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Bamboo

 by Sam Adams

3 Mistakes To Avoid When Buying Bamboo Plants

Bamboo is becoming increasingly popular in home and garden landscapes across Australia. Its fast growth and versatile applications make it an attractive option for fencing, landscaping and indoor decor. However, before buying bamboo it’s important to avoid some common mistakes. As a leading bamboo supplier based in Melbourne, Red Cloud Bamboo wants to help future customers choose the right variety suited to their needs and location. This article will outline three critical mistakes to watch out for.

1- Matching Bamboo Varieties with Local Climatic Conditions

One of the most important things to consider when you buy bamboo is whether your yard’s climate matches the plant’s natural growing conditions. 

Bamboo grows best when the temperature and moisture are just right. Most kinds of bamboo prefer warm weather, with summer highs between 20-30 degrees Celsius. They also like mild winters that don’t drop below freezing. Some hardier bamboo can withstand short bursts down to -10 degrees.

Tropical bamboo needs constant warmth year-round, with temperatures between 15-30 degrees year-round. Full sun is fine for many types, while others do better with partial shade. Good drainage is a must to prevent root rot. But bamboo also needs regular watering, especially in hot or windy spots where the soil dries out fast.

By understanding a bamboo’s ideal climate, you can choose varieties that will thrive in your yard long-term without any struggling. We’re here to help match your yard’s conditions to the perfect performing bamboo for your landscape. With the right choice, you’ll enjoy your beautiful bamboo garden for many years to come.

2- Underestimating Bamboo’s Ability to Spread

Another common mistake made involves misjudging just how quickly and widely some bamboo can spread. While many see bamboo as an attractive, privacy-providing garden plant, some varieties are notably aggressive spreaders. Within only a few growing seasons, they may colonise far beyond intended spaces.

This makes certain running and rhizome-spreading bamboo less suited for domestic landscapes with limited space. Clumping varieties, on the other hand, send up canes in tight clusters from an anchored root system. These send out less underground runners and pose less risk of becoming unwieldy weeds.

Containing bamboo also needs considering if planting where plant movement may impact neighbours or infrastructure like fences and drains. Container cultivation or above-ground planters provide nice design options for keeping errant spread under control, especially with invasive spreaders.

When buying bamboo, it pays to learn its natural growth habits and choose clumping or contained styles respectful of property lines. You can check our guide on how to grow bamboo in pots.

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3- Don’t Buy Bamboo Seeds

While seeds present challenges, we understand some gardeners may still wish to try propagating bamboo themselves. Rather than wasting precious time and resources on a game of chance with seeds, it’s far better to purchase established nursery plants if you want results sooner rather than later.

Bamboo seeds require ultra-specific environmental conditions to break dormancy, sprout and survive – replicating their natural tropical or temperate habitat cues is extremely difficult even for experts. Suppliers like to provide vigorously clumping bamboo or potted culms ready to start growing within your first season of planting.

So if homeowners don’t want to buy a potential bushel of Bamboo bother, avoid the risk and rely on proven local nursery sources. For those still interested in hands-on propagation, we provide a free guide on growing bamboo from culm cuttings. Our guide walks through collection, preparation and planting techniques step-by-step to help ensure the highest chances of success for enthusiastic DIY cultivators.

Where Can I Buy Bamboo?

When seeking top-quality bamboo for your landscape project, Red Cloud Bamboo is the local bamboo nursery in Melbourne to trust. For over a decade we’ve helped homeowners across Australia launch thriving bamboo gardens.

Whether for privacy, accent features or naturalised groves, we’ll ensure the right species-size match. Convenient online shopping and expert guidance makes sourcing from Red Cloud Bamboo simple and satisfying.

Contact us today at 0418 552 170 or fill out our form for your personalised bamboo recommendations. Place your order and allow our team of horticulturists to deliver the thriving bamboo garden of your dreams.

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 by Sam Adams

How To Revive a Bamboo Plant in Australia

Bamboo is a versatile plant that can grace gardens across Australia with its elegant structure and hardy nature. However, even the sturdiest of bamboos may struggle during unfavourable conditions.

If your bamboo plant or tree seems less vibrant than usual, there is still hope to revive it through some attentive care. This guide will walk you through the key steps to save a bamboo plants from declining health and revitalise its growth, including good quality water, fertilising, lighting conditions, pruning and addressing any pests.

Here is How To Save a Bamboo Plant From Dying:

  • Watering bamboo with quality water

Water is one of the most crucial factors for reviving a struggling bamboo plant. As with all plants, bamboo relies on water for hydration, nutrient transport and essential metabolic processes. Keeping the soil consistently moist provides bamboo with a constant supply of this vital resource. However, it’s not just the quantity of water that matters – the quality is equally important.

Bamboo has preferences when it comes to water pH and purity. It thrives in slightly acidic conditions between pH 5.5 to 6. This range assists with optimal nutrient uptake. Water that is free from build-up salts, chemicals or minerals prevents toxicity issues that can further stress bamboo. Maintaining the right watering habits, with clean water at the right frequency, is key to reinvigorating a drooping plant by replenishing moisture at a cellular level. Getting the H20 right lays the foundation for bamboo’s road to revival.

  • Try fertilizing the bamboo soil

Just as we need a balanced diet for our own health and wellbeing, bamboo depends on essential nutrients to recover its vigour. Falling foliage or a lack of new growth could indicate a bamboo is nutrient deficient. Targeted fertilising during the active spring and summer season is thus integral to reviving such a plant.

A nitrogen-rich organic or artificial fertiliser applied monthly will energise new shoot development. Potassium supplements help strengthen bamboo’s sturdy stalks and leaves. For prolonged nourishment, incorporate time-release fertiliser balls surrounding the base. Should a soil test point to any shortfalls, a tailored feeding plan can remedy specific deficiencies. By feeding its needs, gardeners aid bamboo in bouncing back to full luxuriance through an improved fertiliser regime.

