On Sun, 11 Apr 2010 08:52:32 -0700, Richard Clark
wrote:

On Sun, 11 Apr 2010 10:00:45 -0400, John Ferrell
wrote:

I wonder if it could be cultivated in North Carolina?

Hi John,

More's the problem of getting rid of it if it becomes a nuisance.

It probably will if you pick the wrong specie. Bamboo propagates
(imagine, talking about plants and still being "on topic") through
the roots and those roots quickly propagate far and wide.

There are two major types of bamboo. Richard's description matches the
running type. The clumping type is not highly invasive and its spread
is easy to control.

You either
have to put in deep root barriers, or have neighbors that like a
living fence (which might be another problem through CCRs). Bamboo
generally likes wet (read soggy) soil.


According to the Maryland Cooperative Extension Service
- quote -
Bamboo grows best in a fertile, well-drained soil rich in organic
matter.
- end quote -

Half inch diameter schedule 40 PVC tubing might be a better choice for
a framework than bamboo canes. Through the years I have built several
multiband VK-parasols using PVC tubing. The Oct 1984 issue of 73
descibes the VK-parasol and provides the appropriate formulas.