I would suggest that you don't get the type of bamboo that spreads. It is a NIGHTMARE. Our neighbor planted some and we can't get rid of it fast enough. It is quickly taking over our yard. It spreads underground and it's relentless. Try to find the kind that grows in clumps.

Look at this website before you start.
http://www.americanbamboo.org/

If you are still bent on planting bamboo that spreads come on down to long beach island and help yourself to what's in my yard.

Dear Anita55,
Thank you so much for your great advice. I will check out the referred website and study more. Spreading was definitely our concern. For any reason, we still want to get one, I would like to contact you!
Cocoshim

I second the advice to avoid running bamboo. The PO's of our place planted it and it's out of control. It's also very difficult to get rid of once it's got a start. if you google "eradicating bamboo" you will find enough horror stories to convince you not to plant it. I'm in northwestern Jersey, but if you want to take a drive, you can have mine too:-)

Nora

Unless you plant it in a very large container you will be sorry. I have a fiberglass barrier 1 1/2 feet deep all around mine and it still finds a way to hop this into my neighbor yard . My other neighbor had a cement fish pond and his Bamboo went right though it . The worst part is the tangle of roots that you will need a saw to remove it . Rick

Bamboo grows very well in South Jersey. It make a wonderful barrier for screening. Unfortunately, the running kind will be, if not yours, someone's nightmare to contain.

I am in the process of putting in a barrier for my in-laws 40 year old stand. Last year scared them when the bamboo started running 8-12 feet towards their foundation. They tried to hire someone to do it - no luck. So I am the lucky one! Their neighbors all have some of the bamboo in their yard.

The roots are indescribable. Impossible to cut through with a shovel, and criss-cross so much it is very difficult to pull up.

It is possible to contain with mowing, but you need to be vigilant. And eventually the effort would fall on someone else.

I just planted 3 pots of Fargesia Rufa, a nice clumping bamboo to use as a screen. I paid about $55.00/pot for it.( I bought it at Amberg Perennial Farm, 2100 Lamberts Mill Road, Scotch Plains )

I have also seen it at Bamboo Headquarters and other places on the web.
I am hoping that it does well in my garden this year. Good luck to you.
Lori

Ps. It is also available here: http://d1027043.u38.infinology.net/gpage1.html7.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Bamboo Headquarters

My neighbor (not right next door, thank goodness) planted bamboo 30 years ago. Every owner since then has tried to eradicate it with no success. The current folks have it approaching their house and have hired someone with a backhoe to dig it out. It is still coming back. Don't even think about planting it.
Bobbi

According to the bamboo society web pages, you can eradicate it by cutting off all top growth, and then removing all subsequent top growth as it sprouts. This starves the plant. You have to be vigilant, and it takes 3-4 years -- there's a lot of starch stored in the rhizome. Since the whole stand is one plant, this only works if you remove *all* top growth, or if you sever the connections to the main stand. Of course, if the main stand is still alive, it will send out new runners and recolonize your area. I suspect the reason most people fail at this is lack of vigilance, or just giving up after a year or two. I have just done the first removal of top growth, as we only moved in about a month ago. The runners are headed for the foundation/crawl space, and I expect to see it coming up between the floor boards of the house in another year or so if nothing is done. And just to make my life really complete, this stand is intertwined with copious amounts of poison ivy. Well, at least I got it done while it was still cool. Tangling with this mess in long pants, sleeves and rubber gloves when it's over 80 would not be fun. Anyone want some really long plant stakes? :-) I'm planning tripods, trellises, obelisks, arbors...

I've heard that while removing all the top growth, you can also heavily fertilize, causing the starch in the roots to be exhausted quicker, but the process still several years.

Yes, fertilization after cutting back is part of the prescription. I may or may not get to it, but I expect to be doing shoot patrol for a while. At least the shoots are easy to cut, and now that the area is clear I won't be crawling through bamboo and PI to check for them.

www.littleacrebamboo.com
This guy was very helpful to my husband and I when we were looking into bamboo. He has a bamboo farm in Howell.

I have some bamboo I'm getting rid of in glassboro,are you still interested? nemerle@comcast.net

I recently purshased a Green Panda plant and will plant it soon.
I am looking for advice on getting it ready for its first winter.

To Ting in Glassboro or anyone else in South Jersey looking to get rid of Bamboo. I'm looking for Bamboo to cover a GOD awful white fence that my neighbor has. I'm willing to take whatever your willing to get rid of.

Carmel Nursery is a bamboo nursery on Irving avenue in the town of Carmel in Cumberland county that probably has what you are looking for... Bob.

Try Podocarpus. It's an Asian style plant and it's used as natural fencing-in California I saw it get as high as a house. It's apparently okay out here in NJ too because I saw it for sale at Brocks Garden Center in Colts Neck last summer. I would try to find it at a whole sale nursery first. It doesn't spread like bamboo. So far I've never seen a bamboo that didn't grow out of control. I knew a lady who's bamboo starting pricking up under her floor boards. I've seen people sue because their neighbor's bamboo encroaches into their acreage. My friend put it in concrete planters in front of her liv rm window and chutes started coming up ALL over her yard. THere's a house around here where the intention was to make a privacy fence on one side of the house and instead the entire side and front yard is now a bamboo forest.

