Growing Bamboo in PNW USDA Zone 8

Greetings Cascadia ~ Is anyone growing bamboo here in Cascadia? I am interested in doing so and would like to hear from some people who are. Bamboo seems like a good renewable crop with some other benefits. I've also read about the hazards. I've read that "hardy" bamboo could work up here but the hardy bamboos are runners rather than clumping bamboos. I have a large pasture in which to plant bamboo and I've read about planting the bamboo in a buried container to contain them. SO, anyway, wanting to hear success or failure stories and your recommendations before I jump into this. Thank you!

Hi Scott!

When we bought our property, it came with a type of clumping bamboo. Pretty sure it's clumping because in 5 years, it's never "ran." It makes poles about 0.5-2 inches in diameter and 8-12 feet tall. I use them for bean trellises, tomato cages, wattle fences, and fence posts, and find that they get mildewy and fragile after a year in our climate. They do fine if I don't move them, but if I try to re-purpose an old bamboo, it will likely break. But, my stand of bamboo makes enough that I can just cut more. I find that my stand grows just enough that I have enough for my needs without the stand taking over. The most it's spread was under a cement-floored shed and out the other side, about 5 feet away. There's three bamboo there, so they'll become fence posts pretty soon here :D.

If you like some of my bamboo, you're more than welcome to come over and see my patch and take some home for free if you'd like. I have no idea how to transplant bamboo, but it can't be that hard, right? Send me a Private Moosage if you want some!

The PNW is a great location for bamboo. The guy who invented the slammer tool invented here in the NW to cut through bamboo roots.

I have seen a lot of different varieties of bamboo growing in the PNW, from Eugene OR up to B'ham WA.

A useful site you might want to check out is http://www.bamboo.org/wp/pnwc/