Cheap, Instant Privacy - the pros and cons of bamboo

Bamboo - you either love it or you hate it. And I'm not talking about some little indoor lucky bamboo. Let's look at bamboo in Dallas landscaping. The biggest pros of using bamboo in your yard is privacy. These days your neighbors often have views into our yards and windows. The traditional fence heights allowed in Dallas often don't cut it when the two story home next door looks right down into your kitchen. And it takes several years to grow most landscape barriers.

Bamboo is a natural barrier that can grow 3 to 15 feet tall in just a year. Depending on the species, bamboo can grow to maturity of 3 to 100 feet in height. It grows like a weed (or more specifically like grass). It is drought tolerant, attractive and requires almost no care to thrive.That makes it a very difficult decision for a lot people. 

It's important to buy ONLY clumping bamboo. Clumping bamboo will typically stay in a designated place, while the other kind will spread until you wish you could burn your entire yard. Not only can it take over a yard and ruin your landscape, it can even creep into your neighbor's yard, and cause them trouble.

If you want to try this natural privacy screen for your backyard, consider installing a root barrier when you first plant the bamboo. It should be made from metal, polyethylene or PVC material, and can comes in rolls that are fairly simple for the average do-it-yourself homeowner or gardener. Plan on doing some digging and good luck. [where: 75230]