Privacy screen

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Rtrw
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Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2016 2:03 am
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Location: San Diego, CA, usa

Privacy screen

Post by Rtrw »

Hello all! I am fairly new to gardening in general and definitely new to bamboo. I am in Scripps ranch which is a suburb of san Diego CA. Our zone is 10a to 10b depending who you ask.

I am looking for a tropical looking plant to use as a privacy screen. It would be full sun and I would like a minimum height of 15'. Ideally 15-25' but taller is ok. I need to screen about 75-80' along the back of my property against a wrought iron fence.

A local nursery recommend golden bamboo...Phyllostachys aurea I believe. I understand this to be of the clumping variety. The salesman said not to worry about it becoming invasive, and that it was relatively easy to manage.

I guess my questions are regarding this invasive aspect of the plant. Do I need to be concerned with it coming up 10-15' from the mother plant? Will it be destructive to the iron fence behind it? How far need it be from concrete hard scape and my pool? How bad is the maintenance? I do enjoy yard work so some work would be ok.

Please any info or advice is appreciated...the internet is full of some pretty wild stories and I would love to get some info from someone with experience with this plant.

Also...if the golden bamboo is not a good choice for my situation please feel free to recommend any tropical looking plant that would make a good (affordable) alternative.
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needmore
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Location: Kea'au, HI

Re: Privacy screen

Post by needmore »

In your area you can choose from hundreds of species, and personally I would not select Phy aurea. It would work but it is a spreading species and the only reason I can think of someone recommending that species is that they must have lots of it and it must be cheap so you'd get a screen quickly for the least money. It would spread and you'd have to deal with that forever and after being confined for a few years it will start to look junky.

Bamboo screens come down to economics versus patience. To have a screen faster you need more plants to start with and that means more $$. If I were you I would look only at tropical clumping species and select the one that my eyes like the best as you'll have to look at it for a long time.

Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonse Karr' is quite common in CA nurseries so it tends to be cheaper and easy to find, it would make a nice screen and is attractive but it also tends to have sooty mold on nearly every plant. This condition is apparent at the point where the branches meet the main culm, you'll see black moldy stuff built up at that point and it can be unattractive.

Less common but you can find Bambusa ventricosa 'Kimmei', Bambusa oldhamii and Bambusa textilis forms. All meet your screen needs and for me are more attractive options. All of the bambusa are clumping forms, ideally you'd want to plant them 4'-6' away from the fence and the pool decking so they have room to grow w/o being right up against them, less space will work but is less ideal. I would look for 5 gallon pots or larger and they tend to run $45 - $65 each in the Sac area. I'd space them 10' apart and be patient for them to fill in! Impatient I'd shoot for 6' spacing. So you'll need between 8-15 plants depending upon spacing.
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
http://www.needmorebamboo.com
Gerryo619
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Location: San Diego CA

Re: Privacy screen

Post by Gerryo619 »

I'm also in San Diego. I agree with the Alfonse Karr. I have several in large pots and although after 2 years they are looking nice. The black sooty mold has been a constant battle. I highly recommend you visit Chris in Vista. He runs a bamboo nursery that amazing! He has all kinds of varieties that obviously work in the SD climate. And he has very fair prices. Since i don't want to post his # on here just to go Craigslist and search "clumping bamboo" you'll find a few places but he is the one in Vista.
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needmore
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Re: Privacy screen

Post by needmore »

Looks like Chris in Vista is the guy to see, good selection, the plants look healthy in the photos and good prices. Someone there also has Oldhamii for $35 5 gal.
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
http://www.needmorebamboo.com
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