All fargesias are clumping bamboos and can be planted in the ground without concern. They grow just like most other ornamental grasses, gradually increasing in width. But any kind of bamboo can be restricted by growing it in a container - clumpers OR runners! And it makes excellent privacy screening.

Most folks making wild claims about bamboo - any bamboo - are just not the slightest bit familiar with all the types and growth habits. It is not a plague on the earth if you know what you are dealing with :-)

ETA: Fargesias are very cold hardy as well.

The Fargesia selections are quite nice, cold hardy, evergreen clumping bamboos. You need to think of them as a large shrub or a medium sized evergreen tree and give them the space they need in the landscape like any other plant of that size.

But I am confused about where you want put this privacy screen, planted in the ground outside the patio railing or on the patio inside the railing? If it is on the patio, you don't need 8 to 10 feet.

From the existing landscape I see in the background, they won't do any good planted down there. Where do you want to put them?

Christopher, Thanks for the feedback. Planning to put them in containers inside the black railing. So it would be on the patio.

I am trying to understand why we dont we need 8 ft - The houses in the back can see all the way into the house (I think).

Any other shrubs or plants that can help?

Thanks so much!

Sometimes people over-estimate the need for privacy :-) Can you see all the way into the neighboring houses? Chances are very good that if you cannot see clearly into theirs, they cannot see clearly into yours either. And there are such things as window coverings :-)

Container plantings can help to provide a sense of privacy as well as be a very decorative accent to the deck/patio. But they do not need to be massively tall. Because of the angle, something around 4' tall (including the container) would screen the neighbors from view and hide a lot of the railing, providing a softer, greener appearance.

And there are any number of plants, including broadleaved evergreen shrubs, that could work.

Unless you have pots of substantial weight, anything 8 to 10 feet tall is going to blow right over in the first strong wind. Bamboo would act just like a sail. That patio looks to be second story, even more exposed to wind.

My eye says you only need 3 feet above the railing to screen the two houses in that view. That makes 6 feet. Send somebody out there with a stick, or a body and a tape measure and check the height you need from where people will be using/sitting in the space.

It's the people with the binoculars, telescopes and cameras you have to worry about.

Thank you both for nudging me to think a bit more :). Wind will be an issue. The railings are 4 feet from the base.

Unless you are in a hurricane area, I doubt wind will be much of an issue :-) Where I live I am exposed to maritime winds, sometimes very high winds, and I have yet to have any container plantings blow over. And I grow a lot of stuff in containers, some of it quite tall and dense. In a reasonably sized container for the plant with the weight of the damp potting soil, they do not become overly top heavy nor prone to "sailing" :-)

I have neighbors on the beach with an exposed screen of containerized bamboo that is perfectly stable.......even with the best that our fall and winter windstorms can throw at them!

A lot of plant nurseries I have been in would love to hear wind isn't an issue for potted plants. Maybe you have more faith that people will use a big enough and heavy enough pot to keep the plant attached to the ground. I don't. At a certain point you have to ask how much weight can this patio support? The tile is deceiving, but this is not a ground level deck. I see a spiral staircase? Maybe I'm thinking hedge when it will really only need a few pots.

This might be a situation where a pergola over the patio would go a long way to creating a sense of privacy and the posts and beams of that could be used to hang actual drapes.

Thanks Kudzu9 for an elaborate trick.

1)When we repot (after 5 years) are we cutting any roots off- or just taking from one plastic container and moving into another?

2)Wouldn't the roots come through the plastic utility pot within 5 years?

The bamboo roots don't need any loosening or removal when you re-pot; in fact, it's best to not disturb them any more than you have to. Just cut the root ball in half with a saw and you're good.

As far as roots coming through the drainage holes, I haven't seen that to be a problem with a clumper, like a Fargesia, because the root ball stays compact and doesn't send out runners; it just gets a bit bigger in diameter each year. It will happen with a running bamboo, but so what? You can just chop them off when you see them. It's not like they are going on an overnight rampage when the pot is sitting on a deck. ;-)

One other observation: running bamboo size up quite a lot in a few years, but clumping bamboo don't grow as quickly in height, so buy a clumper that is tall enough to give you the screening you want now. Also check on what the mature height is supposed to be as all bamboo top out at a size particular to their species. There are several kinds of Fargesia and one I put in the ground 15 years ago is only as tall as I am. It has gotten quite to be a good diameter, but it's done growing taller.

May I ask what trees you already have growing there? I’d sure like to add privacy screen between our yard and the jack o lantern orange house behind us. Our property sits several feet higher so the 6 ft fence between provides no screen at all. Any good evergreen candidates that top out around 30 ft?

I’d like to add that I also, am in the rainy PNW.

Jj J-

Thuja is popular because it is fast-growing, inexpensive, upright, drought-tolerant and can be trimmed once a year if you want to shape it. It can grow up to 5' per year under the right conditions.

I'm in the PNW, too and my neighbor planted a Thuja hedge that provides excellent screening for both of us.

