Hi,

I have a new-ish bamboo area growing on my property... East facing slope with fantastic uninterupted sun all day.. Fairly moist, but later in the summer it dries out a bit...Grassy slope.

Anyway, last year I planted 3 medium clumps (and 7 this spring) of yellow grove and it did very well. In fact, four months after planting I had new culms (maybe 1-3 each clump...) It wintered over well, and now (mid May) I'm having like 18 new culms on one and between 3-9 on the other two... Some are small, but some are quite large - given the age of the planting...

So this year I'm okay, I'll keep the grass away for a while, but what about next year? I'm concerend that I'll not know where the bamboo is going to come up? Will the surrounding grass impede it's growth? Should I spread straw or other mulch around this year so that in the spring next year I'll be able to see the extent of the new growth? Or should I just give it all a wide berth with the mower and assume that the new 'boo will out-perform and come up through the surrounding grass?

In my zone (5 - upstate NY) the grass is well established and fairly aggressive at this time when these new baby culms are sprouting... I have a feeling that next year the perimeter of the grove will exceed my expectations! Mowing etc. nearby might harm new growth... or will they simply come up through the grass and be visible if I just leave the entire area alone until I see some height? Will I need to weed around the expected area?

Any advice would be helpful...

Thanks in advance,

B