Question for Bamboo experts...

Sick of the neighboors and the monstrosity of a McMansion they built. I want to blot them out forever, and am thinking very tall bamboo as a sort of wall....can anyone suggest a species or type that grows tall, fast and sturdy?

Try checking out
http://www.bamboogiant.com/
they're in Santa Cruz area - and may be able to assist with your needs

Be careful what Bamboo you get. It grows really fast and some can spread to areas you don't want it, so you may have to put in cement retaining wall buried in the dirt to keep it from spreading.

There is a brick wall surrounding the yard, I was thinking of putting it up against that...might work?

Depends how deep it is in the ground. You may need something in front of the bamboo to keep it from spreading to the rest of your yard. It sends out shoots underground.

You'll need to address the possibility of the roots traveling under the wall.
You should look more specifically at the "clumping" type of bamboo not "running" --
You could build up a planter box in front of the brick wall and use that to contain the roots.

On 2013-02-04 10:54, lucas vigor wrote:
Sick of the neighboors and the monstrosity of a McMansion they built. I want to blot them out forever, and am thinking very tall bamboo as a sort of wall....can anyone suggest a species or type that grows tall, fast and sturdy?

LV , Google "Bamboo" ,culture and propagation.Read very thing you have time for.
Sounds to me like "Alphonse Karr" is a type of bamboo that might be close to perfect for you. 12-15' tall, it's a beautiful yellow with a green stripe bamboo,spreads slowly as it's a "clumper" and is readily available at most nurseries. THe culms are about 1 1/2 " IF you wanna go crazy "Bambusa Oldhamii", common name Giant timber bamboo will grow to 40-50 ' in a few years, it's harder to find and at 75$ plus at most places it's not for everyone. the culms/canes are up to 4" and it's also a clumper.. Pretty impressive. Hi -Times liquor in Costa Mesa Has several stands growing within small restricted confines in their parking lot. Two good reasons to visit Hi-times(I dig their rum selection and if Forrest is there, he's quite knowledgeable in regard to rum,
Btw, I just picked up a 5 gal. can of B. Oldhamii last weekend while visiting San Diego (yea Bali Hai,Humphrey's)I found a grower that will sell it for $35 and I'll share my source With anyone (via p m) that wants to know.
Good luck,Bamboo is your friend

I'm no expert but Golden Hedge grows from 15' to 30' & 1 1/2" in diameter and is good for our zone 10b-10a. Seabreeze can grow up 55' & 2 1/2" in diameter and good in the zone.

Use "Bamboo Barrier" or you will be sorry.

It will bust through cement walls.

On 2013-02-04 14:27, RevBambooBen wrote:
Use "Bamboo Barrier" or you will be sorry. It will bust through cement walls.

In that case, he should plant it up against his neighbor's "McMansion." Problem solved! heheheheh...

Here's some pix of some of my bamboo.
Culms of Alphonse Karr . Appr. ! 1/4 dia.

A. K. used as a screen. Completely hides a 12x 10 metal shed and blocks the view into my yard from the parking lot next door.
My new neighbor just recently cut a hedge down that use to block that opening. Gonna fix that soon.

Otatea Acuminata Aztecorum (Mexican Weeping Bamboo) Most graceful of all the bamboos.has thin culms,10-12' in the ground ,much smaller in containers. Beautiful in the garden -the slightest breeze gets this guy waving gracefully. Makes a great hedge but it is pricey and a very slow grower.

Newly planted A.K. It'll be several years before this reaches the size of the bamboo in the second pic. About 3' tall and was cut from the bamboo in the second pic.

Giant Timber Bamboo ready to plant. Should get to 10-12 ' by summers end. We'll see.

On 2013-02-04 14:39, AceExplorer wrote:

On 2013-02-04 14:27, RevBambooBen wrote:
Use "Bamboo Barrier" or you will be sorry. It will bust through cement walls.

In that case, he should plant it up against his neighbor's "McMansion." Problem solved! heheheheh...

if only!