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  • Adjust bamboo’s lighting conditions

Like us, plants need doses of sunlight to thrive. Insufficient light could partially explain a bamboo’s decline. These graceful grasses thrive best in positions receiving full sun for at least six hours daily. However, shelter from the harshest midday rays may suit more delicate varieties. Reviving bamboo in shaded spots involves gradually increasing direct exposure, such as by selective pruning.

Overcast or indoor conditions warrant artificial assistance. A grow light positioned nearby for half a day mimics the sun’s nourishing wavelengths. Monitoring for signs of stress and adjusting as needed helps bamboos optimally photosynthesize once more. With light treatment alongside water and nutrients, gardeners empower bamboo’s natural revival process.

  • Pruning helps revive bamboo

Pruning bamboo plays a huge role in it’s bounce back by shaping its form. Dead, diseased, or overly congested growth gets removed through selective trimming. This lets sufficient sunlight and airflow circulate within the plant. Specific pruning practices suit different species’ habits. Clumping varieties may need culms (stems) cut back yearly, while runners get old canes removed to maintain playing field-like ground cover.

Summer is typically a safe time. Tools must be sterilised between each cut to avoid fungus spread. Strategic post-pruning applications like fertiliser or compost topper reinvigorate new follower growth. With a little gentle shaping, gardeners give bamboos the chance to re-establish full, lush decorative frames once more.

  • Check your bamboo for pests

No plant is pest proof, but diligent scouting helps revive bamboo by nipping issues early. Check for signs like yellow flagging canes or leaf chewers. Common culprits are snails, aphids and borers tunnelling stalks from within. At the first invader notice, targeted remedies stop further damage.

Neem oil or insecticidal soap safely squelches external suckers. For borers, carefully isolating and destroying infected culms limits spread. Keeping surroundings tidy also removes alternative pest hosts or entry points near bamboo. With revitalised defences and your attentive pest patrol, these graceful grasses gain their best chance to make a full recovery again under your gardening care.

Conclusion

By following these expert revival techniques, struggling bamboos under your care now have every opportunity to make a full recovery.

Red Cloud Bamboo is committed to supplying not only the hardiest varieties but also guidance on their comprehensive needs through every season and stage. Should you require any additional planting, care, or maintenance advice specific to your bamboo population, contact us today at 0418 552 170 to explore the possibilities. Or check out our blog for more information about bamboo. Let’s embrace the resilience and beauty of bamboo together.

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How Fast Does Bamboo Grow. By Red Cloud Bamboo in Melbourne
 by Sam Adams

How Fast Does Bamboo Grow?

Bamboo is one of nature’s fastest growing plants on the planet and a sustainable building material.

This article will discuss bamboo’s remarkable growth rates and the factors that influence how swiftly it can multiply. Understanding bamboo’s growth patterns is crucial for landscapers and homeowners using this renewable resource. 

We’ll explain the variations bamboo exhibits throughout the seasons and over years, as well as address important considerations like soil, sunlight and precipitation that impact growth. By the end, you’ll have a strong understanding of what drives bamboo’s rapid reproduction and why it’s such an ideal plant. 

Bamboo Growth in Summer

In the warm summer months, bamboo thrives with its rapid vertical growth above ground. Many species are capable of growing over 1 foot per day during this period, outpacing nearly all other plants.

The hotter summer temperatures provide ideal growing conditions for bamboo to maximize its photosynthesis and multiply extensively. Clumping varieties will send up thick, green canes vigorously towards the sun while running bamboos spread their rhizomes and elongate stalks quickly.

The moisture and rainfall of summer also support bamboo’s ability to establish an extensive root base for future multiplication. This furious growth spurt during the Australia summer helps bamboo naturally spread to form dense thickets and groves within a single growing season. 

Bamboo Growth in Winter

In contrast to summer, bamboo slows its vertical expansion during the colder winter months in Australia.

While growth is less pronounced above ground, bamboo continues developing an extensive underground network of rhizomes below the frost line. During this period, bamboo allocates more resources to strengthen its root base in preparation for the forthcoming spring. 

Some cold hardy species like Pleioblastus may continue slow stalk elongation in mild winters, but many types cease or reduce above ground development. While not as conspicuous, this winter widening of rhizomes is equally crucial for bamboo’s prolific multiplication.

By storing carbohydrates below ground when conditions are less hospitable, bamboo ensures its rapid revival once warmer weather returns. This adaptation allows it to flourish year after year as a resilient and productive plant.

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How Long Does Bamboo Take To Grow?

Given ideal conditions, some large clumping bamboo types may grow over 3 metres tall annually at peak maturity. and some species of bamboo can grow up to 3 feet per day, and most species can reach their full height and diameter within a few months. For example, Moso Bamboo, the most common species of bamboo used for commercial purposes, can grow up to 60 feet tall in just three months.

The exact amount of time it takes bamboo to grow depends on a number of factors, including the species of bamboo, the climate, and the growing conditions.

Here is a general timeline for the growth of bamboo:

  • 0-3 months: The bamboo shoots emerge from the ground and grow rapidly in height and diameter.
  • 3-6 months: The bamboo shoots reach their full height and diameter.
  • 6-12 months: The bamboo shoots harden and become mature.
  • 12-36 months: The bamboo culms (stalks) reach their full strength and durability.

After 36 months, the bamboo culms are ready to be harvested. However, bamboo can continue to grow for many years, and some species of bamboo can live for over 100 years.

Factors Affecting Bamboo’s Growth

Several environmental elements influence the remarkable pace that bamboo can reproduce and spread. Soil nutrition, composition, and drainage have a significant impact. 

Bamboo thrives best in moist, well-draining soil rich in organic matter to support robust root development.

Temperatures also guide bamboo’s seasonal shifts; most species demand a minimum of 10°C to initiate growth. Receiving full sun maximizes photosynthesis and subsequent stalk proliferation. Proper pruning is necessary to maintain health and encourage ongoing culm production from the rhizome network.

Ensuring adequate space between bamboo clusters prevents overcrowding and allows for unrestricted upward and lateral expansion. With balanced growing conditions that satisfy bamboo’s needs, their awe-inspiring duplication abilities are fully realized year after year.

