Mixed Grove Issues?

11 years ago

I have about a 50 yard stretch along my property where I wanted to establish a semi-screen of bambo. I planted 8 potted timber bamboo consisting of five different species evenly spaced. I have the taller bamboo, Vivax and Henon, in the middle, and the smaller species, Sweet Shoot and Incense, on the ends. The plants are well spaced now, but eventually they will begin to intermingle. Does anyone foresee any issues once the grove begins to mix and overlap each other? For instance, would the Vivax overtake and eventually crowd out the Incense? I'd like to avoid any problems in the future and make corrections now while the plants are still small.
I also have Heteroclada and Nuda, but they are much further away.

Thanks.

Comments (3)

kentuck_8b
11 years ago
In this area, some of the larger timber bamboos can easily spread 20 feet or more a year, but that is just lone rhizomes/shoots, the grove as a whole will spread slower and take longer to fill in and get dense.

In the short term, it shouldn't be a problem, but later on, it may become a problem but most of the species should be well enough established by then, and I don't think one will kill off another, and even if something like that started to happen, simply break off the emerging shoots of the variety that you want controlled, or cut down the culms after they grow.

I think your control of the overall grove(s) will be a bigger concern in a few years.

Kt
stevelau1911
11 years ago
An easy solution is to simply install plastic barriers or trenches between your plantings to prevent the intermingle if you don't want your taller species to eventually dominate and shade out the shorter ones.
RobThomas
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for the response, kentuck. As far as controlling the grove, on one side is an open field that we cut a couple of times a year with a tractor. I have a border that I plan to keep the bamboo contained within by cutting the field on that side. On the other side, there is a stone wall with a steep drainage ditch just on the other side, next to that is a one lane road. I don't expect the rhizomes will cross the ditch, as they would have to grow downward steeply to do so. Even so, they'd then meet the road. The county also cuts next to the road twice a year. I don't have any neighbors nearby that the rhizomes could possibly reach.

Everything is small now as I just planted them last year. I'll keep a close eye on everything to see how they progress.