The neighborhood is all small, 50's era houses. This joker built a house so huge it towers over everything. For what reason? Same reason he drives big, huge trucks, perhaps? of course, he has 3 pitbulls that howl at everything. All night long. From their house, they can see Catalina island, I assume...and of course everything in my back yard including me if I go out there...

but the kicker is his weekly family nights he has every sunday beginning at 5 in the evening and going on until 2 in the morning...this includs the home owner getting drunker and drunker and howling like a coyote every 5 minutes, again, till 2 in the morning. Then to make things worse he predominately listenes to a type of music called "freestyle", which may very well be the worst music known to mankind...it is music from the late 80s. early 90s and features such artists as Lisa Lisa and cultjam and nu shooz. It's what was big in LA and new York before hip hop...which if you can believe it, is an actual improvment to this music. He normally has the radio playing this music so loud, including all the commercials, that this is what I get to listen to even standing 3-4 houses down the street.

I am building my own tiki bar. I would like to have a place to listen to my music and relax, but with their dogs barking like crazy as soon as I go in the backyard, and their horrid music overpowering anything I might want to hear, it's impossible.

You would hope that extreme cold weather or rain would keep them inside, but noooooo! The jerk has installed state-of-the-art outside heaters, a huge carnival-like canopy covering the backyard, and enough lights strung across the yard on overhead wires to light up a typical oil rig or cruise liner.....no matter what this guy is going to have his parties and enjoy his life at everyone else's expense!

So you can see why I want a formidable barrier!

God, life sucks sometimes!

[ Edited by: lucas vigor 2013-02-04 15:20 ]

On 2013-02-04 15:18, lucas vigor wrote:

On 2013-02-04 14:39, AceExplorer wrote:

On 2013-02-04 14:27, RevBambooBen wrote:
Use "Bamboo Barrier" or you will be sorry. It will bust through cement walls.

In that case, he should plant it up against his neighbor's "McMansion." Problem solved! heheheheh...

if only!

The neighborhood is all small, 50's era houses. This joker built a house so huge it towers over everything. For what reason? Same reason he drives big, huge trucks, perhaps? of course, he has 3 pitbulls that howl at everything. All night long. From their house, they can see Catalina island, I assume...and of course everything in my back yard including me if I go out there...

but the kicker is his weekly family nights he has every sunday beginning at 5 in the evening and going on until 2 in the morning...this includs the home owner getting drunker and drunker and howling like a coyote every 5 minutes, again, till 2 in the morning. Then to make things worse he predominately listenes to a type of music called "freestyle", which may very well be the worst music known to mankind...it is music from the late 80s. early 90s and features such artists as Lisa Lisa and cultjam and nu shooz. It's what was big in LA and new York before hip hop...which if you can believe it, is an actual improvment to this music. He normally has the radio playing this music so loud, including all the commercials, that this is what I get to listen to even standing 3-4 houses down the street.

I am building my own tiki bar. I would like to have a place to listen to my music and relax, but with their dogs barking like crazy as soon as I go in the backyard, and their horrid music overpowering anything I might want to hear, it's impossible.

You would hope that extreme cold weather or rain would keep them inside, but noooooo! The jerk has installed state-of-the-art outside heaters, a huge carnival-like canopy covering the backyard, and enough lights strung across the yard on overhead wires to light up a typical oil rig or cruise liner.....no matter what this guy is going to have his parties and enjoy his life at everyone else's expense!

So you can see why I want a formidable barrier!

God, life sucks sometimes!

[ Edited by: lucas vigor 2013-02-04 15:20 ]

Time for the tiki mafia...

It's time for a chat with your neighbor. At least try so that when you blast him on Saturday nights with a zillion watts of the Stones from an outdoor speaker hidden in your bamboo hedge you'll have some leverage when the inconsiderate fool comes to see you.
As for the dawgs, that's my signal to go water the yard with that sometimes uncontrollable and unpredictable water hose and supernozzle.
Good luck!

