How to Plant a Black Bamboo Fence
Black bamboo makes a great privacy fence. It thrives in soil of moderate pH and in climates that are not excessively cold, and lasts for years with little maintenance. Planting a bamboo hedge is not hard and most nurseries have the plants available.
Black bamboo is a great, fast growing plant if you need a privacy hedge quickly. It is an attractive plant that can grow as high as 25 or even 30 feet. Black bamboo will reach its full height within two or three years and can be grown anywhere where winter temperatures do not drop below -10.
Things You'll Need:
- Black bamboo plants from a nursery
- A soil tester
- Lime or peat moss for soil amendment
- A pitchfork
- A shovel
- A soaker hose
- Mulch
- Bark chips or straw
- Test the soil. Black bamboo prefers a pH between 4.5 and 8.0. If the soil falls outside this range, then you need to add lime if it is too low or peat moss if too high.
- Dig a series of holes at least three feet apart. They should match the containers your bamboo plants came in. Then carefully remove each plant from its container and place it in the center of its hole. Fill the hole around the plant, making sure to pat it down.
- Water the bamboo plants thoroughly with a soaking hose. Black bamboo needs at least an inch of water a week until properly established, when it should not need further supplemental water.
- Spread mulch around the plants. Then top it with about three inches of either bark chips or straw. This will improve drainage and deter weeds from growing in the shadow of your bamboo hedge, where they can sometimes be hard to reach once the hedge is fully grown.