Why Use Bamboo?

Bamboo is a versatile plant that has been cultivated in gardens throughout Asia for many centuries. Bamboo, whether made into fences or used as a “wall” of live plants, is an excellent way to create privacy in your garden. At the same time it can add an exotic touch and a Zen quality to your landscape. Both bamboo fences and bamboo plants are low maintenance, with a lifespan of about 15 to 20 years.

Using Bamboo Plants for Privacy

When using live bamboo plants for privacy purposes, you will need to wait several years for it to grow tall enough and dense enough to be an effective screen. Smaller bamboo canes planted 6 feet on center take an average of three years to really start growing well. In general, it takes between 7 and 15 years for bamboo to reach it’s full height. To create an instant screen you would need to plant larger (and more expensive) canes closer together, for instance 2 to 3 feet on center.

Believe it or not, bamboo is a member of the grass family and grows in nearly every region of the world. Only one species of bamboo native to the United States remains in existence today. The giant cane (Arundinaria gigantea), native to the southeastern United States, grows to a maximum height of 12 feet. Unfortunately many plant nurseries don’t stock this species of bamboo. If they do, it is usually much more expensive than the giant exotic bamboos.

Some species of bamboo grow as far north as USDA Hardiness Zone 5, which includes some of the coastal areas of Massachusetts. All bamboos prefer moist well-drained or sandy soil. They should be watered during drought conditions, but do not allow the soil to remain waterlogged.

Yellow-groove bamboo (Phyllostachys aureosulcata) has for many years been the bamboo of choice to plant in cooler climates. This is the bamboo that most people envision when they think of a bamboo grove. The culms (the botanical word for the stem) grow to a diameter of 1 1/2 inches, and are green in color accented with a yellow groove. It grows to a maximum height of about 25 feet. The cultivars spectabilis, which has yellow culms with a green stripe, and harbin, which has narrow yellow and green stripes decorating the culms, are also good choices.

Yellow groove bamboo is a spreading bamboo and must be contained by using stainless steel edging to prevent the rhizomes (similar to roots) from spreading all over the yard (or your neighbor’s yard for that matter). The steel edging should be placed about 12 inches below the ground surface to ensure that the rhizomes will be contained. It is also possible to prevent them from spreading through regular mowing of the area, although once the mowing stops, the bamboo will spread.

Dragon bamboo (Fargesia dracocephala) and fountain bamboo (F. nitida) are also good choices for creating a privacy wall of live bamboo. Both prefer filtered light and reach a height of 15 to 18 feet. The 1/2-inch diameter culms are smaller than the yellow groove bamboo. Dragon and Fountain bamboo are both clumping bamboos, which do not need to be contained and are easier to maintain.

Bamboo Fences

When dried, bamboo is a lightweight material with a hard outer covering that repels water, making it resistant to decomposition. Because of these qualities, bamboo makes a very good construction material for fences. Bamboo fences can be used in any climate and are available from many garden supply centers or ordered online. Some fences have been coated with a light or dark stain. Bamboo fences are constructed with bamboo poles, canes, woven in bundles, or of split bamboo.

The most sturdy of these fences is the bamboo pole fence. Bamboo poles are approximately 1” diameter, while canes are approximately 1/2” diameter in size. Typically bamboo poles, which are a heavier weight, are drilled and strung vertically with galvanized wire, which doesn’t rust. Bamboo canes are bundled together with galvanized wire.

Woven bamboo fences are made of bundles of small bamboo canes tied together with galvanized wire. They do not last as long as pole or cane fences, usually about 10 years. Split bamboo fences also have a 10-year life span. Split bamboo slats (the outer surface of bamboo canes) are about 1/2” wide and 1/8” thick and are tied together with galvanized wire.

Installation

Bamboo fencing is available as either panels or rolls in standard fence heights such as 3’, 6’, and 8’. While lengths of rolls vary, 6-foot widths are typical for panels. Bamboo fencing that comes in rolls is typically made of bamboo canes or poles and is fairly flexible, easily adjusting to uneven slopes or maneuvering around corners. Rolled bamboo fencing is also the easiest to install, and can even be used to cover an existing chain-link fence. Simply unroll the bamboo fence and attach it to the chain link fence with galvanized wire. To dress up your bamboo fence, place a cap on top of the fence either split in half or whole bamboo pole.

Installing a bamboo fence as a stand-alone fence or as panels is more complicated because it requires using posts and horizontal stringers to create a frame for the bamboo fence. Posts should be constructed of 4” x 4’ pressure treated wood or cedar and spaced every 6 feet or the width of the bamboo fence panel. Stringers can be made of the same wood used for the posts or you can use large bamboo poles. Use three stringers for a 6-foot high fence. Bamboo fencing should not rest directly on the ground as the moisture may cause it to rot.

Which to Use?

If you prefer the lush tropical feeling that giant bamboos invoke, or enjoy the textures and colors that are unique to bamboo plants, then a living wall of bamboo is an excellent choice. If you prefer a solid privacy fence that also provides a natural or rustic backdrop for your flowers or shrubs then a bamboo fence is probably the best choice for you. Whether you choose to use live bamboo plants or a fence constructed of bamboo, you will be pleased at the result.