[ Edited by: nui 'umi 'umi 2013-02-04 16:00 ]

You may want to do a Google search for your problem. There are some electronic solutions for the music situation, warning not all of them perfectly legal and some difficult depending on your level of technical expertise- but there are things you can do to mess with him if it is or gets too bad. We had a similar problem with the neighbor behind us but before things came to a head his wife decided she'd had enough and pulled the plug - literally - on his midlife crisis all night partying. I hope you get so lucky.

As for the dogs that's a bit tricker although again we had an issue with the neighbors across the street from us and I didn't call but was tempted to and that situation too rectified itself. I'm pretty sure another neighbor complained because they received a visit from animal control and now I very rarely hear those dogs.

Good luck! I have my fingers crossed for you.

Thanks for all the tips!

For now, at least if I don't have to actually see them, it's better then nothing...hence the bamboo....

I have thought about going over there and actually talking to him, but based on the fact that he drives several huge F350 trucks all black with raiders and lakers stickers all over, plus cartoon stick figures of his family members on there, this is not the type of person I would normally approach or knock on their door.

I have called the police several times when the parties went till 2:00 am on a sunday night (I have to be up at 5 on weekdays, BTW) but they still won't stop. Bad weather or cops coming to the door just does not faze them one bit. I doubt me asking nicely would make a difference anyway.

Funny how things work out. I am a musician who love music and practices my instrument daily...with headphones. No one else is effected by the sound I make. Sometimes I rock out in my car, but you know? When I get to a stoplight I turn the music down so the drivers next to me don't have to listen to my jazz and classical.

Bamboo will run!
The clumping Bamboo will also run.
Go to you tube and type in bambo barrier to get an idea of
what you need to do to stop this.
With ours we live in a place where its running is ok.
If you just mow it down in the spring when it pops up this will keep
it from growing in that area.
But it will run 360 from the spot you plant it, and it can throw shoots
out 10 15 feet from area you plant it.
It's creepy in the spring how it can grow 8 inches in one day.
I love bamboo and birds like to nest in it.
But if I lived in a place where we did not have the space don't think I would plant it.

I worked on Art Snyder's Japanese style yard in Eagle Rock ( L.A) many, many, moons ago and he told me stories of his bamboo running down the street.... literally!!! It ran 3 drive ways down hill and popped up!!! His gardener would have to service those areas once a month. If you plant it Running or Clumping, use Bamboo Barrier.

Lucas, which way does the wind blow to or from your nightmare neighbors? Certain bamboo's will create a lot of fallen leaves. Enough to make a serious mess. Hopefully it blows his way. :wink:

Lucas, I've had some similar problems in the past. I would suggest finding out if where you live has a noise ordinance, in my town noise is limited at ten pm, and then calling the cops every night five minutes after the curfew if you hear his noise. Get other neighbors to do the same, It makes more of an impact on the cops if it's more than one person calling. Also call your local humane society and ask about the laws regarding incessantly barking dogs, it's likely that after a couple hours they can be cited and fined. Again get the neighbors involved.
If that doesn't work get a Fender 4x10 super reverb point it at their house crank it to ten and put some Hawaiian christian falsetto on and let it rip. :wink:
Bamboo? I love it and have many types, the Oldhamii is great and tall but can run 25 feet in my yard so like Ben said "get Bamboo Barrier or you'll be sorry" also next time I plant some I'll put cement blocks on the other side of the barrier going down at least 1 1/2 feet below the ground and at least a half a foot above the ground angling away from the bamboo because the runners will go under the barrier if it has no other option and will leap over the top too, but the "lip" will allow you to see the runner and cut it off.

Any more questions about bamboo growing or how to deal with meth dealing neighbors PM me.

aloha, tikicoma

I used to have all my Biker buddies over to the house, when the neighbors saw
100 or so Harley's parked in front, everyone was nice to me for years, but I wasn't a douche
who had parties past midnight, loud music or motorcycles running late into the night.

