Man hopes to bring bamboo to Bella Vista
Posted on Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Bella Vistans looking to give their yards a different look might want to consider a nontraditional plant. Bamboo is beneficial because it grows quickly and offers privacy and noise reduction, according to one local man.
Jeremy Mc Millon has been working with bamboo for several years and has started installing developed bamboo plants from a private grove in Springdale.
“ It’s really something I’ve just been fascinated with, ” he said, adding that he is familiar with more than 35 species of bamboo.
Mc Millon said fall is the premier season to plant bamboo so it can establish its roots in the soil and be ready to grow when spring begins.
Because bamboo roots are so strong, it is also ideal for erosion control, he said.
“ It’s extremely tough and durable. ”
Another advantage of bamboo, according to Mc Millon, is its effect on the environment. Bamboo reduces five times as many greenhouse gases than trees of similar size, he said.
However, planting bamboo can lead to one potentially serious problem.
“ It really can’t be contained. The root system is very evasive, ” Robert Seay, from the Benton County Cooperative Extension Service, said. “ There aren’t a lot of chemicals to beat it back with. ”
Brian Grosnickle, owner of Village Garden and Landscaping Co. and vice chairman of the Village Pride Committee, said he has helped more people take bamboo out than plant it.
“ It’s a very aggressive plant, ” he said. “ It can really grow fast if you don’t maintain it. It grows so aggressively. ”
Grosnickle said he has seen some patches grow as high as 20-25 feet.
Seay said if it were to be used, the planter should use a plastic barrel or other container so the roots are not able to expand.
Mc Millon said he uses a rhizome barrier, a plastic sheet that is planted 20-26 inches deep and angled so the roots grow up and out, preventing the bamboo from spreading more than desired.
Despite the growth issue, bamboo can be very useful, Grosnickle said.
He agreed it is effective for preventing noise, and the plant is not susceptible to disease.
“ It can work, especially next to a roadside or property line, ” he said.
Bamboo can grow in full sun or partial shade, according to Mc Millon. The plant should be watered one gallon per day for the first seven to 10 days after planted, and one gallon every three days after that, he said.
Mc Millon said another use for bamboo is building crafts. It can be bent slowly and can make several items, including baskets, as well as support for other plants.
For more on bamboo, contact Mc Millon at (501 ) 442-4503 or by e-mail at jeremy 03314 @ hotmail. com.
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