Black Bamboo

[mancmum]

Am a total gardening novice and want to use some black babboo to grow a 'hedge' or shield between me and my neighbours as we have raised decks and need some privacy... can I use it to do this -- do I have to buy a plant for every 10 cm as I imagine it just grows up or does it grow along as well? Sorry for daft questions as I new to this and just love the look of it!!

This stuff is brilliant (black bamboo - nigra)and it will thicken. It grows but throwing up great big brown canes from the ground, like spears, that then suddenly unfold. The main thing you have to do is water them constantly every night as they like a wet ground. We had some in our old house and watered them and they literally grew up in the Summer overnight. However, the ones we have here are in dry soil and we have not watered them for two years and they have hardly grown, and the shoots they throw up are really weedy. So excellent if you can set up an irrigation system or are prepared to put the hose on often.

A plant every 10cm sounds too close to me, I would say one every 40/50cm would be enough, even further apart if you're prepared to wait a couple of years for a full shield. Also is there a natural boundary to where you want to grow it, some gardening books recommend planting bamboo in large plastic containers sunk into the ground so stop it spreading too much.

great -- thanks for advice... now off to buy some!!