Planting Bamboo

[dainthomas]

I'm having some severely overgrown arborvitaes taken out, and I want to put some bamboo in their place. I'm trying to decide whether I should get some kind of planter boxes or containers (such as horse troughs)? Or perhaps put them straight in the ground? (I've read there are varieties that don't spread.)

We do get occasional cold spells in the winter in western Oregon, so I'm not sure if this should influence whether I put them in containers.

 

[highland145]

Here (S.C.), if you plant it in the ground, you have to move to get rid of it.

Some home show I watched, if you ground planted it, you needed a 3' deep plastic barrier to keep it from spreading.

 

[RearAdmiral]

I've been murdering my "fake"(as I call it) bamboo for the past two years. I am making progress but man that stuff is tough. If there are varieties that don't spread I guess it would be alright, though I'd never trust it...I replaced bamboo with some gigantic hostas taken from my front garden and let them duke it out.

 

[highland145]

I've been murdering my "fake"(as I call it) bamboo for the past two years. I am making progress but man that stuff is tough. If there are varieties that don't spread I guess it would be alright, though I'd never trust it...I replaced bamboo with some gigantic hostas taken from my front garden and let them duke it out.

kudzu ftw.....subjective, I guess.

 

[dainthomas]

Yeah, I'm kinda leaning toward just putting it in some containers. The area I was going to put them in is only 15-20 ft wide. My only concern with that is a particularly cold winter killing it, but I suppose I can just put some mulch over the roots in the fall and hope for the best.

 

[NetWareHead]

Be careful with bamboo, some varieties are invasive and difficult to get rid of.

 

[turtile]

Yeah, I'm kinda leaning toward just putting it in some containers. The area I was going to put them in is only 15-20 ft wide. My only concern with that is a particularly cold winter killing it, but I suppose I can just put some mulch over the roots in the fall and hope for the best.

Just get a clumping species of bamboo instead. Unless you plan on using some sort of super thick concrete container, it's going to bust out with time with a runner species.

How cold does it get in your location? There are many species that handle extreme cold and only clump.

 

[NutBucket]

Be careful with bamboo, some varieties are invasive and nearly impossible to get rid of.

Fixed that for you

 

[Thump553]

Even here in New England, bamboo is incredibly invasive. You will be jumping from the frying pan into the fire as far as invasiveness goes. Don't do it, it is a decision you and your neighbors will regret for decades.