Bambusare fascinating plants which, despite their exotic origin, can also be successfully grown in Polish gardens. Thanks to them, our garden will take on an increasingly fashionable oriental atmosphere. Thegarden bambooare various species andvarieties of frost-resistant bambooswhich, with proper (and simple) care, can survive our winters. See whatgrowing bamboo in the garden looks likeand learn about the best varieties of frost-resistant bamboos.
Phyllostachys nigra 'Boryana' garden bamboo has characteristic spots on the stems, which color when exposed to the sun
Garden bamboo - species and varieties
Bamboosbelong to the grass family. Characteristic for them is that the diameter of the stalks does not increase with aging, i.e. when they start to grow out of the ground like asparagus from April to June, they already have their final thickness. Only after reaching the maximum height for a given shoot, it stops growing upwards and begins to spread smaller stems and put out leaves.
Within bamboos you can find a wide range of species and varieties that differ in the maximum height they can reach - from 30 cm uground cover bamboos , 2-3 m u clump bamboos , up to 6 m uwoody bamboosAmong bamboos we can distinguish two main groups, i.e. Farges (clump bamboos with non-aggressive roots) and Phyllostachys (with expansive roots and stalks much thicker than Fargesie). Forwoody bamboosit is recommended to use a root barrier made of HDPE foil.Thanks to this, bamboo will only grow in the place we have planned for it.
Garden bamboosget a special character thanks to stems of different colors, such as yellow (Phyllostachys aureosulcata 'Aureocaulis'), green (Phyllostachys bissetii), red (Fargesia jiuzhaigou 1), black (Phyllostachys nigra ), stripes (Phyllostachys aureosulcata 'Spectabilis') and spots (Phyllostachys nigra 'Boryana'), which can also be stained by the sun.
Phyllostachys aureosulcata 'Spectabiliso' with stems with green stripes, is another interesting variety of frost-resistant garden bamboo
Bamboo leaves in various shades of green give an oriental character, depending on the species they can be decorated with stripes (eg Pleioblastus fortunei 'Variegata' or Pleioblastus viridistriatus). Moreover, thanks to the dense foliage, the higher-growing species are eagerly used as hedges and viewing screens.On the other hand, suchgarden bamboossuch as Fargesia scabrida 'Asian Wonder' or Fargesia robusta 'Campbell' or 'Pingwu' are enhanced by decorative covers of young stalks.
Frost-resistant bamboo Phyllostachys bissetii grown in the ground
garden bamboo - cultivation
Bamboo trimming
Bamboos in the gardentolerate pruning very well, it is recommended that they be X-rayed every year, i.e. cutting old and dry stems. Overexposure also stimulates the growth of new stems. A bamboo stalk lives an average of 7-9 years. However, bamboo is a long-lived plant - 1,000 years old specimens are said to grow in China. It rarely happens that bamboos bloom (e.g. every 60, 90 or 120 years), then after flowering they usually die. It turned out to be incorrect to suppose that a givenbamboo speciesblooms for one year all over the world.The flowering period is 10-20 years. Currently, there are rather apparent flowering, after which the plants do not die.Bamboos grownbloom extremely rarely in Europe.
Garden bamboo - use in the garden
Frost-resistant garden bamboosare eagerly used in the arrangement of Japanese-style gardens. They look beautiful in the company of palm maples or over ponds, especially when they can 'look at' in them. They can grow both individually and in groups, creating a kind of mini-forests. They are also perfect as a background for other plants. You can form them as bonsai. They also look great when planted in pots, but then they should be wintered in a frost-free room. Increasingly, they are used as the so-called portable greenery, for example at various fairs or exhibitions.
Same species of bamboo grown in a pot
Bamboos remain evergreen during milder winters, only shedding some leaves in spring to make room for new ones. Thanks to this, they are an interesting element in any garden.
Garden bamboo - growing position
In order forgarden bambooto grow well, it should be planted in appropriate positions. As a rule, Phyllostachys feel best in very sunny places, but they can also be planted in partial shade. Fargesia prefer semi-shaded and shaded places, although a suitable variety can also be found for a sunny place (eg Fargesia rufa).Bamboo growing siteshould be as sheltered as possible from the wind so as not to harm the plants in winter. The right land is also important. It should be fertile and well-drained at the same time, because too much moisture is deadly for bamboos. After planting the bamboo, it is worth mulching the ground around it, it is also best not to scoop up fallen leaves, because after unfolding they provide the bamboo with important nutrients.
How to water bamboos?
Bamboos do not like the drying of the root ball , so they should be watered regularly. Many bamboos curl their leaves to prevent excessive water evaporation on hot days, which is often confused with the need to water them, so it's always worth checking if it's necessary. Then we will enjoy the beautiful plant for a long time.
Sylwia Hennekwww.oaza-palmy.pl