Conclusion

In closing, we have discussed bamboo’s truly remarkable growth potential and multiplication rates and the factors that affect its annual performance.

Given its propitious hardy climatic tolerance and nutrient requirements, bamboo undergoes cycles of tremendous productivity that allow it to replace harvested stalks within short succession.

Its favorable growth attributes are what give bamboo such high sustainability as a natural building material and landscape plant.

With proper maintenance of soil, sunlight, drainage, and pruning practices, bamboo plants can be cultivated indefinitely to provide abundant renewable resources.

 

“Discover the incredible world of bamboo and unlock its limitless potential. Join us at Red Cloud Bamboo, your trusted partner in all things bamboo. Contact us today at 0418 552 170 to explore the possibilities. Or check out our blog for more information about bamboo.  Let’s embrace the resilience and beauty of bamboo together!”

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Trimming Bamboo in Australia. By Red Cloud Bamboo in Melbourne
 by Sam Adams

Trimming Bamboo in Australia

Proper trimming is an essential maintenance task for any home or business growing bamboo. As suppliers and distributors of quality bamboo products, at Red Cloud Bamboo, we understand better than most the importance of keeping bamboo well-groomed through regular trimming.

This article will provide homeowners and landscapers with guidance on how, when, and why to trim bamboo effectively to keep plants healthy, safe, and looking their best.

The following sections will cover tools and techniques for trimming, ideal timing based on Australia’s climate, and the differences between pruning and trimming bamboo.

How To Trim Bamboo

Tools Needed For Trimming Bamboo

One of the most important aspects of properly trimming bamboo is using the right tools for the job. While ordinary garden shears may seem like a good choice, they are not suited for cutting through the thick stalks and can damage the bamboo if not sharp enough. It’s best to trim bamboo with tools specifically designed for the task.

A good start is a pair of bypass pruners for thinner bamboo canes under 1cm in diameter. Loppers are also very useful, as their long handles allow for cutting stalks higher up without straining. For bamboos over 2cm wide, a pruning saw with a fine-toothed blade makes the cleanest cuts.

Having the proper pruners, loppers, or saw is key to completing a bamboo trim safely and efficiently. Be sure tools are very sharp for clean cuts, which help prevent rot or regrowth issues.

Bamboo Trimming Techniques

When trimming bamboo, it is important to use proper form for safe and effective cuts. All trims should be made just above a node, which are the joints where new shoots emerge. Avoid cutting below nodes to prevent unwanted sprouting.

With some practice, cuts can be made at a 45 degree angle across each node to allow water to drain off and reduce rot. Cuts should also face away from the direction new canes grow from, to stop water pooling in.

When using a saw, start cutting from the bottom of the stalk and pull the saw upward with the blade angled slightly outward. This helps ensure a clean shearing cut. Taking time to learn effective cutting technique will result in cleanly trimmed bamboo that regrows neatly rather than becoming misshapen.

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When To Trim Bamboo

The ideal times for trimming bamboo are influenced by Australia’s climate zones and seasonal changes. In general, spring or autumn are best, after moderate rainfall which hydrates the bamboo without stress of peak heat or cold.

Late winter through early summer is usually when new bamboo growth emerges as temperatures start rising. Waiting until after the main flush of new canes appear allows for knowing exactly what needs trimmed back. Autumn is also preferable, as cooler months mean less stress on the bamboo from cutting and regrowth will occur slowly over winter.

Avoid trimming during heat waves or very dry spells, as this can shock the plant. Also be careful not to trim just before expected heavy rains, to prevent potential fungal or rot problems at freshly cut ends.

With a bit of climate-aware timing practice, bamboo trimming can easily fit into an Australian gardener’s regular seasonal maintenance schedule for healthy, neatly shaped bamboo for many years to come.

How is Trimming Bamboo Different Than Pruning

While trimming and pruning bamboo may seem similar, there is an important distinction between the two techniques. Trimming is primarily focused on maintenance to remove older growth and keep the plant tidy. Cuts are usually made higher up just to shape the bamboo.

Pruning bamboo differs in that it is done later in the season specifically to guide future growth and shape through more selective cuts lower down the stalks. It often removes entirely unhealthy or overgrown sections to improve overall structure and airflow.

Regular trimming helps control the spread and size of bamboo without sacrificing growth rate or health. Strategic pruning is less frequent but more sculpting in nature to redirect growth where desired or open up congested areas in the canopy.

Correctly identifying when trimming versus pruning is called for ensures bamboo receives the tailored care it needs throughout the seasons to thrive beautifully for many years ahead. Be sure to contact Red Cloud Bamboo professionals if ever unsure of the distinction.

Conclusion

By following proper techniques for bamboo trimming and understanding ideal timing based on your local climate, any home or business can enjoy attractively maintained bamboo for many seasons to come.

From choosing the right tools to learning effective cutting forms, this article outlined the best practices to safely trim bamboo for health and appearance.

 

“Discover the incredible world of bamboo and unlock its limitless potential. Join us at Red Cloud Bamboo, your trusted partner in all things bamboo. Contact us today at 0418 552 170 to explore the possibilities. Or check out our blog for more information about bamboo.  Let’s embrace the resilience and beauty of bamboo together!”

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Pruning Bamboo In Australia
 by Sam Adams

Pruning Bamboo In Australia

Bamboo is a versatile plant that thrives in gardens across Australia. As owners of Red Cloud Bamboo, we supply a variety of bamboo plants and offer guidance on their proper care and maintenance. Pruning bamboo is an essential part of keeping plants healthy and encouraging new growth. 

This article will explore why, when, and how to prune bamboo plants throughout the year. Following these pruning bamboo practices will keep your bamboo lush and attractive all season long.

Why Prune Bamboo Plants?

There are several important reasons for pruning bamboo plants on a regular basis.

