P. Bissetii screen - is 2 ft wide enough?

[dpeter]

Hello all,

I am new to the forum and have been doing a fair amount of research. I am planning a screen and would appreciate some input from more "seasoned" folks.

The site:
- I'm located in zone 6b, one mile from the ocean.
- South-east facing location with full sun.
- Property line with 40 feet of 5 foot high chainlink fence, close quarters (about 20' from the fence to the neighbor's deck.)

The plan:
I have dug a trench 40' long by 2 feet wide, 27 inches deep, to use 40 mil 30 inch HDPE liner/barrier, to keep the requisite 3-4 inches above the soil level after backfilling.

The plant:
I would like a fairly dense (i.e., can't see through at eye level) screen, so my first choice is P. Bissetii, but I have also considered one of the P. Aureasulcata forms as well. Desired height is 12-18 feet.

------- The question ----------
Is 2 feet in bed width sufficient ? I'd hate to get everything planted and find out that my "screen" doesn't really screen out anything! I visited New England Bamboo awhile back and they said the 2 foot width would be fine.

Thanks for any replies,

Peter Steele

[rfgpitt]

Peter,

I think 2 feet will be marginal if you get winter damage. What I would be more concerned about is limiting a runner to two feet using only 40mil thick material. Beef it up to 60 or even 80mil. They will get root bound fairly quickly and several people have reported 40mil barrier failures, and our very own BooKing has had Semiarundinaria fastuosa (I think) go through a 60mil.

[BooKing]

Yep, 6 years in a 8by8feet area just was too much too handle for the 60mil barrier. Of course I didn't cut the rhizomes that had been building up at the edges over the years earlier. Now the grove is well thinned and pruned too a point just have to keep an eye on the rambunctious rhizomes

[CadyG]

Peter,
Aloha from Salem, Mass. I have had bissetii in the ground for 7 years, and through annual snippage of unwanted shoots I've been able to keep it contained in a 10'X12' area. Another bissetii (in its 2nd year here) on the back boundary, I'm encouraging to go wacky and take over, but it is still being pretty well behaved. It should take off next year.

I agree with what Rick says about 2' being marginal. I'd give it a couple more and stagger the planting (plant in a zig-zag rather than straight line). The 'boo will fill in and make a denser screen this way.

And despite its ability to penetrate thick barriers, 'boo can be controled if you monitor it during shooting and remove any unwanted rhizomes that breach the trench.

In the 10 years I've grown running bamboos on my 60'X115' property, I've never had 'boo run out of bounds. Of course, it may be planning the Big Jail Break clandestinely ("Pssst! Everyone! On July 18, 2008, we all send rhizomes three blocks long and take over the neighborhood...")

[dpeter]

Just a quick (late) reply -

My first 'boo planting was completed and I ended up using the 60 mil liner, and widening my trench to a whopping 3 ft. I wanted to go wider (I'd rather not confine the 'boo at all ...), but that's life on my tiny lot!

Anyway, I wanted to say thanks to everyone for your advice - this certainly won't be my last bamboo planting and I'll probably be asking for more help
in the future. Hopefully I'll be able to give something back to the group someday, when (if?) I become a seasoned bamboo grower!

Thanks again,

Peter