Bamboo Hedge Care Tips: How to Grow a Bamboo Hedge

A bamboo hedge is any one variety or combination of varieties of bamboo plants planted next to each other to form a hedge or privacy screen. Many species of bamboo make great windbreaks or privacy screens that landscapers use in garden design. As tropical plants, most varieties of bamboo do best in warmer USDA hardiness zones.

You'll want a type of bamboo that has a relatively fast growth rate to achieve the height and thickness of foliage to create an effective privacy screen. Explore a few varieties that will likely suit those needs.

1. 1. Hedge bamboo (Bambusa multiplex): This is a fast-growing, clumper variety that is native to and grows well in tropical regions. Hedge bamboo canes reach up to 20 feet tall and are one to two inches thick. Clumping types of bamboo don't spread rapidly and are considered non-invasive bamboo.
2. 2. Seabreeze bamboo (Bambusa malingensis): Seabreeze bamboo is another clumping variety that grows well in coastal, tropical regions and grows a maximum height of 30 feet tall. Seabreeze is tolerant to wind and salt, making it an excellent choice to create a privacy fence for those living near the ocean.
3. 3. Graceful bamboo (Bambusa textilis 'Gracilis'): This tropical clumping bamboo has evergreen foliage and grows well in full sun. It is also cold-hardy, meaning it is resistant to wind and cold weather. Graceful bamboo grows up to 40 feet tall with canes about an inch in diameter.
4. 4. Japanese timber (Phyllostachys bambusoides): Great for large bamboo privacy screens, this giant running bamboo variety can reach up to 70 feet tall with culms (or shoots) between three and five inches thick. Like most timber bamboo varieties, it requires a lot of water and fertilizer in its first year of growth.
5. 5. Arrow bamboo (Pseudosasa japonica): Very popular in the U.S., this low-branching runner features large, drooping leaves that make for an ideal low-height privacy hedge. It is tolerant to wind and salt and does best in full sun to partial shade.

With a few gardening tips, growing a bamboo hedge is relatively easy.

1. 1. Space your bamboo plants appropriately. Once you find the right bamboo type for your fence line, ensure good coverage by making sure to space plants two to three feet apart. This will help them fill in to create a dense hedge. Smaller plants will require less spacing and larger varieties will need large containers or planter boxes and more space between them.
2. 2. Water and fertilize your bamboo regularly. The first few years of growth will require more care as the plants mature. It depends on the species, but invariably, bamboo plants will take a few years to gain sufficient size.
3. 3. Prune canes to manage growth. After you plant bamboo, watch for new shoots that will be smaller and thinner. After a while, these can be removed to make room for the larger canes. You'll want to prune and trim away dead or unhealthy culms and other parts of the fast-growing plants every couple of years. New plants should be allowed to reach maturity before any serious pruning.
4. 4. Set up containment measures if needed. Runner varieties may require maintenance to contain their spread. Creating a wide path of mulch around the original soil in the planting area of running varieties creates a root barrier or rhizome barrier that makes containment easier.

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