Planting tips for bamboo and grasses Shade

Before deciding what and where you are going to plant make an assessment of the area. If you can try to do it early in the year so you have plenty of time to plan ahead.

It is also a good idea to determine where the shadow boundaries are. In the early months of the year, the sun is low on the horizon and the shadows extend furtherinto the garden.

Before deciding what and where you are going to plant make an assessment of the area. If you can try to do it early in the year so you have plenty of time to plan ahead.

This is also a good time to determine where the shadow boundaries are. In the early months of the year, the sun is low on the horizon and the shadows extend further into the garden.

Look out on a bright day and mark the extent of those boundaries with a couple of pegs.

  Determining these boundaries is quite important as most true grasses relish the sun and do best when the have maximum exposure to it, even through the winter months. This is because grasses including bamboo are incredibly sophisticated plants when it comes to converting sunlight to energy through photosynthesis.

Most grasses including bamboo, with a few exceptions do not generally do well in shade. However sedges and rushes do. Once you have determined the limitations of your boundaries you will have a good idea where grasses and sedges belong.

The exposure to wind and elements will depend to a degree on the of openness of your garden. The prevailing winds, coastal conditions, altitude and geographical location will all have an affect on the microclimate of your garden.

Exposure to wind is probably the most damaging as it can dessicate plants and dry out the soil very quickly even in the winter months. It may be possible to erect physical windbreaks such as fences or screens, however there are many bamboos and grasses that stand up extremely well to exposed conditions and the larger species can be used to good effect on the boundaries to form a quick growing living screen that is far cheaper more attractive and wonderfully animated in the wind when compared to conventional fencing.