Pruning encourages new cane growth and prevents plants from becoming overcrowded. It keeps clumping, non invasive bamboo varieties vigorously growing while replenishing old plant material with fresh stems. This ensures the bamboo remains contained instead of becoming invasive through underground runners.

Pruning also helps maintain an attractive shape while removing diseased or damaged growth. Signs of diseases like bamboo canker or rot are easy to spot on new growth, making regular pruning a key disease prevention practice. Addressing these issues keeps bamboo looking its best throughout the growing season.

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When To Prune Bamboo?

The ideal times to prune bamboo in Australia gardens falls during late winter and early spring.

Pruning bamboo in August or September after new cane emergence allows plants time to establish before warmer weather arrives. This is generally the least stressful period for pruning bamboo plants. 

Avoid pruning during hot months when plants are actively growing, as it can invite insect and disease problems. Also avoid pruning during flower or seed set in late spring or early summer, as cutting pruning bamboo at this time can disrupt the flowering and propagation cycle.

Sticking to a late winter or early spring pruning schedule is the best approach for healthy bamboo in Australia.

How To Prune Bamboo

Select pruning tools:

Use clean, sharp bypass pruning shears or a pruning saw when pruning larger bamboo stalks. Dull tools can crush and damage stalks.

Inspect plants:

Examine bamboo plants and remove any damaged, diseased or crossing stalks at their base near ground level.

Thin older canes:

Prune back some of the older canes that have gone out of their prime growth phase by about one-third each year. This encourages thicker new growth.

Control height and spread:

For clumping bamboos, prune the stems back to a node or bud to maintain the desired height or contain prolific spreaders.

Clean tools:

Sanitise pruning tools with bleach or rubbing alcohol between cutting different bamboo plants to avoid spreading disease.

Conclusion

Following these basic pruning bamboo practices will keep your bamboo plants healthy, attractive and productive all year round.

Don’t be afraid to prune back plants to encourage thick, new cane growth. And remember to prune damaged stalks during late winter for the least impact on the plant. 

If you have any other questions about pruning or caring for bamboo, feel free to contact the experts at Red Cloud Bamboo. We’d be happy to provide additional tips tailored to your individual garden and bamboo varieties.

With a little seasonal pruning, your bamboo display is sure to be the envy of fellow Australian gardeners for years to come.

 

“Discover the incredible world of bamboo and unlock its limitless potential. Join us at Red Cloud Bamboo, your trusted partner in all things bamboo. Contact us today at 0418 552 170 to explore the possibilities. Or check out our blog for more information about bamboo.  Let’s embrace the resilience and beauty of bamboo together!”

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Bamboo Screening Plants All You Need To Know. Taken By Red Cloud Bamboo in Melbourne
 by Sam Adams

Bamboo Screening Plants

Bamboo is a versatile plant that can be used to create beautiful natural screens in gardens and landscapes. Made up of lots of long, hollow stems called canes, bamboo grows quickly into thick clusters that form a green barrier.

Some types grow very tall as they mature, up to 5 or 6 metres high! Other varieties spread their canes out low to the ground, perfect for hiding garden beds or fence lines. 

Bamboo is the perfect screening plant, it matures quickly into thick privacy barriers thanks to its fast growth.

With a bit of care, it makes an excellent green screen alternative to hard-to-maintain timber or metal fences. Its attractive canes also filter noise and catch nosey neighbours from peeking in! Let me know if you need any help selecting bamboo for your place.

Selecting Bamboo Screening Plants

It is important to choose the type of bamboo that matches your criteria. Prior to purchasing bamboo screening plants, you must construct your own criteria for the desired screening bamboo plant to not only be suitable to screen your desired view but also to fulfil your needs in terms of its appearance and design.

Another reason why choosing bamboo plants for screening is the ideal choice, in addition to the already aforementioned ones, is that many bamboo types have a variety of different criteria to select from. Some of these criteria variety include:

Types Of Bamboo Screening Plants

The two main and best types of bamboo for screening you can choose from are clumping bamboo and running bamboo.

Clumping bamboo is a perfect bamboo for screening because it is a noninvasive bamboo that grows gradually without uncontrollable expansion and with the individual’s ability to control its growth easily.

As for the running bamboo, it is the invasive type of bamboo that non-uniformly expands in growth growing enormously through its runners that expand underground. However, it is still considered a good screening plant if either a planter or a root barrier is used.

Bamboo Colour

A second diverse criterion that would encourage you to choose bamboo for screening is that bamboo has a variety of colours that you can choose from. 

Bamboo comes in green, yellow, brown, red, black, blue, and even a combination of all these colours! Having such a colourful appearance is one of the spectacular merits of choosing bamboo for screening.

Size & Height Of The Bamboo

It is important to determine how high and big you would like the screening plant to grow. This is to provide you with the adequate desirable screening.

Delightfully, different types of bamboo have different heights which they can grow up to. Some bamboo types can grow beyond 30 m high, and their diameters can be as wide as 30 cm!

Bamboo’s Climate Conditions

Your chosen screening plant’s climate conditions must be suitable to your desired planting location’s climate. One of the merits of choosing bamboo for screening is that different bamboo types have different weather conditions to grow so you can choose the bamboo which is suitable for your region’s climate.

This protects the bamboo from dying due to growing in a climate it is sensitive to. It also prevents the bamboo from not growing big enough to screen your desired view.

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Bamboo’s Care Instructions

In order to make sure that your selected screening plant grows adequately to screen your desired area, it is important to adhere to the screening bamboo’s care instructions, and accordingly, it is necessary to select the screening plant that has the care instructions that would be convenient to you.

Bamboo plants have different care instructions varying from one type to another which can give you a range of bamboo types to choose from. Watering instructions, exposure & non-exposure to sunlight, fertilization, and many others, are all inclusive of the bamboo’s care instructions. This makes choosing bamboo for screening a feasible choice.

Longer Span Of Life

Despite the fact that several plant types can perfectly serve as screening plants, they do not last long because of having a short life span, which makes them inconvenient and costly. However, it is very convenient to choose bamboo for screening because bamboo has a long life span. Bamboo can live hundreds of years and average flowers every 80 years!

