Michael Cox wrote:Bamboo is probably a really bad idea. Once it gets established it will run and run, and be nearly impossible to control or eradicate. You are trading a short term gain (privacy) in exchange for a future liability. One that you, or the subsequent landowners, will have to manage.
Better options for screening:
Tall hedging trees. Here in the UK poplar is very common on field boundaries. It grows tall and straight and forms excellent windbreaks and privacy screens. It pollards easily as well, so they are typically cut back down to around 10ft tall every 15 to 20 years - producing plenty of firewood.
Bamboo is a great idea for planting instead of fences. You just have to know how to limit the growth of its root system. Unlike most plants, the root system of bamboo is the horizontal position and not vertical. It is this feature and contributes to the formation of bamboo forests. To limit the growth of the root system of bamboo is a simple solution. Digging a trench 0.5-0.7 m deep, filled with sand at 20 to 30cm., shrouded geotextile the entire gutter with a sunset on the side. Planted seedlings to a depth of 0.3 m, so that soil covers the root system. On the bottom of the planting pit is to put some sea pebbles or crushed stone. If you are planning on planting several plants, the distance between them should be about 0.5 m. the Geotextile will not allow the roots exit the borders of the ditch beyond.