Now our Tiki parties that's when we torture the hood!

Nice music LV, you play ALL of that? Relaxing

OK not ALL relaxing, but all good & squeetchy

Here's a pic of my bamboo Alphonse Karr (bambusa multiplexa). LV, you can see its a "clumper" as the culms are no more than 12" or so from the "mother" The two on the right are from the summer of 2011. The other two came up sometime in August of 2012. Most bamboos grow most vigorously at summers end. I pretty much just enjoy my boo's til Sept. and then either stab the ones that have left the "mother" with a spade and remove them or dig em out and transplant them to a container-no problem giving em away. I have several black boo's that I keep in containers and they sit on a concrete patio slab. There are some clumping and running black bamboos. I was given these two so I'm taking no chances that these "could be runners" might escape their containers and invade my yard or my neighbors. I have them for"ornamental" value. Runners can easily burrow under a block wall or most driveways. On rare occasions some older boo's will flower and seeds could be spread wherever. There is not much you can do about this except maybe cut the flowers off before they go to seed. Anyway, you really just need to "maintain" your bamboo and everybody will be happy. Bamboo is just a big grass-not complicated at all. Don't let the many "myth's you hear scare you.
Cheers

2 yr. old stand, some culms have left the immediate area of the initial planting and will soon be detached,placed in a gallon container and live elsewhere.

black bamboo about 1 year old Apprx 1' dia. Leaf burn due to recent cold snap.

50848x51159d1c.jpg

black bamboo (differtent type) #-4 yr.s old 1/4: dia,

[ Edited by: nui 'umi 'umi 2013-02-11 20:44 ]

Those are some nice specimens!

On the matterhorn ride at disneyland, they planted all the trees and foliage in cement pockets filled with a spongelike fake soil.

I am wondering if I should do the same. Dig a moat next to the wall, line it with cement. I wonder how deep it should be and how wide or far away from the wall, so that it could contain both the clumping and the other type of bamboo?

Don't forget what uncle Ben said.

On 2013-02-04 14:27, RevBambooBen wrote:
Use "Bamboo Barrier" or you will be sorry.

It will bust through cement walls.

Damned Tiki Central double-post.

[ Edited by: GROG 2013-02-08 21:42 ]

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 ]

On 2013-02-04 10:57, Alii Tiki wrote:
Try checking out
http://www.bamboogiant.com/
they're in Santa Cruz area - and may be able to assist with your needs

Definitely some very good info at A T's suggested site.
Mahalo Alii

On 2013-02-08 19:32, lucas vigor wrote:
On the matterhorn ride at disneyland, they planted all the trees and foliage in cement pockets filled with a spongelike fake soil.

Lucas, "spongelike fake soil" was never seen by me in any of the planters when I worked on and all over the Matterhorn. They used real soil and replenished it as needed. And although they did not plant any bamboo in the rockwork, the concrete did successfully contain the plant material. If anything grew too large to fit the visual perspective of the mountain, then they would trim or replace plant material as needed.

There is to this day quite a bit of bamboo in and around Jungle Cruise. Some of it is quite large. Not sure how they contain or control it.

On the bamboo side, do use a barrier, for my growing # I was told two foot down. Should've been further tho. It did get out.

Man, all these dire warnings about not letting your bamboo get out to run amok like some sort of green monster.

Brings to mind a sci-fi book by Ward Moore called Greener than You Think where a super-fertilizer is negligently applied to some guys lawn, which then goes on to destroy the world.

We planted a couple of pots of Phyllostachys nigra in the far side of the yard about five years ago. The last two, it's started to really fill in. I always just assumed I might need to head it off with a mattock when it starts heading for places I don't want it. I guess everybody's going to tell me now that at five years is when it really starts to run for it. :o

I always wanted to put in some moso, but we don't have enough room for that. Plus you have to worry about ninja infestation with that.