To bamboo or not to bamboo?
That is the question …
As providers of bamboo, we have a huge responsibility to people looking for bamboo for sale.
Too many people in the past have been sold the wrong type for their situation.
WHICH TYPES OF BAMBOO ARE BEST FOR YOU?
We hear horror stories all the time … of the Dad who planted running bamboo in his backyard and had to dig up the whole yard dug up to get rid of it. Don’t plant running bamboo!
Of the person recommended Oldhamii for a suburban plot – where this type is best suited for large properties, much favoured by farmers for windbreaks and shade provision.
CLUMPING BAMBOO
Start here: only plant clumping bamboo!
Here at Bamboo Park, we only supply clumping bamboo not running bamboo.
The difference: one is beautiful and controllable … the other easily gets out of control.
Of the clumping bamboo, there are many many options.
The most popular include Gracilis textilis.
GRACILIS TEXTILIS BAMBOO
The full name is Bambusa textilis gracilis and it’s a highly effective screening bamboo, growing to about 6-8 metres tall x only 1 metre across.
The culms (“stalks”) are typically 3-4cm thick culms and it has a reasonably tight growing habit, with good upright growth, which is what makes this such an ideal hedging plant to screen off neighbours.
Plant in prepared soil and mulch well while getting established, to achieve a very dense screen with beautiful and plentiful new shoots.
We recommend planting 1 metre apart, so that the culms grow into one another giving a beautiful impenetrable wall. With little internode growth on lower culms, this variety is very attractive with very dark green upright growing habit and smooth culms.
Good privacy can be achieved because there is also growth on lower culms.
After two or three years they’re roughly 1 metre across and very dense. The Bambusa textilis can get quite large in clump diameter. After around 5 years, it tends to be about 1m in diameter, and about 2m in diameter after about 10 years. Therefore, it should be planted at least 1 to 1.5m away from fences and boundaries, in garden beds at least 2m wide.
This variety is a beautiful ornamental with straight, branch-free lower half with long internodes. Very tidy appearance.
Synonyms (AKA): ‘Slender Weaver’,
Typical height: 10 to 12m
Typical culm diameter: 5cm
Minimum temperature tolerance: -12°C
Climate: Very cold tolerant. Grows well anywhere in Australia
Light conditions: Full sun to part shade
Growth habit: Upright, tidy
Growing conditions: Moist, well drained soil. Keep well mulched.
Origin: China
EASY TO GROW
This Gracilis bamboo does make an excellent screen. It’s a beautiful bamboo and can even be trimmed, although you’re better to choose the variety to be the size you want so you don’t plant yourself an endless job!
Bamboo is very tolerant and can grow in many conditions, from very cold through to wet and humid.
Also check out these other bamboo varieties for hedging/wind breaks/screening –
GRACILIS FUSCA BAMBOO
Gracilis fusca – the “big brother” of the more usual Gracilis textilis, which can even screen a three storey building!
Smooth green culms and tidy, upright growth habit make this a great alternative to the popular Gracilis.
Meaning of name: ‘Fusca’ meaning ‘dark’ in latin, referring to dark hair on the culm sheaths
Synonyms (AKA): ‘Fasca’ (incorrect spelling)
Typical height: 10 to 12m
Typical culm diameter: 5cm
Minimum temperature tolerance: -12°CClimate: Very cold tolerant. Grows well anywhere in Australia
Light conditions: Full sun to part shade
Growth habit: Upright, tidy
Growing conditions: Moist, well drained soil. Keep well mulched.
Origin: China
MALAY DWARF VARIAGATED
This is a beautiful dense ornamental with cream striped leaves. One of the best hedging bamboos due to the thick and uniform bushy foliage.
Typical height: 3 to 4m
Typical culm diameter: 2cm
Minimum temperature tolerance: -2°C
Climate: Can tolerant light frost – Grows best in Tropical and Subtropical climates
Light conditions: Full sun to part shade
Growth habit: Tight clumping, very bushy, dense
Growing conditions: Moist, well drained soil. Keep well mulched.
Origin: Malaysia