Withstanding Tough Weather

Many people choose bamboo for screening because it is resistant to extreme weather conditions. It can withstand extreme hot weather, and cold temperatures up to -20 F, as well as drought, wind and snow by bending over and lying flat on the floor.

Bamboo Plants Are Fast Growing

While other screening plants can take years to grow enough to screen your desired view, bamboo is popular for being one of the most rapidly growing plants compared to other screening plants.

Bamboo once scored a new record growth rate, growing 47 inches in one day! Given such a speedy growth rate, choosing bamboo for screening is definitely a go-for choice.

Bamboo Plants For Screening Is Sustainable

In a climate-changing world, sustainability is a major criterion to look for when choosing plants. Choosing bamboo for screening is a very sustainable choice.

This is because several bamboo types usually do not require pesticides, having to replant it would be very rare, and its oxygen production is very high surpassing even that of trees.

Additionally, it is a good solution to soil erosion and the type of fibre it is produced causes less impact on the environment than other fibre forms.

Thus, having bamboo for screening is not only a pleasant method to provide natural screening but also an environmentally friendly choice.

Bamboo Is the Healthiest Screening Plant

Having bamboo for screening in your house can be beneficial to your health. Bamboo Kun is a bioagent found in bamboo plants that serves as an anti-bacterial. Bamboo gets rid of more than 70% of the bacteria that grow on it.

It is very rare that a bamboo would undergo infestation by pests and accordingly, bamboo would rarely require pesticides that would be dangerous for your health.

Bamboo For Screening Is Aesthetic

Having bamboo screening plants provides beautiful, natural decoration for your home. In addition to serving functional screening purposes, bamboo adds aesthetic appeal.

By selecting bamboo to both screen and beautify, you gain natural decorative merits. Intricate forms uplifted by unique hues and textures bring serenity to any space bamboo borders. Its incorporation adds visual allure complementing functional screening purposes.

Textures also contribute to bamboo’s visual impact. Smooth canes differ nicely from fluffier foliage. Their vertical forms impart a sense of height. Clumping types hold slender canes tightly for bold graphics, while runners loosely frame paths.

 

“Discover the incredible world of bamboo and unlock its limitless potential. Join us at Red Cloud Bamboo, your trusted partner in all things bamboo. Contact us today at 0418 552 170 to explore the possibilities. Or check out our blog for more information about bamboo.  Let’s embrace the resilience and beauty of bamboo together!”

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How To Grow A Bamboo Hedge
 by Sam Adams

How To Grow A Bamboo Hedge

Bamboo hedging is an attractive and effective landscape option for modern gardens and properties. As a clumping grass, bamboo varieties such as Pleioblastus, Phyllostachys and Fargesia mature quickly to form dense foliage barriers ideal for privacy screening or as a bamboo hedge.

Their sturdy yet flexible canes withstand weather extremes while removing contaminants from the air. Beyond aesthetics and sustainability benefits, bamboo is relatively low maintenance once established.

This guide will outline how to successfully install and care for a bamboo hedge, referencing techniques from Red Cloud Bamboo. Key steps include site preparation, planting, fertilizing schedules and training the hedge shape—allowing homeowners to capitalise on bamboo’s rapid growth for an on-trend garden feature.

Preparing The Soil

When installing a bamboo hedge, carefully preparing the site is essential for success. 

Begin by clearing the area of any existing weeds, plants or grass using organic weed killers. Then, thoroughly cultivate the soil to a depth of 20cm along the entire proposed hedge line—this is important for avoiding future challenges as the bamboo matures.

Tools like rotary tillers can efficiently prepare larger spaces, while hand tools are suitable for smaller gardens.

Finally, flatten and level the exposed soil using a rake to provide the bamboo with optimal conditions to thrive. Incorporating compost or soil improvers during this stage helps enrich the soil.

Laying Out Your Bamboo Hedge

Accurately marking out the placement of individual bamboo canes will contribute to a healthy, attractive hedge. Use timber stakes or string lines to delineate both the outline and even internal spacing of the future hedge.

For most bamboo varieties suited to hedging, around 60cm between canes is an effective denseness for screening. Tools like tape measures can assist with maintaining the spacing pattern for a uniform appearance.

Correctly oriented planting positions now saves future efforts in training the hedge direction and form. Taking time at this stage establishes a strong foundation for balanced and thriving bamboo growth as the hedge matures over subsequent seasons.

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Planting Your Bamboo Hedge

Now the prepared site and layout is complete, it’s time to plant your bamboo canes to begin establishing the hedge.

Use a spade to dig holes along the outlined cane positions, making each hole deep and wide enough to accommodate the bamboo’s root ball without constriction. Plant the cane at a similar level it was previously growing, taking care not to set it too high or low in relation to the soil line. 

Next, form a water retaining ‘bowl’ around each base by mounding up extra soil. This effective irrigation method helps bamboo get off to a strong start. Thoroughly watering each new planting twice following this process provides optimal moisture as the roots begin to establish the new hedge.

Establishing Your Bamboo Hedge

With the clumping bamboo canes now planted according to guidelines, regular care is needed to help them become fully established into an impenetrable hedge.

Key steps include frequent watering of new plantings, ensuring the soil does not dry out completely during initial establishment. As warmer weather arrives, reducing water frequency allows the canes to develop strong, deep root systems able to support future growth.

Adding a balanced, slow-release fertiliser in early spring and late summer boosts natural development. Ongoing liquid feeds fortified with seaweed extracts provide extra nourishment between scheduled applications.

Within their first 12 months, bamboo hedging varieties commonly reach heights over 1.5m if given optimal growing conditions. Patience and maintenance now will result in a handsome, sustainable privacy screen for the home landscape.

Maintaining Bamboo Hedge Shape

Once the initial planting year is complete, the bamboo hedge will have formed a lively screen. However, some effort may still be required to encourage proper form and direction. As new cane shoots emerge in the second season, guiding their placement with light staking helps fill in any sparse patches naturally over time. 

