[RP TownTalk] free bamboo runners

Thu May 8 22:59:18 UTC 2008

> There are forms of bamboo that do not have this aggressive quality. I
> have no idea what those varieties are, or how to identify them.

As you may know, my bamboo was planted by the former owner, one of the
nation's most famous gardeners

   http://www.npr.org/programs/talkingplants

I figure she must have planted the type of bamboo that is not so
aggressive.  We hacked it back when we moved in, and we control it
with just the lawnmower.  In the spring, I pull out a few runners,
which takes just a minute or two.

Originally Ketzel surrounded the entire double-lot garden with a
bamboo curtain.  Most of her creations got smushed when they built the
infill house next to me.

R

On Wed, May 7, 2008 at 7:31 PM, Alan Thompson and Sarah Wayland
<twacks at his.com> wrote:
> The bamboo we removed from our yard sends aggressive runners out many
> yards from the stand where it is located.  Depending on the variety
> of bamboo, the runners have been known to push their way through
> concrete foundations that are less than 4 inches thick.
>
> For this reason I would NOT risk planting bamboo near my house.
>
> Bamboo is not a native plant and it can be aggressive and difficult
> to control. If you plant bamboo and don't actively control it, you
> run the risk of creating a monster. (Think of the kudzu vine that is
> taking over the southern United States. Bamboo has this same
> potential.) I would prefer a world where people were careful about
> planting such an aggressive non-native species in their yard. The
> legacy you leave for the future might involve a monoculture of bamboo
> with no room for trees, other shrubs, or any other plants.
>
> There are forms of bamboo that do not have this aggressive quality. I
> have no idea what those varieties are, or how to identify them.
>
> People should be aware of the potential repercussions when they
> choose to plant bamboo.
>
> -Sarah
>
>
> On May 7, 2008, at 3:25 PM, Roland Walker wrote:
>
>> Of course this type grows too high for that -- but I also have some
>> very cool bamboo ground cover which stays well below knee height.  I
>> wonder if that wouldn't soak up water very well, too.
>>
>> The ground cover might be this stuff
>>
>>    http://www.bamboogarden.com/Pleioblastus%20pygmaeus.html
>>
>> Bamboo roots stay extremely shallow, which is one reason why it is not
>> really so difficult to control as I have heard.  Shallow roots might
>> be good around a foundation.
>>
>> "Soaking up water" should occur primarily through transpiration, which
>> would be limited in principle by the total surface area of the leaves.
>>  Secondarily on growth and fruiting.  The ground cover does provide a
>> lot of leaf.
>>
>> I also have Heavenly Bamboo for my hedge, but that isn't actually
>> bamboo, despite the name.  Still, the little theme is cool.
>>
>> R
>>
>> PS Someone took the runners.
>>
>> On Wed, May 7, 2008 at 2:58 PM, Nancy Augustine
>> <nya_md at verizon.net> wrote:
>>> Soaks up water, huh? Wonder if it would make a good foundation
>>> planting, to keep the water from seeping into the basement. Has
>>> anybody ever tried that?
>>>
>>>  =====================
>>>  From: JayRite at aol.com
>>>  Date: 2008/05/06 Tue PM 07:57:42 CDT
>>>  To: TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
>>>  Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] free bamboo runners
>>>
>>>  Roland you are absoluty nuts! LOL Don't do it!!!Anyone!!!! :-)
>>> Jay  In a message dated 5/6/2008 3:45:36 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
>>> walker at pobox.com writes:Many   people hate bamboo, but I love it.
>>> I'm certain this is the   most
>>>
>>> controversial thing I have ever said on TownTalk.
>>>
>>>  My bamboo   makes a nice privacy curtain in the back yard and it
>>> really
>>>  soaks up water   when the ground gets saturated, which is often.
>>>
>>>  If anyone wants some   runners, I have several feet worth.
>>>
>>>  R
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Wondering what's for Dinner Tonight? Get new twists on family
>>> favorites at AOL Food.
>>>
>>>
>>>
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