Cryptomeria and Green giants. I live in South East though.

"A lot of plant nurseries I have been in would love to hear wind isn't an issue for potted plants. "

Having worked in the nursery industry for the last 25 years or so, I am pretty cognizant of what is inclined to blow over in a windstorm :-) And it's the plants with some height that are in smallish nursery cans - anything in the smooth sided black plastic pots from 5-15 or so gallons. Very likely too small a container for their size and too fast to dry out. Anything larger than that is too bottom heavy due to root mass and damp soil.

If wind was that big a deal, you gotta wonder how all those in coastal areas - like me - manage to grow tall container plantings without constant blow overs. Or those with rooftop decks.

"what is inclined to blow over in a windstorm :-) And it's the plants with some height that are in smallish nursery cans" Exactly, hence my warning to the OP that needs to be taken into consideration.

And I clearly stated early on that if "in a reasonably sized container for the plant with the weight of the damp potting soil, they do not become overly top heavy nor prone to "sailing". Few people are going to leave any containerized plant for their deck in just a too small and unappealing black plastic nursery pot - pot-in-pot using a decorative container, planted directly into a larger decorative container or often in the case of bamboo screening, a long wooden planter or galvanized metal stock tank. I have designed similar layouts countless times with no wind issues at all.

As I did at the very beginning as well, "Unless you have pots of substantial weight, anything 8 to 10 feet tall is going to blow right over in the first strong wind."

True, few people will leave the plant in the nursery can on the deck, but when the right sized and weight, probably ceramic pots needed start at $100 each, pretty plastic pots from the Big Box start to look more attractive.

I am not trying to say he can't have potted plants on the deck cause wind. Time to let this false disagreement go.

gardengal- I agree with your observations. I also agree that many people plant bamboo in wooden planters and galvanized stock tanks, and I have to say it looks good...until re-potting time. I realize you are not recommending this practice, but since you mentioned it I want to circle back to my earlier observations, and point out that these are also not good containers for the long run. Once the root balls have matured you've got to destroy the container to get the plant out. Digging bamboo out of the ground where you have room to chop and pry the dense, woody roots is a big enough challenge, so trying to dig it out of a container is well nigh impossible. The only large container that I've seen that can work well for bamboo is a wooden one with removable sides.

I once tried to help a friend get a bamboo out of a half whisky barrel and we finally had to knock off the iron bands and pry off the barrel staves to get at the root ball. Another friend dug a hole, put a very large, steel container in the ground and planted his bamboo in that. It worked perfectly to prevent the bamboo from spreading, but the plant started to look bad after about 5 years when it got fully rootbound. It finally died, and now he has a container that probably weighs 300-400 pounds sunk in the ground and he can't get the remains of the plant out, or get the whole thing out of the ground because of the weight.

I will say that some strategically placed, decorative pots of tallish bamboo on the patio could look quite lovely and give you the kind of screening you want. Kudzu9 has explained the perfect way to grow them as potted plants. One caution, growing them as potted plants means you may have to cough up a zone or two of cold hardiness. I wouldn't worry much in your zone 7 or 8 unless a polar vortex came through.

Maybe kudzu9 can comment on that or even offer some bamboos other than Fargesia to consider.

Now it is time to go shopping for pots. What size, color, shape, material that works with the architecture and style of the house.

Assuming the pots can't be placed in a sheltered spot for the winter, there is a massive difference between 7a and 8a.

And I don't care how many times people claim bamboo is 'cold hardy', in my world it is one of the tenderer plants people grow with reasonable success. Temperatures much below zero usually kill it back to the ground, and it takes a couple of years to regrow. A series of winters like we had in the early '90's, and it will all be toast.

Phyllostachys is generally considered hardier than Fargesia, but is considerably more aggressive. I've seen it break plastic pots at nurseries.

At some point, depending on the actual zone, something like miscanthus may be a better choice simply because it is hardier.

mad_gallica-

You raise a good point about what happens in the winter. Here is a useful chart showing cold hardiness of some of the species being discussed here: http://bamboogarden.com/cold%20hardy%20bamboo.html

I will point out for the benefit of others that cold hardiness refers to the lowest temperature at which a plant's roots can survive; but damage to the culms and defoliation typically can occur at temperatures that can be 10-20 F higher. Here is a photo of a not-entirely-happy Fargesia nitida in Utah in a Zone 7A climate during winter:

Lastly, I'll observe that plants exposed on windy balconies can become wind burned, especially during cold winter weather.

As can be seen on the table linked to above no familiar cultivated Phyllostachys is hardier than the hardiest cultivated species of Fargesia.

Thank you all for your opinions.

We have been suggested Bissetti by the Nursery ..... Their planters are 4' long. You could fit 4-5 planters in this space based on length. In a planter, the Bissetii will not reach that maximum height which is 40 feet.

In Fargesia they offer the Nitida and the Rufa.