Pruning lower sections may also be necessary to establish a tidy bottom edge. Throughout the hedge’s lifespan, occasional thinning of older canes allows additional shoots room to mature and strengthens overall structure. 

Regular fertilization and trimming away excess foliage prevents legginess inside the hedge profile.

With routine care and training, bamboo’s natural strength and rate of spread will provide Australian gardeners with an attractive, low-maintenance living fence for many productive years.

Tools And Materials for Bamboo Hedging

Soil Preparation Tools

Thoroughly preparing the soilbed is simplified with the right equipment. Rotary tillers, spades, and rakes allow thorough cultivation and incorporation of amendments before planting begins.

Planting Aids

Acquiring quality bamboo canes from a local nursery supplies the hedge material. Marking out the spacing layout benefits from wooden stakes and string lines. A tape measure ensures accurate separation is achieved between cane placements. A trowel or dibble bar streamlines hole-digging.

Maintenance Supplies

Successful hedge establishment requires ongoing care. A watering can hydrates young plantings. Pruning shears shape emerging growth. All-purpose insecticidal soap aids insect control. Lightweight fertilizers promote continuous growth throughout the seasons. Mulch retains soil moisture around plant bases.

 

“Discover the incredible world of bamboo and unlock its limitless potential. Join us at Red Cloud Bamboo, your trusted partner in all things bamboo. Contact us today at 0418 552 170 to explore the possibilities. Or check out our blog for more information about bamboo.  Let’s embrace the resilience and beauty of bamboo together!”

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Australian Bamboo 3 Native Species & The Most Popular
 by Sam Adams

Australian Bamboo: 3 Native Species & The Most Popular

When most people think of bamboo Australia, their minds likely envision the lush green groves found throughout Asia. However, not as many realise that Australia too calls a select few bamboo varieties among its native plants.

For over 60,000 years before European settlement, various Aboriginal peoples across Northern Australia sustainably utilised bamboos native only to this continent.

Here we explore three such endemic Australian bamboo species and examine ongoing discussion around a possible fourth.

We’ll also learn about bamboo’s traditional importance to Indigenous Australians and how one variety in particular emerged as a favorite for cultivation across the vast country today.

Which Bamboos is Native to Australia? 

Bambusa Arnhemica

Found inhabiting tropical Arnhem Land in Northern Australia’s Top End region is Bambusa Arnhemica. This vigorous clumper forms dense thickets reaching impressive heights up to 12 meters tall. Distinctive thick culms up to 12 centimeters in diameter develop with sharp protective spines. Bambusa Arnhemica appears well-adapted to establish itself within Arnhem Land’s humid monsoonal environment.

Mullerochloa Moreheadiana

Occurring in coastal Queensland from Mackay down to Innisfail stretches suitable habitat for Mullerochloa Moreheadiana. While similarly establishing dense clumps, this mid-sized bamboo maxes out a meter shorter than Bambusa arnhemica at 12 meters tall. Culms thin slightly at 4 centimeters yet bold leaves compensate for slender stalks. Mullerochloa Moreheadiana played meaningful roles in traditional rainforest communities.

Neololeba Atra

Found amid tropical Queensland’s Daintree Rainforest and neighboring zones, Neololeba Atra showcases a unique growth form differentiating it from kin. Reaching approximately 8 meters high, N. atra produces sturdy green culms almost 5 centimeters wide but its real anomaly involves lateral branches developing into additional rooting culm sequences. This complex below-ground structure sets N. atra apart as a particularly resilient inhabitant of wet sclerophyll environments.

Debate Around Fourth Bamboo Species in Australia 

Some exploration reports from the 1800s described wild cane plants they believed native to the Torres Strait as Schizostachyum sp.

However, recent genetic assessments suggest populations may post-date colonization from failed cultivation attempts rather than ancient indigenous occurrence. Without documentation of natural continuity before European contact, classifying this as Australia’s fourth bamboo species remains uncertain.

Continued phylogenetic investigation could clarify whether naturalized populations descended independently or derived from introduction. This debate exemplifies how refining knowledge of native floras requires persistent research as human histories intertwine with ancient landscapes.

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Traditional Uses by Aboriginal Australians

The various Aboriginal peoples inhabiting Northern Australia’s bamboo groves utilized all portions of these native plants.

Flexible young culms assisted in crafting spears, blowing pipes for didgeridoos, and smokable tubes. Mature stalks constructed durable frames for shelter, transportation rafts, and chisels for woodworking.

Evidence even indicates trading networks integrated bamboo between Eastern coastal rainforests and Western mainland regions like the Kimberley. Particularly, the Caledon Bay Balamumu specialized in fashioning fighting spears from available Australian native bamboos. While Aboriginal diets didn’t prominently incorporate bamboo shoots or seeds compared to other cultures, these versatile grasses proved invaluable for material culture and everyday tools.

The Most Popular Bamboo in Australia

While just three native types comprise Australia’s endemic bamboos, Gracilis Slender Weaver bamboo has emerged as a clear favorite and the most popular bamboo species in Australia for cultivation. 

Gracilis Slender Weaver demonstrates terrific adaptability to Australian diverse climates. From tropical savannas to temperate coastlines, this bamboo thrives with minimal care. Reaching around eight meters tall yet retaining slender circumference, Gracilis forms dense screening windrows within confined gardens or sprawling barriers between paddocks.

Both appearance and utility contribute to Gracilis popularity – its narrow culms allow wind to pass through while still blocking views.

Homeowners and farmers alike appreciate reliable greenery requiring little maintenance. Gracilis rightfully gained a reputation as Australia’s most familiar and popular bamboos.

Conclusion

While Australia claims few bamboo species as purely native, Aboriginal Australians depended on endemic varieties for millennia. Ongoing research may refine our understanding of which plants naturally long inhabited this continent. 

