Bamboo is a well-known plant from the grass family, which is known for its versatility. It grows quite fast and offers a variety of other benefits when grown in the garden. However, there is also a downside to planting bamboo in the garden. Below is a highlight of the main advantages and disadvantages.
For starters, you can choose to plant any of the more than a thousand types of bamboo in your garden. The differences in the type can be seen in colour, height, thickness, and growing habits amongst many other things. Different types also do well in different climatic conditions, which make it possible to grow bamboo in almost all habitable places in the world. Whatever your situation, you will find a suitable type of bamboo for it.
Bamboo does not seem to be a preferred choice of food for a majority of animals. This includes deer, rabbits, and other mammals. Even insects seem to stay away from this pest-resistant plant. Only in sporadic cases are bamboo plants bothered by bamboo mites, and that is when they are grown in dry climates.
Just like many other green plants, bamboo releases oxygen and absorbs the greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere. It can also be used as a solution to saving the diminishing forest cover of the world. This is because a bamboo grows faster than many other trees, which will increase forest cover despite the continued use of timber. The extensive root systems that bamboo plants can also be used to counter soil erosion.
Easy to Grow
Bamboo can grow quite well in any soil, provided it is well-drained and reasonably fertile. There is very little maintenance required for it, especially given the fact that it is drought-resistant. You can, however, do a little irrigation to enhance its growth.
Variety of Uses
Bamboo can be used in a wide variety of ways. For starters, it is very nutritious and is used to provide food for people as well as livestock. It is also used to make medicine in various parts of the world. Its strong fibres usually used to make various building materials and items such as paper, mats, and musical instruments.
As mentioned earlier, bamboo is known to be amongst the most aggressive plants in the world. Growing the wrong type can leave you with a lot to deal with in terms of controlling its invasive nature. There are some types, which with the right conditions can grow up to one metre within a day.
Bamboo, being an invasive plant, will out-compete any other native plant for habitat. Your garden might eventually end up having no other plant except bamboo.
Getting Rid of Bamboo Is Not Easy
If you are thinking of plants to have some fun with for a season and then rip them out, you should probably stay away from bamboo. Bamboo is a long-term plant and always tends to grow back no matter how much you try to get rid of it.