What to do when canes overhang a neighbor's yard

A customer who planted a hedge of Graceful Clumping Bamboo along his property line several years ago recently wrote with the following question:  

Our clumping bamboo is growing really well, but starting to hang into our neighbors yard,  should I cut the offending canes in the middle or at the ground level to prevent this in the future?

My response:
You can cut the overhanging canes anywhere but I usually like to cut them off at the base for aesthetic reasons.  However, trimming existing canes won't stop new shoots which come up around the base to grow tall and eventually do the same thing - overhanging the neighbor's yard.  The only way to prevent that is to knock over the new shoots coming up on your neighbor's side so they won't grow tall.  When bamboo gets to the stage your has, it needs maintenance once a year.  Remember that the growing season continues through November so new canes will keep coming up.  We suggest doing a pruning once in the late winter before the growing season begins and then knocking over unwanted new shoots as they appear during the spring-summer-fall.

Creating a beautiful bamboo hedge

Two lovely hedges of clumping bamboos

Some of the best bamboos for creating dense living walls of green are in the Bambusa multiplex family of clumping bamboos.  Bambusa multiplex alphonse karr (Golden Hedge), Bambusa multiplex golden goddess (Golden Goddess) and Bambusa multiplex silverstripe (Green Hedge) are all very hardy, broad growing bamboos that make wonderful hedges.  If you wish to create a privacy barrier, buffer sound or block the view to something objectionable, these three bamboos will quickly accomplish your goals. 

Of the three, Green Hedge will get the tallest (35'), Golden Hedge (25') and Golden Goddess tops out between 12' and 15'.  Golden Hedge has golden-yellow canes with green stripes while both Green Hedge and Golden Goddess have green canes. 

Attractive new shoots of Golden Hedge Clumping Bamboo

For variety and attractiveness, we like to mix up the different Multiplex bamboos when creating hedges.  For instance, Golden and Green Hedge look lovely together since both grow to similar heights and have identical shapes.

Green Hedge and Golden Hedge bamboos blend together nicely

The end three bamboos are Golden Goddess next to a line of Golden Hedge bamboo to add variety and interest to the hedge.

Similarly, Golden Goddess, which is shorter than Green or Golden Hedge, works well when placed at the ends of a hedge of either or both of the larger bamboos.  Doing so creates an interesting visual arc when mature without sacrificing privacy.

No matter what types of bamboo you purchase, it is important to include soil amendments and irrigation in your plans.  Bamboo grows best in a rich but light soil (we suggest our custom mix called Bamboo Booster) and likes a high-nitrogen  fertilizer.  Water daily after planting and as often as possible during the first growing season.  

A bamboo teacup

What can you do with bamboo?  How about making teacups?  Here's a photo sent by one of our customer who not only made a set of teacups out of bamboo poles but used a wood burning tool to etch a design into the wood.

Bamboo leafs out from top to bottom

Gerry, a customer from Islamorada, FL wrote to say:
The hedge bamboo we bought from you is doing great.  There are lots of new shoots coming out of the ground and it's getting tall with a lot of full growth on the upper third of the stem. Is it OK to "top off" the tallest ones in order to encourage new leaves near the bottom, or should we wait for it to fill in on its own?

My response:
I would suggest waiting a little while longer, Gerry.  New bamboo shoot grow tall quickly then take their time leafing out beginning at the top and working their way down to the bottom.  Keep in mind that the above-ground growing season continues until November so you can expect many, many more new shoots to emerge before then.  Your clumps will be full and leafy by the end of the year.  At that point, if there are any canes that are bare at the bottom but leafy at the top, you can top them to encourage new lower leaf growth.  Keep in mind though that once a bamboo cane is topped, that cane will never grow any taller. 

New shoots begin to leaf out from the top and work their way down toward the bottom, a process that takes several months to complete.

Handmade bamboo chuppah becomes part of one family's marriage tradition

Customers who purchased our Designer Quality Bamboo Poles in 2010 to make a wedding arch for their daughter recently wrote to update us on the status of their hand-built chuppah.

Janet writes:  Here is the chuppah that my husband, Peter McDonald, made for our daughter's wedding in February 2010.  On Sunday, May 29th, her sister-in-law used it for her wedding, also in NYC.  This time it had more decorations and it looked absolutely beautiful!  It will next be making an appearance on December 3rd for a friend's wedding in New Jersey!  So thanks again for providing the beautiful bamboo!

Bamboo is strong and sturdy and makes long-lasting beautiful structures

 

A marriage begins beneath a Beautiful Bamboo chuppah!