If you've followed my other thread, I had ordered the wrong bamboo for my area. Many thanks to those that have helped!!

Now I need to get on track again... here's my needs/wants:

I need a clumping bamboo. First use is for a hedge along the road. Full sun exposure. I am on a budget so I can only start with a few. I wish to divide them and keep making the hedge longer.

Other uses.... I could use the canes for crafts & garden stuff. Wouldn'y mind eating some shoots every now and again.

I am in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. Considered south-central Pa, I think.

Anything you guyy/gals suggest would be helpful.

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Regards,

steve-in-kville

P.S.... please provide links to reliable nurseries and also the "street names" of bamboos. I am slowly picking up on the latin names!!

Thanks!!

_________________
Regards,

steve-in-kville

I checked the updated USDA hardiness map (2012) and Lebanon County PA is solidly zone 6 . Here are the full sun, clumping temperate bamboo you can grow from hardiest to least hardy. Fargesia dracocephala 'Rufa' (hardy to -15ºF) , Yushania brevipaniculata (hardy to -4ºF) and Thamnocalamus tessellatus (hardy to 5ºF).

Trusted Merchants: *I should say I've talked to and or purchased from these fine folks before*

http://www.ccbamboo.com/ PA
http://www.littleacrefarm.com/ NJ
http://bamboofanatic.com/ MD
http://www.midatlanticbamboo.com/ VA
http://www.needmorebamboo.com/ IN
http://www.bamboogarden.com/ OR
http://www.bamboodirect.com/ OR
http://bamboosourcery.com/ CA

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M

Thanks!! I think I was on bamboogarden's site already...

_________________
Regards,

steve-in-kville

It gets more complicated as a lot of the new clumpers are tissue culture and don't grow well, people may disagree , but I just don't trust TC Bamboo. They are often as expensive as normal divisions but just don't perform , year after year of small growth.
If you don't mind controling your rhizome growth at the fence line then Pseudosasa japonica could be a good cheap option. I see them around here in Maryland, and where they have jumped fencelines they are more or less free for the taking. I don't grow it here, but I have a really great one in France.
It's rock hardy and fast growing. When treated well it's a stunning Bamboo . when neglected it looks a mess. The rhizomes are thinner than many Phy types and are easy to cut , so control is not hard work. If you can dig some from a local source , then later you can save and replace Pseudosasa japonica with plants like scabrida and other Fargesia.
Best of Luck
Steve

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Always experimenting to get Timber Bamboos Timber size

I live in Pa also and I just got my first clumper last fall and I love it. Fargesia dracocephala 'Rufa'. I have 20 other species all runners but many do not run very fast with the winters here a few feet per year so far. I really love the look of Rufa and it shoots first and that makes it best of all. It does not get very tall though so may not be the kind of screen you are looking for I guess it depends on what you are screening.

I'm even further north than you, close to the lake so it never gets hot around here which means that running bamboos don't run much. If you are in a cooler part of PA, that might also apply to you as well where most species are restricted to running a few feet each year. This blog shows how most of my in ground running bamboos grow. http://stevesbamboogarden.blogspot.com/ ... .html#more

If you are trying to get a hedge or a screen, I would suggest a running type, and if you do not want to deal with rhizomes potentially getting into the neighbor's yard, it is very easy to rhizome prune as long as the bamboo is not right up along the side of the road, and there are non-aggressive running bamboos out there that you may prefer over the types that can cover lots of ground before putting up a shoot.

Most of the hardy clumping bamboos cannot take full sun exposure. I know fargesia rufa clumping bamboo is one of the ones that can stay evergreen in zone 6, handle full sun no problem, and grow fairly vigorously if you need a clumper that can get up to 8-10ft tall. Fargesia robusta can also seem to handle sun pretty well, but it gets leaf damage at anything below 15F, so that could require annual winter protection. I am also growing some fargesia nitida in full sun, but their leaves really curl up when it gets too sunny, but otherwise, this one is very hardy and will survive in full sun here. Fargesia denudata seems to have some resistance to full sun, but it is a bit less cold hardy, and fargesia murielae is not tolerant of any full sun.

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/31489820@N02/

http://stevespeonygarden.blogspot.com/

Thanks for the help. I think I will pursue the rufa for now. I'll be making some calls come Monday morning.

_________________
Regards,

steve-in-kville

Try home depot or any large gardening center.

I've seen them carry fargesia rufa before in the 4 gallon monrovia pots and they are usually filled in if not root bound. They often carry fargesia scabrida as well.

If I still had some fargesia rufa divisions left, I would send you some, but your best bet would be to get them locally if you can since most retailers carry monrovia plants which seem to always be very high in quality. I got my rufa at a gardening center.

If you ever decide to divide it in order to get more divisions, I would suggest doing so when new shoots are not rising, so towards september may be a very good time, or early spring before they start shooting. They do drop in size after being divided, but that's the only way you can get a hedge to form.

Here's how they look. This one has new shoots almost doubling the height of the culms shown in these is pictures now.

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/31489820@N02/

http://stevespeonygarden.blogspot.com/

Thanks again for the help. I have revised my garden plan a little. I am still leaning towards rufa, at least for now. I have two spots to start a hedge: one gets an hour of shade in the morning and sun all day. The other is shaded all day except in late afternoon.

Also- looking at running bamboo that has tasty shoots... any suggestions?

_________________
Regards,

steve-in-kville

steve-in-kville-
Just a word of caution. Don't expect clumpers to give you so much growth that you are going to be dividing them frequently to expand your hedge. Starting with 1-2 plants will take you many years to make enough divisions to achieve your goal.

Also- looking at running bamboo that has tasty shoots... any suggestions?[/quote]


They say Phyllostachys dulcis a good one to eat without having to par-boil