I'm new to this site and I'm sure I'll get the proper answers and new ideas to enjoy bamboo. I'm in North Bay, Ontario (3 1/2 hours north of Toronto) so I'm seeking hardy plants. What I need is the hardiest and fastest growing plants to be used as a privacy screen between myself and neighbours(plants that grow at least 10' +). Some thing that I can divide and replant so I can add to a on-growing row between neightbours. Secondly I'm also looking for bamboo that I can harvest and use for projects, I enjoy the flexability that bamboo offers. I hope that I can get suggestions for various strains ( side note: I enjoy pushing the envelope when it comes growing, I'm always looking to try new ideas and techniques). Thank you.
How cold do you get there in winter? Might be too cold. Fargesia murielae is one of the hardiest clumping bamboos, hardy down to about -29°C (-20°F), several varieties are available from small ones of 5 feet or so up to about 15 feet. Fargesia nitida is similarly hardy. Maybe someone else will recommend an even hardier variety. Not sure if they would grow quick enough for what you want but the clumps do thicken up well, and can be divided. I have one of the smaller forms of F. murielae, I split the clump in the original container into 3 when I planted and each clump thickened up nicely, and after a couple of years I was having to thin the canes.
I have a Fargesia rufa 'Green Panda' that survived the winter in Winnipeg just now. North Bay looks to be at the low end of zone 4, so you could do better then me. Check out this site for help: http://www.bambooworld.com/ They list the min. temps for all the plants they sell, but use that as a gudeline. I managed to get my plant at Home Depot last year, so you might try there, or ask at the garden centres if they might carry Bamboo. I would doubt, however, that you would be able to grow any that will give you any significant, useful canes for making stuff with. The larger ones tend to not be that hardy, but give it a try and let us know!
I don't know what kind of bamboo you would need for your area, but found a simple solution for finding bamboo for myself; I put an add in a local paper that I would remove bamboo for free. In 2 weeks I had 20 calls and was able pick and choose. Most of the people calling either just didn't want to bother with it themselves or planted it somewhere with out containment and it started taking over. Obviously you may not know exactly which type you're getting, but you'll know it will survive the area. Ironic how expensive it is when you want to buy it and at the same time, landscapers in my area are hired to remove it...
