Where can I buy and grow bamboo in Central Florida ?
Question:and pros and cons of having a Bamboo on my back yard? I would like to create a Japanese garden on corner of my one acre yard with koi garden, but I would like to grow Bamboo, I am bit worried it will spread all over the neighbor, plus how I am going to mow the grass or take care of the weeds between bamboos ?
Answers:
There really are no cons in my opinion. Bamboo can provide beauty and privacy in just a few growing seasons. As long as you plant the tropical clumpers you will NOT have to worry about it invading your neighbors yard. As for mowing the grass and weeding, plant them far enough apart, at least 8 feet apart and tat will give you plenty of room.
Now as to where you can buy bamboo in Central Florida, depends on where in Central Florida you are.
Chuck Theroux has a wonderful nursery up in New Smyrna Beach and his website is http://www.bamboo.ws
Another bamboo nursery is West of Orlando in Groveland, just off of Hwy 50. I've never paid them a visit but the website is http://beautifulbamboo.com/
Probably the largest bamboo selection in Florida is provided by http://www.tropicalbamboo.org , but they are down in South Florida.
Instead of buying bamboo you can always get freebies from many boonuts out there. Check out the bamboo forum at http://bambooweb.info/bb/index.php...
do a google search for the area in fl bamboo stores.
K
The idea of growing bamboo sparks intrigue and fear in gardeners. We've all heard about bamboo running amuck, making their term 'invasive' seem tame. But we've also seen a lot of garden magazines exhibiting gorgeous golden, striped and even black rustling graceful, plants, we know, would look wonderful in our own gardens. Is it worth the risk?
There is a very real chance that bamboo planted in your garden could become uncontrollable. Non-native plants can behave erratically, depending on the climate, conditions and care they receive. But there are more and more reputable bamboo dealers who are marketing clumping varieties of bamboo, targeted for growing in certain areas. For the most part you still have to mail order bamboo plants, since the bamboo sold most commonly in nurseries is the most easily propagated type - aka, invasive.
Here's a breakdown of what to look for in bamboo.
What is Bamboo?
Bamboo is a grass (subfamily Bambusoideae within the family Gramineae). It can range in size from inches to over 100' and can grow a foot or more a day. Bamboo is one of the most useful plants grown in the world. It's used as food, building material, animal fodder, ornamentation and screening. They are recognizable by their nodes, the joints between the hollow segments of the branch or culm, as shown in the photo.
The easiest way to classify bamboo is to divide it into runners and clumpers. Botanical names can vary from region to region as much as common names, making it very confusing sorting out what type you have. It is always best to be cautious when planting bamboo and install some type of inground barrier immediately at planting.
Clumping Bamboo
Clumpers or sympodial bamboos will expand, just like any other perennial plant. However clumping bamboos have a limited root structure and cannot creep more than a few inches per year. They will expand each year and won't grow to mature height unless they are allowed to reach their desired circumference. Most of the clumping bamboos are tropical plants, but some of the Fargensia genus exhibit enough cold hardiness to survive done to Zone 4.
Running Bamboo
This is what makes gardeners run for cover. Running or monopodial bamboos spread by underground rhizomes and can cover great distances. Since they are all connected as one plant, it can become impossible to kill off. However the rhizomes grow at a depth of only 2 - 18 inches and can be contained with 2 - 2 1/2' plastic edging buried around the circumference of the plant. Any cracks or seams in the edging will allow rhizomes to get through. Most of the temperate bamboos are runners. Temperate bamboos are used to a period of cold weather dormancy and may suffer leaf drop if grown indoors.
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