

Read press release of Nijmegen tourist-office below

NEW TRENDY “FOREVER NIJMEGEN” T-SHIRTS

Nijmegen tourist-office presents, in cooperation with the municipality of Nijmegen, Nijmegen fashion designers and producers Jazzy et James (www.jazzyetjames.com), trendy “Forever Nijmegen” T-shirts of high quality.

Forever Nijmegen Bamboo T-shirts Women Black

The T-shirt are made of 70% environmentally friendly bamboo and 30% cotton. Because of this composition, the shirt have pleasant wearing properties. The T-shirts have a nice fit and are available for men and women. For both men and women two designs are available. Both in colors white and black. The T-shirts cost € 16.95 each.

Forever Nijmegen Bamboo T-shirts Men White

The Forever Nijmegen T-shirts are available in the Nijmegen UITshop. The Nijmegen UITshop is located at Keizer Karel 32h in Nijmegen (Stadsshouwburg). The Nijmegen UITshop is open from Monday to Friday from 09.30 am to 17.30 pm and on Saturday from 10.00 am to 17.00 pm.

Would you like cool shirts like these? Visit our website

Bamboo Culm Discoloration

Posted on July 8, 2009 | Posted by tropicalbamboocloseAuthor: tropicalbamboo Name: Robert Saporito
Email: robert@tropicalbamboo.com
Site: http://www.tropicalbamboo.com
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The many species and varieties of tropical bamboos come in a wide range of sizes, overall forms, leaf sizes and textures – both solid green and variegated.   Most have green culms (canes) – some have striated culms (vertical stripes).    Some species have a powder (bloom) or a furry coating on their base-green culms which changes the appearance to a spectacular light blue, silver,

Striped culms (canes)

white, or tan/brown color.  A few species have culms that mature to a jet black or chocolate brown.  One of these species’ culms become glossy black, another becomes matt black, and a third has massive culms that transition from furry tan to chocolate to matt black from the bottom to the top. Finally, there are a group of bamboos with yellow or gold culms. They all have varying striations of green on their culms but the dominant color is a shade of yellow. Each of these culm colors, or color combinations, will be affected by the sun. Intense, direct exposure will cause sun scalding while even moderate exposure will change the original color over time. If the culm is originally green, it will lighten to a pea green or even an orange/yellow. The species with powder or fur-coated culms are initially self-protected but the powder or fur eventually wears off. The culms will then lighten as any green culm will. Black bamboo species all develop silver/white areas on their culms. Silver spots, streaks, or just an entire area of silver can replace the black on the culm. Yellow culms change to light brown or often develop dark brown spots or blotches. These color changes often are obvious on one side of culms in an entire clump (the south side) as the Florida sun most often angles from the southern sky.

Green culms (canes)

Yellow culms (canes)

Blue culms (canes)

What can be done to prevent culm discoloration? Well, first, it’s a natural process and it’s not unhealthy for your bamboo. Since you’re most likely growing it as an ornamental plant, there are ways to manage culm appearance. 
Remember that most tropical bamboos love sunlight on their leaves. The growth rate is proportionate to the energy, water, and fertilizer they receive.  In their natural growing environment, they are permaculture plants and grow among many other tropical plants.  Usually, at least their bottom half is protected from the sun and shaded by the surrounding flora.  If you can simulate this in your garden with plants or structures, the bamboo culms will stay beautiful for much longer (just make sure your bamboo continues to get sunlight at the top).  
Creating a private jungle is not always practical. You’ll most likely have to just manage your bamboo by pruning out the culms as they age and discolor.  Don’t get too carried away – never remove more than 1/3 of the total mass in a calendar year.  You should easily have enough new shoots each year to replace most of the unattractive, oldest culms.  Just cut the offending culms at ground level (leave no stump) and dispose of them or use them for crafts (the cut culms of some species may be used for propagation).   If you remove lower branches to better reveal the beautiful culms, remember that you’re also allowing more sunlight to strike the culms.  Be judicious when you reduce the bamboo’s natural “umbrella”.

Black culms (canes)

Sometimes an ugly culm or culms must be left in a clump because they would leave a gaping hole if removed or maybe too many have been removed already.   On a black bamboo in the display gardens at Tropical Bamboo Nursery & Gardens, we have actually used black shoe polish to erase a silver area on a culm.  At first this may seem funny but it’s turned out to be a fine short-term solution. The prospect of having to look at an ugly culm for several months until the new ones developed to replace it was solved by sponge-on shoe polish.   I know of one person who has artistically used paint on her live bamboo (with no detrimental effect on the bamboo). 
The appearance of your bamboo will always be in flux as it’s such a fast-growing plant.  If at some point you’re not pleased with a culm or group of culms, you can take solace that they will soon be replaced and the clump will transition to a fresh new look. 

Robert Saporito
Tropical Bamboo Nursery & Gardens

Bamboo Grooming & Maintenance

Posted on July 4, 2009 | Posted by tropicalbamboocloseAuthor: tropicalbamboo Name: Robert Saporito
Email: robert@tropicalbamboo.com
Site: http://www.tropicalbamboo.com
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A frequently asked question at Tropical Bamboo Nursery & Gardens is, “Can I trim my ornamental bamboo?” or “How do I trim and maintain my clumping bamboo?”  The answer to the first question is not only yes you CAN, but yes, you SHOULD trim your bamboo!  I’ll describe the methods and provide some tips but first it is important to understand why bamboo should be trimmed.