I've been growing several species of Podocarpus in my garden. Unfortunately P. macrophyllus is not hardy in N.J. However, Cephalotaxus has a similar appearance and is hardy.

I live in South Jersey and if anyone would like to donate some bamboo from the garden let me know thanks

i'm looking for clumping bamboo for a privacy fence behind the house, neighbors are terrible. anyone in the mt. laurel area looking to get rid of?

I had a supposedly "clumping" bamboo at my old house. Someone tried to tell me there is no such thing, it may take several years but it will eventually run. Ten years later it did, it ran straight for the sun that was in my neighbor's yard! I would never plant bamboo again. There are so many other good plants for home gardens out there.

Clumping bamboos DO NOT run! If yours did, it was definitely not a clumping variety. I grow runners and clumpers, in different situations. The clumpers are at my property line with my neighbors--ones that I like. Every year I divide the clumpers at the roots and expand the length of the bamboo hedge along the property line. These Borinda and Fargesia species are in an area of part sun/part shade (cool enough for these species). The runners I have on the other hot, western side of the property at the edge of a forest. The bamboo won't grow into the shade of the forest and I do regular rhizome pruning on the other three sides. But you're right, there are other options for privacy screens and bamboo definitely isn't for everyone.

So what's the general consensus on the best clumping variety I could plant along a fence line, without having it grow into my neighbor's yard? I've really been wanting to get bamboo for my yard, but after some of these horror stories I don't know if I should. I appreciate any help.

"So what's the general consensus on the best clumping variety I could plant along a fence line..."

What is the sun/heat exposure? What hardiness zone are you in?

Aside from these important questions, I would say that in NJ, the species Fargesia rufa is most commonly sold and available.--Other varieties can be purchased on line for the serious collector.

But keep these points in mind:

1.) Fargesia are a mountain bamboo (like many of the cold hardy clumpers) and really resent excessive heat--especially at night. Mine are doing fine though in an eastern exposure with only dappled direct sun and shaded in the afternoon. (Another group of clumpers is tropical and our climate is too cold in winter for these.)

2.) Their clustered growth occurs at a slower rate than the runners. A living fence will take time to develop.--Especially in the first few years.

3.) They're not cheap.--I just divide the root mass of mine each season.

I am sure the horror stories you heard were about runners--perhaps sold as clumpers by some less than knowledgeable (or honest) growers. Good luck!

I know what I purchased and planted in my garden, clumping bamboo, which took ten years to run, but run it did!
I never divided the three I planted. If it was a true running bamboo it wouldn't have waited ten years to run!
I stand by my original statement, there are so many other plants well suited for the home garden.
The trouble and expense of removing it from my neighbor's yard and mine was a nightmare.

I bought a mcmansion in 04 that had magnificent landscaping, including running bamboo within 10 feet of a $100k pool. Nobody but nobody would even give us a quote to remove. I found out that chopping the shoot at ground level opens up a hollow path down into the root system. So we chopped everything down, and poured UNDILUTED bush killer directly into the stalks. After the first round (2 hours work on about 300 stalks) we had to spend - maybe - an hour a week on the contstant lookout for stray shoots. 7 years later, it's all gone and haven't seen a shoot in years. ONE WORD OF WARNING!!!!! When you cut the shoots at the ground level, they harden and will pierce through just about anything, including shoes, tennis shoes, tendons, muscle, etc. VERY VERY dangerous!!

What if I were to leave the bamboo in large containers (to prevent taking over) & split them every year. Do You think they would winter over?

You can plant Ravenna grass and get a screen (up to 12 feet high) that last all year until you cut it back in the spring , then it comes back again..it does a lot better in full sun. .bamboo is a headache and can be expensive. Yes, it can grow in pots. I had a plant indoors for 17 yrs untilo it died...reached the ceiling.
do the research on ravenna grass and see if it fits your soil, sun conditions, drainage, likes and dislikes etc.

Needing advice on a very small clumping variety of bamboo to plant for mainly the stalk use for trellises, plant support, etc.
Many thanks,
Amie

Running bamboo is often planted along property lines for it's ability to create a thick dense privacy hedge quickly. If not properly contained and maintained the bamboo can quickly spread to neighbors yards.

The best way to contain bamboo is a rhizome barrier. Depending on your soil conditions and the type of bamboo a rhizome barrier of proper height and thickness can be utilized to manage a grove of bamboo effectively with little effort.

Unfortunately most landscapers do not want to take the time or effort to dig trenches 2 to 3 feet down around the planting site and insert the barrier. This has led to a few local municipalities and towns putting ordinances on the planting and maintenance of bamboo.

When groves are left unmaintained for long periods of time the rhizomes and roots of the canes become tightly packed making it very difficult to remove. The best option in this case is to consult a professional that has knowledge of bamboo removal and containment.

Below is a professional service in New Jersey that deals with bamboo removals and maintenance. If things are out of control they should be able to help you out or point you in the right direction.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bamboo Removal Service