Of the introduced bamboos, none better suited diverse Australian environments than Gracilis slender weaver bamboo. Whether highlighting habitats, traditional uses, scientific debates, or cultivation importance – exploring bamboos illuminates intricate relationships between people and changing landscapes over time. I hope shedding light on these topics has fostered new perspective and intrigue around native Australian bamboo diversity.

 

“Discover the incredible world of bamboo and unlock its limitless potential. Join us at Red Cloud Bamboo, your trusted partner in all things bamboo. Contact us today at 0418 552 170 to explore the possibilities. Or check out our blog for more information about bamboo.  Let’s embrace the resilience and beauty of bamboo together!”

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Best Types of Bamboo For Screening
 by Sam Adams

Best Types of Bamboo For Screening in Australia

While there are many types of plant options for screening, choosing bamboo for screening is, surely, the best choice because bamboo is one of the most rapidly growing plants hitting your desired height in no time. It can also be easily adjusted to occupy a small space, and, cost-wise, it is a convenient idea to achieve a quick, affordable screening to your desired view. Bamboo possesses the perfect combination of strength, hardness, natural beauty and delicate shape. More importantly, bamboo acclimatizes itself to different weather conditions easily.

Criteria of selecting bamboo for screening

It is important to choose the type of bamboo that matches your criteria. Prior to purchasing a screening plant, you must construct your own criteria of the desired screening bamboo plant to not only be suitable to screen your desired view, but also to fulfil your needs in terms of its appearance and design.

Another reason why choosing bamboo for screening is the ideal choice, in addition to the already aforementioned ones, is that many bamboo types have a variety of different criteria to select from. Some of these criteria variety include:

Types of bamboo for screening

There are 2 main types of bamboo you can choose from, clumping bamboo and running bamboo. Clumping bamboo is a perfect bamboo for screening because it is a noninvasive bamboo that grows gradually without uncontrollable expansion and with the individual’s ability to control its growth easily. As for the running bamboo, it is the invasive type of bamboo that non-uniformly expands in growth growing enormously through its runners that expand underground. However, it is still considered a good bamboo for screening if either a planter or a root barrier is used.

Bamboo colour

A second diverse criterion that would encourage you to choose bamboo for screening is that bamboo has a variety of colours that you can choose from. 

Bamboo comes in green, yellow, brown, red, black, blue, and even a combination of all these colours! Having such a colourful appearance is one of the spectacular merits to choosing bamboo for screening.

Size and height of the bamboo

It is important to determine how high and big you would like the screening plant to grow into. This is to provide you with the adequate desirable screening.

Delightfully, different types of bamboo have different heights which they can grow up to. Some bamboo types can grow beyond 30 m high, and their diameters can be as wide as 30 cm!

Bamboo’s climate conditions

Your chosen screening plant’s climate conditions must be suitable to your desired planting location’s climate. One of the merits to choosing bamboo for screening is that different bamboo types have different weather conditions to grow into so you can choose the bamboo which is suitable for your region’s climate.

This protects the bamboo from dying due to growing in a climate it is sensitive to. It also prevents the bamboo from not growing big enough to screen your desired view.

Bamboo’s care instructions

In order to make sure that your selected screening plant grows adequately to perfectly screen your desired area, it is important to adhere to the screening bamboo’s care instructions, and accordingly, it is necessary to select the screening plant that has the care instructions that would be convenient to you.

Bamboo plants have different care instructions varying from one type to another which can give you a range of bamboo types to choose from. Watering instructions, exposure & non-exposure to sunlight, fertilization, and many others, are all inclusive of the bamboo’s care instructions. This makes choosing bamboo for screening a feasible choice.

Longer span of life

Despite the fact that several plant types can perfectly serve as screening plants, they do not last long because of having a short life span, which makes them inconvenient and costly. However, it is very convenient to choose bamboo for screening because bamboo has a long life span. Bamboo can live hundreds of years and averagely flowers every 80 years!

Withstanding tough weather

Many people choose bamboo for screening because it is resistant to extreme weather conditions. It can withstand extreme hot weather, cold temperatures up to -20 F, as well as drought, wind and snow by bending over and lying flat on the floor.

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Fast growing

While other screening plants can take years to grow enough to screen your desired view, bamboo is popular for being one of the most rapidly growing plants compared to other screening plants. Bamboo once scored a new record of growth rate, growing 47 inches in one day! Given such a speedy growth rate, choosing bamboo for screening is definitely a go-for choice.

Bamboo for screening is sustainable

In a climate changing world, sustainability is a major criterion to look for when choosing plants. Choosing bamboo for screening is a very sustainable choice. This is because several bamboo types usually do not require pesticides, having to replant it would be very rare, and its oxygen production is very high surpassing even that of trees.

Additionally, it is a good solution to soil erosion and the type of fibre it is produced into causes less impact on the environment than other fibre forms. Thus, having bamboo for screening is not only a pleasant method to provide natural screening, but also is an environmentally-friendly choice.

Bamboo for screening is healthy

Having bamboo for screening in your house can be beneficial to your health. Bamboo Kun is a bioagent found in bamboo plants that serves as an anti-bacterial. Bamboo gets rid of more than 70% of the bacteria that grows on it.

It is very rare that a bamboo would undergo infestation by pests and accordingly, bamboo would rarely require pesticides that would be dangerous for your health.

Bamboo for screening is aesthetic

Having bamboo screening plants can serve as a beautiful natural decoration to your home. Bamboo has multiple colors and different unique shapes that all make it an attractive bamboo for screening adding an aesthetic touch to your house.

Recommended Types of Bamboo for Screening:

Blue Chungii/Tropical Blue Bamboo:

It is the perfect bamboo for screening if you are looking for bamboo of an attractive color. Blue Chungii is a clumping bamboo that has culms with a blue hue, which has contributed to its name. Being a perfect bamboo for screening goes beyond just its culms’ unique blue hues as it can grow up to 12 m high and 5 cm wide and can grow in either sunlight or shade. More importantly, it can withstand temperatures as low as 20 F.

