Cat holding some cured walking sticks in one hand and holding onto a 1 year old 3+ inch in diameter piece that is over 30 feet tall with the other.

2 Responses to “Cat with some of our bamboo”

1. Steve says:

   July 3, 2005 at 7:18 pm

   Is she so strong that she is bending it, or did she grab the only crooked one?

   Just kidding. Nice bamboo.

   Would that species grow at my place? What kind would you recommend? I want to grow a bamboo grove over in the far South/Southeast end of the yard, in a place we don’t use now, with an open spot in the middle as a retreat. “With maybe a little stream down the middle….” (obligatory “Holy Grail” line….) No, really, just a little hideaway, with root/runner barriers to keep it from getting out of control. Comments, anyone?

2. Dave says:

   July 3, 2005 at 9:01 am

   The root barriers have to be about 40 inches deep and need to be made of rather heavy plastic or steel plate. 😉

   There are somewhere around 200 varieties that will grow in the US. Close to a quarter of them will grow here and maybe 25 or so that will do well here. Our winters are still a bit cool for some of the more tropical varieties to do well. Some of them will grow but not prosper.

   One problem with the variety we have is that it is a tall timber variety and doesn’t grow well close to each other. Those that she is in the middle of should have been thinned to give 3 to 4 feet between stalks for them to grow straight. They need to have good light and drainage.

   For your needs some of the clumping varieties with a smaller cain would probably do best. There are several types that will spread out a few feet and stop. Plant that kind around the area in clumps and you should have a nice little retreat in 2 to 6 years depending on how close you plant them.

   Will see about getting together a link list of bamboo sites and posting it. The largest bamboo nursery in the country is up in Tennessee. Planning on going up that way this fall some time and get some new kinds.