Henny Penny Farmette

Transplanted bamboo

New to the neighborhood and homesteading, we were offered a patch of clumping bamboo that was growing on the land behind us when we first moved to the Henny Penny Farmette. We worried as many do about the spreading habit of bamboo. The last thing we wanted were neighbors complaining that it had sprouted onto their property.

Back then rotting fences lined the boundaries of our land. The house, too, was in decrepit condition, but Carlos and I saw the potential of the property. We also liked the idea of natural fences or at least plants to soften the stark look of all those boards. Bamboo, we reasoned, made good sense: it was drought tolerant, easy to care for, and quick growing. It could turn a stark, ugly fence into a lush privacy screen in no time.

The vibrant green color turns to a golden amber in the fall and the plant (related to grass) moves gracefully in the wind. The plants were mainly clumping types of bamboo so they were not as likely to spread like thistle in the wind. When we were at the local DIY store, we checked the price of bamboo in pots and quickly realized that the gift we were to receive was worth several thousand dollars.

With shovels in hand, Carlos and a worker began digging along one long fence line on our property. After the planting holes were prepared, he and the worker used the wheel barrow to transfer the bamboo from the back property to ours. The two men planted and deeply watered the bamboo.

Our bamboo two years after transplanting it

Winter rains in 2011 helped the bamboo take hold. It grew well the first year with a little extra watering over the summer. The next rainy season again fostered new growth. Now we have a verdant green fence line of thriving bamboo.