Post #666757 by nui 'umi 'umi on Fri, Feb 8, 2013 9:31 PM

I'd talk to an expert at the nearest arboretum or botanical garden. The experts at commercial nurseries are in the business of "selling" so caveat emptor. Quail gardens is kinda far (northern San Diego county ) but they are the best. Sherman gardens (Corona Del Mar/Newport Beach) has bamboo's but I dunno if they have a resident expert.
In the south bay there's southwest botanical gardens- I think it's at the western end of Lomita/Rolling Hills Estates.I hang out a lot at the L A county Arboretum (Arcadia) cuz the L A international Fern Society meets there and the arboretum has several people on staff who are quite knowledgeable regarding bamboo.
I am not an expert but I been messing with plants forever and bamboo for the past 12-15 years. Frankly, I do not believe in or use "barriers" I establish a "dmz" visually around the newly planted boo and remove anything that dares to enter that zone. I don't put running species in the ground. That being said if you ignore a "clumper"
for a few years, you're in for a surprise and a lot of huffing and puffing.
Go for it!
Btw, I mentioned the stands of timber bamboo at Hi-Times liquor. Check em out, very impressive particularly when you consider the relatively narrow space they're growing in . I just planted timber bamboo in an equally small area-I hope it does as well.

[ Edited by: nui 'umi 'umi 2013-02-08 21:42 ]