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Selecting a Bamboo (Clumping or Running)
Basically there are two types of bamboo; "clumping, non-invasive" and "running, invasive"
types. All bamboo plants spread via underground rhizomes and each of the culms (canes) are interconnected with each other
through the rhizomes. All the individual canes are actually one plant! On running bamboo the rhizomes may grow and spread
underground several feet in many directions depending on the species. With clumping bamboo the rhizomes only travel a few
inches and emerge from the ground as new culms. The clump expands a few inches each season in a circular manner with some
new culms emerging in the center of the clump as well. There are "slow running" bamboos that tend to clump and not
spread very far because of our cool northwest summers. Thankfully, with even the largest running bamboo the rhizomes stay
within the top 6" - 12" of the soil for ease of maintenance. To form a grove of bamboo you must have the running
type to be successful. For medium sized screens, hedges and especially along a fence line a non-invasive clumping bamboo might
be a better choice if you don't want to worry about uncontrolled spreading. Clumping bamboo do not require any form of rhizome
control. The temperate bamboo that grow well
in Portland are cold hardy, vigorous and evergreen all year. The main structure of bamboo comprises of rhizomes, culms (canes)
and culm branches (with leaves). The “shooting season” for temperate bamboo is in the spring and summer months
in North America. Young new culms emerging from the ground will maintain their initial diameter which is the thickness the
culm remains during its entire life. The diameter of the culm does not increase as with trees. The length a new culm reaches
in its first year will also be its final height. Young plants develop thicker and taller culms in subsequent seasons becoming
it's mature size in 5 to 10 years depending on specie and environmental conditions. Branches and leaves are formed at the
culm nodes and do increase in number each year on older culms. Young leaves are produced regularly as older leaves drop, providing
the best mulch a bamboo can have. Since bamboo is evergreen the change of leaves is gradual and hardly noticeable throughout
the year. Bamboo is unbelievably adaptable to local environmental conditions. The habit of a particular species can vary considerably
according to different planting sites. Tell me about
your planting site and I can help you choose the right bamboo specie for your needs! |
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