In Asia, bamboo is not only used for culinary purposes, but in many cases also as a building material. In Germany, on the other hand, many gardeners appreciate the visual appeal of different types of bamboo and their special growth properties.

Bamboo is an excellent privacy screen - even in winter

Bamboo as an evergreen privacy screen

In many cases, a garden in the middle of a dense development only becomes a relaxing natural idyll if it is also visually separated from the neighboring gardens. If you want a living privacy screen for an undisturbed relaxing atmosphere, bamboo as an evergreen plant can definitely be used for this. In addition, the privacy function of bamboo can of course also be used particularly decoratively around swimming ponds or next to a sun terrace. However, hobby gardeners should think carefully about what they are doing before planting bamboo. After all, bamboo is not just bamboo and the different varieties differ in many ways:

  • in terms of their frost tolerance
  • at growth speed and maximum growth height
  • in optics
  • in the formation of runners or clumps of growth

Only with the best possible information research and planning can mistakes be avoided that can literally grow over a gardener's head with bamboo years later.

Keep the necessary distance from the neighbors

If bamboo is planted as a natural privacy hedge, then a larger minimum distance to the property line should be maintained. Usually, it is regulated at the municipal level or by the legislation of a federal state how high hedges may be and at what distance from the property line. Once a fast-growing bamboo variety has been able to develop in one location over several years, it can sometimes grow very quickly in height. Then, due to the special way bamboo grows, individual shoots shoot up to several meters within a few days. While some varieties only grow clumps by themselves, there are also bamboo species for which a rhizome barrier is absolutely necessary.

Setting firm boundaries for bamboo

The rhizome is the subterranean part of the bamboo plant, which is definitely more than just a root system for absorbing water and nutrients. Energy can slumber in the bamboo rhizomes, from which long bamboo shoots develop within a very short time. With some types of bamboo, such as the giant bamboo, a rhizome barrier in the soil is essential, while this is not necessary with the red bamboo. The runner-forming bamboo species can be quite a nuisance in a garden with the right site conditions, so this issue should not be taken lightly. For an effective rhizome barrier, special foil strips or metal sheets must completely enclose the bamboo rhizome like a ring to a depth of at least 60 cm. This ring should also protrude about 5 to 10 cm above the earth's surface so that no spurs can form.

Beware of dehydration

Many bamboo species are also hardy in central European locations without any problems. However, it can happen that the bamboo is damaged over the winter and then only very laboriously drives out of the rhizome again over the course of the year. In many cases, this is not due to cold winter temperatures, but to dehydration caused by persistent frosts. Therefore, bamboo that has been planted out should be watered a little on frost-free days in winter.

tips

Many people dream of having a giant bamboo in their own garden, even though it doesn't grow as rapidly in Germany as it does in its regions of origin. However, since it can still reach heights of around 15 to 20 m after many years, the choice of location should always be well considered.

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Herbs