Topic: growing bamboo from seed

[daileg]

has anyone ever grown bamboo from seed anything i should know before i start this adveture  pit falls and so on

the reason for this as i want about 10 black bamboo and have looked int oit there about £35 each thats £ 350.00 i want them for next year project so im thinking if i start them myself they take a while to germinate and some growing time so to my estimate spring next year will have them in 2lt pots saving myself £350.00

[raisedbedted]

Sounds like a very easy way of saving/making £350 and therein lies the nub.

Most Phylostachys bamboos come from only a few clones, therefore if one flowers and seeds then it can be a worldwide event and most will die after flowering ( if not all) , they are therefore normally propagated from rhizomes.

Nigra is not the fastest growing bamboo either (hence the price) Aurea and Viridifolia have always been much quicker for me.

[daileg]

basically i want to screen the rear of of my garden from my neighbours and was thinking bamboo would give me the height without too much light loss so your saying this isnt an easy process as i found this website that sells loads of seed for all kinds of stuff like palms and bamboo and the likes was wondering if it was worth whilg giving it a go acording to what you say i wouldnt have much luck 

[xlynettex]

hi , i`v done a hedge with golden bamboo. i bought the ones you get from B&Q which r £30 and split them so it makes it easier on the pocket . they then seem to throw up more new shoots quicker.

[daileg]

intresting which ones did you buy as some will be a little prolific and others wont

[xlynettex]

phyllostachys aurea, a clump forming fast growing bamboo

[zigzig]

I suppose you have considered and rejected putting up trellis and growing on that.

Sweet peas grow quick, there are a lot of climbing plants which would grow, eventually.

Bamboo, I have seen in  tropical climates used as a hedge. It is thinner than the shrubs we use but it suits their climate.

A picket fence would probably be as good here.

[daileg]

wanted to create a barrier with the sound from the bamboo because i live on top of a mountin and the wind can be strong at times needed a wind break for the garden and to create a micro climate ;D

[Psi (Pronounced 'Si'!)]

3 yrs ago I got a bamboo from a car boot and it has grown well.  I keep it in check by digging out clumps of shoots and planting elsewhere/giving it away/taking to allotment.  Initial outlay was £10.  Works really well.

[Andy H]

My clump I got from a friend has grown well and about 25ft high and it does block out light which is great if you have a security light in your face every night!

Some can get out of control so a barrier may be needed.

It grows under ground then bungs up loads of new shoots then underground again...

Can grow up through wood and is very strong.

One bit went through the edge of the bark on a fir tree!

another bit pushed up through the centre of a plank about 6" high rather then go round it!

[irridium]

I thought about this last yr when I found out the whole array of beautiful colours they come in, but realised after speaking to plants ppl that they would take an age to grow from seed and they're usually divisions that are sold. Unfortunately as I was at a Garden Trail last w/e and someone had Black Bamboo in for a fiver each but they all got snapped up earlier in the day :( :( :( I noticed that B&Q were doing some last yr for about £20 for a small pot, but after thinking about it for too long, they sold out and didn't replenish any....

Another place you could try (tho' a tad too far just for Bamboo!) is Columbia Road Flower Market in London (Sun only) where they sold them for about £20...