Growing Bamboo

There is quite a stigma in Australia about bamboo.  It seems many people have a fear of growing this grass. So many stories about rampant uncontrollable bamboo growth, and digging it out and trying (often in vain it appears) to remove it from one's garden.

I don't know how it happened, but it appears that the most 'popular' bamboo grown over the years is the running bamboo - that, especially when it finds itself in a suitable place to grow, runs rampant and infiltrates gardens and area where it was not wanted.

Few people I speak with have heard of 'clumping' bamboo - that bamboo which grows in clumps and while it can increase the number of 'poles' in the plant, if it is grown with adequate space, it should not cause a problem.

Clearly one needs to chat with someone familiar with bamboo growing to determine the correct type of plant to grow.

There are a number of books on bamboo growing too - available from libraries, or from nurseries featuring bamboo.

I can recommend The Bamboo Handbook, written by Durnford Dart, who is regarded as Australia's Mr Bamboo, and whose bamboo farm is at Belli Park, on the road between Eumundi and Kenilworth, Queensland.

There is a list of bamboo nurseries from the Bamboo Society of Australia website.

Durnford Dart's book is available through Amazon. com

The book - laying on my bamboo towel.