How to Plant a Black Bamboo Fence

Black bamboo varieties grow to heights of 25 feet.

Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on earth, and black bamboo varieties grow to heights of 25 feet with a 10-foot spread at maturity. Planted 3 feet apart from one another, black bamboo creates a dense privacy fence. Black bamboo prefers to grow in USDA hardiness zones 6 through 10, where the winter temperatures do not fall below -10 degrees F. A natural screen of bamboo fencing will last for years planted in well-drained, sunny soil with a pH between 4.5 and 8.0.

Things You'll Need

• Soil testing kit
• Pitchfork
• Lime or peat moss
• Soaker hose
• Mulch
• Pea gravel

Instructions

1. Test the soil prior to planting the bamboo. Use a soil testing kit purchased from a garden center.

2. Amend the soil if necessary, after breaking it up with a pitchfork. Add lime to the soil if the pH is below 5.6 or peat moss for soil with a pH above 6.5. Follow manufacturer's instructions for application methods and amounts.

3. Dig holes for the black bamboo plants, equal to the height of their nursery containers. Dig the holes twice the width of the containers. Space the holes a minimum of 3 feet apart in the row.

4. Remove the black bamboo plants from their nursery containers and set one plant in the center of each hole. Backfill the holes, patting the soil around the black bamboo plants to remove air pockets.

5. Water the black bamboo immediately after planting. Use a soaker hose, which will deliver deep waterings. Provide the black bamboo with at least 1 inch of water per week. Black bamboo will only require supplemental watering in lieu of rain, once established.

6. Spread a layer of mulch around the black bamboo plants to deter weeds from growing along your natural fence line. A 3-inch layer of bark chips or straw will also improve drainage.

Tips & Warnings

• Black bamboo has no known pests or diseases, so chemical treatments are not a necessity.

• Prune the bamboo back using a handsaw if it becomes too bushy. Remove shoots that are older than a year. Do not remove more than 1/3 of the bamboo in any one cutting.

• Keep in mind that most bamboo cultivars are capable of spreading far beyond the parameters that you may have intended. To stop this from happening, dig a trench around the black bamboo fence that measures 18 inches deep. Fill the trench with pea gravel, which will form a strong boundary to prevent the bamboo from spreading.

References

• Fast Growing Trees Nursery: Black Bamboo
• Bamboo Garden: Growing and Maintaining Bamboo

Resources

• Backyard Gardener: Phyllostachys Nigra
• Grow It: USDA Hardiness Zone Maps