Kitchen Garden Forum

Please can someone advise me? I want to plant a large bamboo to grow at the end of my large garden to screen the road and to cut for bamboo canes a bit bigger than the spindly ones bought at the garden centre. We are nr Toulouse in SW france on sl acidic heavy clay, lots of rain in winter, droughts in summer. Bamboo does seem to grow well around here, opposit our previous rented house there was a clump about 20-30feet tall and spreading 10 feet or so which the owner let me cut, no idea of the varieties. If someone could advise me I would be really happy as I'm not getting far looking on the Net or the local garden centers or on-line French suppliers, just going round in circles!

Can't you dig a bit of the root of that one out.

Or if you are over in England before long, you can dig up some of mine. It thrives on heavy clay.

I hate to think what Ryanair would charge for bamboo hold luggage! We don;t drive to UK as too far to drive with back problems. Thanks for the offer though

It's well tough stuff - Berloiz - post someone that answered your home address & the roots will make it - even with out postal system!

Westi

darkbrowneggs wrote:Can't you dig a bit of the root of that one out.

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Its gone, a new house was built there

Also posting from UK to france would be pretty expensive!

OK Have you thought of Jeruselum Artichokes as a wind break / barrier?? You get a pretty flower & very easy to grow - & you've got a crop as well!

Westi

Westi wrote:OK Have you thought of Jeruselum Artichokes as a wind break / barrier?? You get a pretty flower & very easy to grow - & you've got a crop as well!

Westi

I have got some but don't much like eating them! They are no match for the hurrican force Vent'dAutan winds we get here, put a 14ft trampoline in an oak tree 3 years ago and picked up my husband (trying to stop trampoline blowing into the road) and blew him into a deep drainage ditch

Oh - was the wind produced from the artichokes then???

Westi

Westi wrote:Oh - was the wind produced from the artichokes then???

Westi

Good one!

Hi Berlioz, guess you know what you're taking on, having seen it growing near your previous place.

We planted a couple of patches in our back garden (different climate to yours). One was so invasive it multiplied, spreading under our lawn and coming up through the paved patio. I tried to dig out what was in the border, but some of it remained and appeared in the grounds of the church next door. I live in dread of it poking up through some of the graves there..

The other is less aggressive, but we still cut down a good crop last year and have around 20 canes drying off, ready to be used for smaller plants. Sorry, but I can't tell you the variety, but why not visit your old French neighbour and see if they will let you dig out a couple of clumps? In a few years you will have more than you will ever need.

There is a new house built there now and the bamboo is gone (or possibly biding its time before coming up through their new kitchen floor!

Space isn't an issue we have about 2 hectars which includes a field we only use for walking our dogs and cuting hay each year. Having said that I want to plant varieties that won't go totally mad!