Kudzu9 - If we go with Bamboo planters sold by these nurseries, you would suggest plastic utility pot sitting inside planter and poke holes in them? Planter already has holes in them.

Container link/picture

I am assuming this container does not have potential to sail!

That corten steel planter won't sail away. I won't vouch for the bamboo to remain standing without knowing all the particulars, more so since you are now looking at a bigger, taller, running species. I do have reservations about the narrow 14 inch width of the planter. Does that come in a 20 inch wide model?

At this point you need to coordinate with the nursery selling you the bamboo on the dimensions of your steel container they will sit in and the dimensions of the pot they are selling it in. You can't downsize from the pot it is sold in.

And how to take care of the bamboo as a potted plant. Once it leaves the nursery you are responsible for keeping it alive.

Russ-

Those are terrific-looking containers and Lewis Bamboo is an outfit I've done business with and trust. My only concern is that the containers are 14" wide, and with that lip inside the opening is about 12", so your pots will be limited to that diameter (although you can fudge that a little by cutting the lip off a utility pot so you can have a slightly larger diameter pot sitting in there). Having said that, it will work, but you will have to re-pot more frequently because you won't have as big a diameter pot as you would with a bigger container, and the growth of the bamboo may be slower in "smaller" pots. An alternative, if you're handy, is to build nice wooden boxes that have no bottoms and simply serve to screen the pots. I've built some out of cedar with 4X4 corner posts, and they look nicely decorative. The advantage is that you can custom make them to whatever width works best to allow use of a larger pot.

As far as drainage holes, you need them in the pot even if the container has holes or an open bottom. This will make the bamboo happiest as they can drain freely.

Thank you all. Your help is much appreciated.

Based on your recommendations, I will go custom.

1) What are the best dimensions (width x htx len) for the pots?

2) Whats the best way to catch the over watering /drainage in the bottom? I don't want the patio to be accumulating water and dirt for long periods of time

I have patio which runs about 16 ft including a gate that is about 2 foot.

This is from Bambooworld. It has feature to prune the roots. Also they are suggesting a bamboo barrier ....this line up with Kudzu9's strategy. Thoughts?

Container

I am almost there. Thanks for your help.

Either one of those cedar boxes is better size wise. Which one you use depends on whether you want to place individual plants or a row of them. Since we are spending your money, I'd still like to find those sizes in the corten steel planters.

Next choose the largest black plastic nursery pot that will fit inside without the top showing. They come in all kind sizes and with drain holes so no need to worry about that. Again, coordinate with the nursey you are buying the bamboo from on the pot size they are selling it in. If needed and a good thing to do up front, ask them to pot the bamboo up to a larger pot size that fits in the planter for you.

The bamboo root barrier is not necessary since you will be growing them in the black plastic nursery pots. To keep water and dirt off the deck, staple a liner of the thickest construction grade plastic you can buy in the bottom of the cedar box. This will hold water (make mosquitoes) and help you know if you are by chance overwatering.

Certainly not planning to breed mosquitoes:). Will think through it.

Lest you think I am some bamboo wind freak, I filled this large ceramic pot with cut canes of a Phyllostachys bamboo . No roots, no pot, just the canes, all the leaves were removed and yes, the bottles on top. The wind promptly blew the whole thing over. Fortunately the pot didn't break. I do live in a place where gale force winds are a regular occurrence. I had to fill the pot with gravel to stop it from blowing over.

It had more canes and bottles at the time. Eventually the canes rot and will snap off in the wind. It is definitely ready to be refreshed. I can go 'down by the river' where this Phyllostachys bamboo covers several acres of ground and harvest new canes. It looks really sharp when the canes are fresh and green and it takes many months for them to dry to brown.

When you say bamboo to me, I think BAMBOO, not some wimpy fresh from the nursery starter plant. Those however will be perfectly fine for your needs.

Russ-

My thoughts on your latest questions...

For what you are doing, a utility pot of at least 15 gallons would be good. They come in different dimensions (length vs. height combinations), but a standard one might be about 16-18" in diameter by about 16"+ high. Something this size will allow for the screening density you want, prevent having to re-pot frequently, and will be completely stable in the wind.

It sounds like the boxes in that Bamboo World link you provided have a bottom with drainage holes, but the bottom is supported off the ground. If I were using those, I would simply place the pots inside the box, and skip the bamboo barrier as unnecessary since the rhizomes would be contained in the pots and any that escaped through drainage holes could be easily pruned. And if you plant clumping bamboo you would not really have to worry about rhizomes escaping, anyway.

I would make a wooden X support to place under each pot so it is not sitting directly on the wood bottom as that will preserve the bottom longer, and you can make the X of a dimension that raises the top of the pot to whatever level you want in comparison to the planter. You're not likely to get much, if any, dirt falling out of the bottom of the container, and that can be hosed off the patio since you've got clearance. You will have some water on the patio, but that will be minimal once you learn how much to water them at a time (and I presume there is a slight slope to the patio to help drainage when it rains?).