Bambusa Malingensis/Seabreeze bamboo:

Similar to the Blue Chungii bamboo, Bambusa Malingensis is a clumping bamboo that can grow in either sunlight or shade and can grow to about 9-11 m in height and 6 cm in diameter. However, what makes it stand out as a splendid bamboo for screening is that it can endure cold weather, drought, wind, floods, and even salty air.

Phyllostachys Humilis/Scottish Bamboo:

In addition to Blue Chungii, another colourful bamboo for screening is the Phyllostachys Humilis. It is an initially red running bamboo that turns into mint green as it grows and eventually turns yellow green. Witnessing transformations of natural colours as the bamboo grows is why Phyllostachys Humilis is surely a must-have!

Phyllostachys Decora:

Phyllostachys Decora is a running bamboo that stands out from all the other bamboo types. It is called the beautiful bamboo because of its multicolored beauty. Its culms have a combination of several colors, including yellow, red, green, cream, and maroon.

It also stands out as one of the bamboo plants that can endure both hot and cold weather without having its appealing appearance affected. This is the suitable bamboo for screening if you live in locations that are liable to extreme weather conditions at any given time.

Phyllostachys Rubromarginata/Red Margin Bamboo:

If you need a bamboo for screening that would provide screening as fast as possible, Phyllostachys Rubromarginata is the eligible one. Phyllostachys Rubromarginata is an extremely fast grower that produces the highest number of culms annually compared to any other bamboo type. It grows to give shoots with a red sheath.

Even though it grows better when it is exposed to sunlight, its culms grow taller and their colours are more appealing when it grows in the shade. It is a running bamboo that grows up to 18 m in height and about 5 cm in diameter. It possesses sufficient endurance to cold temperatures up to -5 F and dry winds.       

 

“Discover the incredible world of bamboo and unlock its limitless potential. Join us at Red Cloud Bamboo, your trusted partner in all things bamboo. Contact us today at 0418 552 170 to explore the possibilities. Or check out our blog for more information about bamboo.  Let’s embrace the resilience and beauty of bamboo together!”

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Bamboo Basics Running vs Clumping Bamboo
 by Sam Adams

Bamboo Basics: Running vs Clumping Bamboo

Bamboo is one of the most widely cultivated and useful grass species in the world. There are two main types of bamboo – clumping bamboo and running bamboo. These differ primarily in their growth habit and potential invasiveness. This article will explain the key differences between clumping and running bamboo, including their definitions, planting types, uses and advantages and disadvantages of each.  

Clumping Bamboo or Non-invasive

Clumping bamboo is so named because, as the experts at Bamboo Down Under describe in detail, it sends out new canes from an underground root system called rhizomes in a very controlled manner. The secret to clumping bamboo’s non-invasive behavior lies in these short rhizomes that grow outwardly from the central clump only by a few centimeters each year. This results in a neatly clustered habit that remains completely contained even with maturity.

Some common clumping varieties suitable for Australian gardens include, Bambusa Textilis Gracilis, Bambusa multiplex (Lemon Bamboo), Bambusa vulgaris (Timber Bamboo) and Hibano Bambusa Tranquillans (Tufted Timber Bamboo), all forming clumps typically less than 2 metres in diameter according to the nursery’s growing experience.

The local specialists further note that while clumping bamboo can initially shoot up rapidly on establishment, forming thickets of 1-5 metres tall depending on species and conditions, its growth soon levels out.

Unlike invasive running types, clumping bamboo maintains the same compact footprint long-term without causing ground disturbance beyond the original planting zone. This is due to the rhizomes traveling only shallow depths, typically within the upper 30cms of soil. The finely textured root systems also do not damage underground structures like pipes.

Requiring just basic maintenance like occasional division or staking in wind-prone areas, clumping bamboo offers a low-fuss, contained landscape solution suitable even for small gardens and containers as confirmed by Bamboo Down Under’s experts. Its evergreen foliage and steel-like stems add an elegant privacy and year-round interest when used for hedging or as a specimen plant.

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Running Bamboo or Spreading

Running bamboo is so named for its ability to aggressively spread through vast underground networks as extensively documented by Bamboo Down Under’s experts. Unlike the localized rhizomes of clumping varieties, running bamboo sends out rope-thick stems called rhizomes laterally over distances up to 6 metres or more each year. 

As the reference nursery elucidates, these creeping rhizome systems form an unpredictable subterranean “mesh” with new culm shoots emerging at irregular intervals along the entire length.

If given the room to roam freely without checks, running bamboo would effectively naturalize any surrounding area by outcompeting other foliage through sheer density. The local specialists thus stress the requirement for robust root barriers when using running bamboo near property boundaries.

Some quicker-spreading varieties favored for screening like Phyllostachys vivax necessitate particularly diligent annual division to partition the rhizome “webs” and extract new canes for transplanting elsewhere according to Bamboo Down Under’s first-hand studies.

However, on larger rural blocks where space is no constraint as the reference site underscores, running bamboo can thrive magnificently as vigorous windbreaks or rapid privacy hedging. The nursery has witnessed species such as the stately Phyllostachys Nigra form towering black-hued groves within only a few seasons.

With the right containment methods including trenching and physical barriers as prescribed, running bamboo brings extensive screening benefits albeit requiring committed maintenance to rein its ambitious routes.

Conclusion

In summary, the key difference between clumping and running bamboo is their growth habit and potential invasiveness.

Clumping bamboo remains contained to a clump while running bamboo can aggressively spread several metres each year if not properly managed. Clumping bamboo is generally lower maintenance and better suited to ornamental landscaping in gardens, pots and use in bamboo hedges.

Running bamboo requires more oversight to contain but provides fast screening where space allows. Understanding a species’ growth habit is vital to choosing the right bamboo for any given space or purpose such as a bamboo hedge.

 

“Discover the incredible world of bamboo and unlock its limitless potential. Join us at Red Cloud Bamboo, your trusted partner in all things bamboo. Contact us today at 0418 552 170 to explore the possibilities. Or check out our blog for more information about bamboo. Let’s embrace the resilience and beauty of bamboo together!”

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