Running Bamboo

• The running bamboo has a rhizome that goes horizontally and then vertical to produce a culm. This features can make running bamboo invasive. A rhizome is a part of the stem of the plant that has roots. It is found underground. The culm is the hollow wood shoot that protrudes from the ground. Since the rhizome spreads out, it can take over a landscape. Running bamboo's would not be an ideal landscape backdrop, for most homeowners. A running bamboo can extend 2 to 3 feet each year, from the original plant. If you choose running bamboo in your landscape, it is very cold hearty and can be found as far north as Boston. Fishpole and yellow-groove bamboo are two species in this category.
  
  

Clumping Bamboo

• Clumping bamboo's rhizome is short and does not move. This means that the bamboo will stay in the place, in the landscape. This is an attractive feature for most home owners because the bamboo will not spread and take over their landscape. Clump bamboos are tropical species and are not as cold hardy as a running bamboo. If you plant a clumping bamboo, you need to live in the Southern U.S. Hawaiian striped and dwarf Bhudda belly are two types of clumping bamboo.
  
  

Bamboo as Hedges

• Use bamboo to create a hedge in your backyard. The bamboo can grow to tall heights in a short period of time. Tall bamboo hedge rows also help break the wind in your yard. Giant timber bamboo is one species that makes a good screen. It has 5-inch-diameter canes, is cold hardy to 15 degrees Fahrenheit and grows up to 55 feet tall. Oriental hedge bamboo is another species that forms good hedges. It clumps, but the canes base has new canes that come out and this allows the bush to spread out and makes it an ideal hedge row bamboo.
  
  

Care of Your Bamboo

• If you have bamboo in your landscape, you need to know how to take care of it. Bamboo plants are sensitive to drought. They need 1 inch of water every 10 days. Soak the soil all around the bamboo. If you have a heavy rain do not water the bamboo for 10 days. Hand pull weeds around the bamboo. Garden tools, like a trowel, can damage rhizomes that grow near the surface. Use lawn fertilizer around the plant, at a rate of 2 1/2 lb. per 100 square feet. Spread mulch at least 3 inches deep around the plant. It helps the bamboo keep water and stops weeds. Prune your bamboo twice a year. Let the plants grow close to its full height, then you can prune them to the height you wish.