Bambusa pervariabilis viridistriata - untrimmed

A clumping bamboo is usually planted as a small start, often one or two small culms growing in a small container.  After planting, the roots and rhizome develops in the ground.  New shoots emerge and become new culms – each new shoot progressively larger and taller than the previous.  After about 18 months, the clump should be a mixture of thin culms (pencil diameter), medium culms (cigar sized), and maybe a couple of larger culms.  The larger culms could even be up to a few inches in diameter, depending on the species and growing conditions.

The size of each emergent shoot determines the ultimate height of the culm. Once the shoot finishes shooting (a couple of months) branches form and then leaves develop.  There is very little change in overall size after the culm has developed leaves.  It is finished growing and will only replace leaves and some branches if trimmed or damaged.
It is important to understand that bamboo is a woody grass, not a tree.  Each new shoot that develops into a culm has a finite life.  This may be a couple of years or seven or eight years.  Eventually, a culm becomes obsolete within its clump and will drop its leaves, dry out, and turn a tan color.  Their life, or usefulness within the clump, can be affected by other factors besides time.  Attrition (culms rubbing together or against other objects), sun scalding, storms, fungus, insects, birds, or animals all can accelerate the demise of a culm.

When growing clumping bamboos as ornamentals, culms and branches should be removed each year (after an establishment period of at least 1 year).  Never remove more than 1/3 of the total mass of the clump.  The goal is to simply remove unattractive or uneven culms or branches to reveal and/or highlight the most attractive culms in the clump.  Also, space will be created for new shoots to develop without obstruction.  The newer culms will always be brighter and cleaner looking.   Older culms, beyond four years old, will start to look dingy and may have stains or areas of discoloration.  You’ll want to remove the oldest culms but sometimes you’ll have to keep some of them to maintain balance.  You don’t want to create a gaping hole in the overall form of the bamboo clump.  Regardless, there should never be dead, tan culms or branches within the clump.

reciprocating saw cutting a culm

Reciprocation saw cutting branches

Culms should be cut flush with the ground leaving no stump above ground level.  The cut culm can be pulled out of the clump from the bottom as the branches will fold back.  Branches should be cut flush with the culm as cleanly as possible.  Try to make most cuts from the underside of the branch upward.  If you cut from the top downward, it’s possible that the cut will not finish and you will pull a strip down the culm, leaving an unattractive scar.

Hand pruning

Finishing touches

B.pervariabilis viridistriata - Finished!

Sometimes you may want to cut the top portion of culms.   Topping culms can be accomplished to keep them away from overhead objects or just to shape the clump like a hedge.   You can cut them fairly short - just make sure there are nodes below your cut that have branches and leaves.  Also, try to stick with the 1/3 rule (don’t remove more than 1/3 of the total mass of the clump).   Each cut should be just ABOVE a node.  If you cut in the middle or just below a node, the section of culm left behind that above the node will turn tan and won’t be clean and attractive-looking.  The bamboo won’t be harmed – this is mostly an aesthetic tip.

You can also watch our video: Tropical Bamboo Nursery – Bamboo Maintenance & Trimming

Trimmed as a hedge

Robert Saporito
Tropical Bamboo Nursery & Gardens

Starbucks for Bamboo

Posted on July 2, 2009 | Posted by tropicalbamboocloseAuthor: tropicalbamboo Name: Robert Saporito
Email: robert@tropicalbamboo.com
Site: http://www.tropicalbamboo.com
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Compared to many types of plants, pest management on bamboos is not considered a major issue. There are, however, a couple of different sucking insects (scale & mealybugs;) that may appear on your bamboo plants. The effects of these insects are always aesthetic, never fatal to the bamboo. Depending on the level of infestation and the discerning eye of the bamboo-owner, the bugs can be ignored or treated. Scale insects and mealybugs cannot be treated with contact insecticides because of their protective waxy coatings or webbing. Systemic insecticides are recommended and this is used as a root zone drench. The bamboo draws up the insecticide and the bugs ingest it when they feed. The most commonly used product for homeowners has been Bayer Tree & Shrub – available at most home improvement and garden centers.
Many homeowners prefer to not use chemicals – especially if they plan on eating some of their bamboo shoots. Short-term solutions include predatory insects (e.g. lady bugs) or pressure washing the bamboo (don’t blast too close to the culms!). These treatments will reduce but not eliminate the scale or mealybugs.
Over the past couple of years, Tom Broome, the noted cycad expert, has discovered an effective, natural insecticide – coffee. Tom has been applying copious amounts of used coffee grounds as mulch around his cycads to control scale insects. He’s also begun using it effectively on bamboos to control scale and mealybugs. See full article: Coffee, Cycads’ New Best Friend?
The best source for used coffee grounds is Starbucks. Most locations have a bin near their front door marked “Grounds for your Garden”. If you don’t see a bin, or the bin is empty, just ask if they have any used grounds. You may (hopefully) end up with a full trash bag of coffee grounds!
At Tropical Bamboo Nursery & Gardens, we’ve taken Tom’s lead and have been using the coffee around the display bamboos in our garden since January/09.
We’ve used no chemical insecticides and, after six months, all of the bamboos are pest-free.
It is important to note that the coffee grounds must be used heavily, as a mulch, not just sprinkled around your bamboo. You almost can’t use too much.
The grounds from your morning home brew will help but still may need a supplement from your local coffee shop.

Robert Saporito
Tropical Bamboo Nursery & Gardens