BAMBOO FOR PRIVACY AND EROSION CONTROL

For many years, I have let trees and brush grow on the narrow strip of ground between my front yard fence and the road.  The area is not really usable because the seasonal stream that runs through it floods, making erosion an issue.  Living so close to a dirt road also adds the problem of blowing dust each time a car passes, and the brush helps keep some of it down.  There is, of course, always a number of people curious about what the weird guy in the neighborhood is doing, making privacy an issue.  

On the downside, underbrush is not the most pleasant thing to look at.  With the trees beginning to die, and the fact that the lack leaves during winter lowers the level of privacy, this arrangement will soon cease to be of benefit.  I believe I have found the answer.

A few years ago, I planted a small start of bamboo which I ordered from a nursery company in Washington.  This species is supposed to eventually produce canes about 3 inches in diameter and about 30 feet tall.  So far, it has not quite done this.  At this point, it has spread to make an nice little stand and the largest canes are almost 2 inches and about 20 feet tall.  Each year, the new canes are a little bigger, so it may actually get to the optimum size eventually.  At any rate, it is green year round, and forms a nice, dense barrier.

I have decided to transplant some of the smaller canes to the area outside the front yard fence.  As the new starts spread and grow, it should form a nice barrier and serve as excellent erosion control.  The thick green foliage should also afford better privacy.  At the very least it will look much nicer than underbrush.

Yes, I know bamboo is invasive, though it is slower than many other invasive plants.  However, it will serve my purposes nicely and the canes can be harvested for use on the farm.  This species also produces edible shoots that can be harvested as it spreads into unwanted areas.

With all the advantages in mind, I transplanted 3 starts yesterday.  It will take a few years and some work for the bamboo to completely replace the underbrush, but hopefully the end result will be awesome.